It’s that time of year when I love looking back on the past 365 days analyzing what worked, what didn’t, celebrating milestones and goals achieved, and understanding what could have been done differently as other goals fell short. I hope this is insightful or helpful whether you find yourself in business or just celebrating another year gone by. This is my 2022 recap.

I am so excited to share with you a second round of Dedicated Design Day Q&A’s! This is a behind the scenes look at a Design Day I did with Chioma Onyiuke and our work together so you can see the extent of what a Design Day can do for you! And instead of answering questions myself and telling you why I think Design Days are the bomb, I’m going to let my client who actually went through the experience answer them herself.

When people ask when the best time is to get their website updated, my answer is “yesterday.” Your website is your home base, where people find out about you and your services, where they fill out your contact form, schedule discovery calls with you, and book your services. Your website needs to be firing on all cylinders to be doing what it’s supposed to be doing which is make you money.

Even before I launched my business out into the world in 2016 I spent countless hours trying out different web platforms to see what would work best for me. While the time I put into researching platforms and trying them out was useful, it took up A LOT of time and if I could go back I would do things differently so I could save myself from the confusion and headaches.

For all the women wondering if you can have it all… I’m attempting to answer that question today. First off, Happy Mother’s Day. Whether you’re preparing for when you are a mother, or are already chasing toddlers, this post is for you.

Branding your business, or setting up your website is a big undertaking and finding the right person to help you bring your vision to life is no small task. That’s why I’m excited to share several things you can do to make the process easier - AND you can start NOW, rather than down the line when you want your website up next week. 

Ya know those brands that you just adore? Perhaps Starbucks, Target, Magnolia… there are some brands that have built a solid reputation and have raving fans and you can’t help but sing their praises. But how does one build a personal brand that people can fall in love with just as much as those bigger brands? Stick around, I have a roadmap for how you - as the face of your brand and business - can grow a dedicated audience that people are sure to follow along with.

I still remember those crack-of-dawn early mornings at my day job, with steaming coffee in hand at my computer, with one tab open on my work and the other tab open reading the blog of a designer I admired who was doing exactly what I wanted to do: branding and website design while working from home. Yawning, I would think, “I can do this.” But how?

Before I get carried away with January goal-setting, I love looking back on the year that passed and gain perspective, write down lessons learned, and celebrate all the wonderful things that took place. 

Back in the day, growing your SEO sounded like something you needed to hire experts for. It was that mythical, vague thing that happens only if you have the right support, and enough money.

I am so excited to share with you all about my Design Day Intensive but from the perspective of my client who actually went through the experience herself! For a little backstory, my Dedicated Design Day service is all about completing your design to-dos in just one day. This is perfect for any small business needing a little help!

Have you noticed that one year in an online business is like three years in the outside world? It’s true! If you’re new to the online space that may come as a surprise. But if you’ve been here awhile you’re probably nodding along with me. Things move quickly online and that’s why a year can feel like a reeeaaalllllyyy long time. And if you’re in the online business world for more than five years you can feel ancient! (I know I do! Especially talking about how blogging used to be back in 2016).

Does the idea of reworking your website or sitting down to Canva to create an opt-in seem completely overwhelming? I understand the feeling. Making a huge improvement in our small business behind the scenes can seem so huge and so daunting that what can end up happening is putting your own small business on hold, and deciding you’ll get to it “one day.”

Before we dive in, I think it’s important to address that success is different for everyone. No two people have the same definition of success and it’s really important to get clear on what success is to you. 

Instagram is my favorite social media platform for lots of reasons but mainly because I connect with so many amazing people on the platform. Back when I first started my business in 2016 is also when I started my IG account and some of the people I met back then are still friends to this day!

2020 looked very different in terms of world events, it’s still been a year full of blessing, joy, and growth. And while that’s all true, it’s also been a year of lessons learned the hard way, tough moments, and times of thinking “should I just quit?”

I remember when I first started R Artspace back in 2016. I didn’t know a lot about which software to use to run my business and had a lot of questions because there are SO many options to choose from when it comes to software.

Last year, 2019 was my first year as a full-time entrepreneur as a brand and website designer. And it was amazing. Ups and downs that you can read all about here, but basically working from home and doing work that inspires me everyday is such a blessing and I love it. Well, my world is about to change…

As a brand designer, it’s imperative that I understand who my clients are targeting. Why? Because knowing your target audience is one of the most important steps to reaching your goals in business. Your target audience is the group of people who want to hear from you, they are interested in what you’re offering, and will be your tribe to rave about how wonderful you are after you’ve worked together. And, as a brand designer, it’s my job to create a visual presence that appeals to your target audience.

If you Google how to start a business, many times you’ll come across the need to create a business plan. While I’m not against business plans I feel like it can be a hurdle to the enthusiasm and excitement you have to get started. When you come up against a daunting, 20+ page plan it can take the wind right out of your sails.