Today we’d like to introduce you to Charna Wilson.
Charna, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Almost 15 years ago, as a senior in high school, I started dabbling in creating my custom images on the computer. It started as just simple pass time and a way to make special homages to my friends and things that I liked.
As I moved through my undergraduate days I found myself sharing those talents with organizations on campus and the Residence Hall that I lived and worked in. It wasn’t where I placed my biggest efforts (I was a writer and determined to be a good one) but in my downtime, I could always be found making images to bring a little enhancement where ever I could. This continued after college until I found myself serving as a member of the National Graphics committee for one of my organizations and I recognized the extent of my talents. It was something that many people had praised me on throughout the years and I finally got to a place where I was ready to embrace it and exercise fully in it.
In 2016, SB Wil Designs was officially born!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh my goodness, it’s been far from a smooth road! There are struggles every starts up business deals with, establishing affordable price points that make sense to my consumers and make me feel valued as a creator, discovering the best way to communicate with my clients, dealing with people I had once done graphics as favors for but would now be charging. But the center of all of that was my self-confidence. The one thing that stopped me from making the move from hobby enthusiast to entrepreneur was that I just didn’t think my work was good enough to be charged for. I still struggle with that a bit, but I had to learn to push past it. A quote I have come to live by is “I deserve to be well paid for my skills and knowledge.” If everyone could do it, everyone would. My job at SB Wil Designs is to help the ones who can’t.
Tell us about your company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
SB Wil Designs is a graphic design company where we help make your vision a reality. We work with any customer who is looking to market themselves, an event or an experience in a way they could only imagine, helping those who know exactly what they want and guiding those who need a little creative flare. I specialize is print media, digital media and brand development.
What I am most proud of with this company is our ability to work with customers on a realistic timeline. By asking the right questions and having the right conversations, I provide personalized attention and guidance throughout the whole process, from the initial concept to the final result, and make sure my clients are true partners in the experience. They need to know that they are the creative director of their project, I am just the instrument they are using to produce it.
What sets me apart from others would definitely be my pricing. Branding yourself, your event, or your business does not have to be expensive to be done right. All of my projects have a base price of $25 and goes up based on complexity.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My biggest supporter, cheerleader, the mentor would have to be my sister. She is a graphic designer herself and she always pushes me to be better than what I think my best is. Whenever I had a project that needed more flare than I thought I could bring, she was always there to help, and when I got to a level where she knew I could do it on my own, she would flat out refuse me. Even if I was kicking and screaming, she would relentlessly force me to rely on my own skills and celebrate me when I accomplished it. I wouldn’t be even half the graphic designer I am today if it weren’t for her.
I also have to give credit to By Finer Design, Divine Legacy Publishing, She Knows Sportswear and Kheta’s Kreations for allowing me to practice on them. They were using my graphic skills before I was SB Wil Designs and when I made the shift to business didn’t hesitate to pay my prices for my work. They have truly allowed me to feel not only like a talented graphic designer but a professional. And of course, I have to thank my chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. for trusting me with the task of branding the chapter. There’s a special tinge of pride I feel every time I see one of my graphics showcasing an event, a birthday or just a special shoutout for the chapter.
Pricing:
- All projects start at $25 and go up based on complexity
- All projects require a deposit before work begins
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sbwildesigns.com
- Email: sbwil.designs@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/sbwildesigns
- Facebook: facebook.com/sbwildesigns
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