Today we’d like to introduce you to Gina Glogovac.
Hi Gina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada and graduated from the University of Nevada Reno in 2019. I was always creative but was so focused on school and never really considered the fact I could combine the two (I very much followed the traditional path). However, I fell in love with business and graduated with a marketing degree. After graduating I, of course, immediately started job hunting. I found that all of the positions I was interested in required some sort of graphic design experience, which I didn’t have.
I started teaching myself and took some online classes so I could learn the Adobe programs. I fell in love with it and was practicing every day. I landed a job at a brewery as a Marketing Director and basically did everything that didn’t involve brewing – social media, photography, website edits, label design, strategy, and more. I had never even considered freelancing as an option, but then COVID hit and we all know how that went.
I was feeling restless in my job and Reno and wanted to make a change. I put my head down and just started planning to move. I formed an LLC, took courses, worked my 9-5 and would go home and build my portfolio/practice, and saved up enough money to quit and move to NYC, which had been a dream my entire life. I never really thought freelancing would stick (I thought I’d look for another job), but it just kept getting better, I networked, and everything just seemed to fall into place.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In previous answer, I said ‘things fell into place’ – which they did, but it wasn’t (and isn’t) always a smooth road. I love running a business, all the people I meet, projects I’ve had the pleasure of working on, and more, but it is difficult.
There’s truly never enough time in the day for all the things that need to be done and hiring out is another beast in itself. As an entrepreneur, your job is also to find holes in your business, look to improve, expand your network, and dream big, but it can feel debilitating when there’s so much to do and you don’t know where to start. That’s one aspect that is difficult every day.
Another struggle that I’m sure all designers and creatives can relate to, is dealing with unhappy clients. Sometimes we can take ownership and accept responsibility for mistakes and learn from them. It’s never a good feeling to disappoint a client who trusted you, but it, unfortunately, comes with the territory. However, sometimes clients can be unhappy and it’s not your fault. This could be for a number of reasons and when it happens to you for the first time it’s so discouraging. You question yourself, whether or not you have talent, am I in the right industry, etc. The dreaded imposter syndrome. It takes a lot of practice to keep pushing and remembering that this isn’t personal.
Overall, I’m not sure running your own business is ever ‘smooth’. There are challenges every day and it’s incredibly difficult, but the reward is pretty much always worth it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Brand/Marketing Strategist, Brand Designer, UX Designer, Web Developer, and Social Media Designer. I work in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, XD, and Figma as the main programs and also develop in Showit. I also love partnering with other contractors who are experts in development and social media management when there is a larger project.
My specialties and passion truly lie in strategy and design. As I mentioned in my first answer, I graduated with a marketing degree and my love for that part of the industry is still alive and well. I thrive off being able to help clients build a brand from start to finish. Working with clients to dissect their business (why they started it, their values, their target market, pain points, how to market, etc.) bleeds into the identity and makes the entire process seamless. Plus, seeing the excitement in clients when their hard work pays off is incredible.
I believe this is what sets me apart from other brand designers – my knowledge for marketing taking the conversation further than the visuals. This year, 2023, I plan tapping into this much more and offering more marketing services – business/marketing growth plans, campaign building, social strategy, etc.
In terms of design, I am known for my use of color and ‘spunky’ designs. I work with a lot of lifestyle, health, and food/beverage brands, which I love because those industries always seem to be taking a lot of risks with color and type. There really is no one ‘right’ way to do things. I love pushing the boundaries and taking trends to the next level. I also pride myself on my range of design – I can do bright and playful but also edgy and editorial.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My best advice for someone starting out is to never give an immediate no to an opportunity. Respond to as many DMs as possible, connect with your followers, and keep the conversation going. This is a full-time job in itself, but it helps you really get to know the people following along with your business and you never know what kind of partnerships that will lead to, the friends you’ll make, the people you’ll meet and more.
If you see someone is in your area – ask them to coffee or on a work date. I did this a lot when I first moved to the city and I’ve met some incredible people and even some of my best friends.
Also, just being friendly and having integrity goes a long way. The online space can be incredibly difficult to navigate, so always know who you are, stick to your values, and don’t get sucked into some of the unfortunate aspects of selling a service online.
Lastly, there are tons of events and networking opportunities in NYC. Just look up some communities, Facebook groups, etc. and make it a point to go to one a month. This is a goal of mine as well. There’s always more networking that can be done.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gene-designs.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gene_designs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077587839613
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginaglo/
- Other: https://www.behance.net/ginaglogovac
