Briana shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Briana, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Lately, something that has been bringing me joy outside of work is finding activities that help me put my phone down. Recently, I’ve started exploring new hobbies such as reading and coloring and it’s been really fun. I’m usually on my phone or laptop a lot especially being a graphic designer, so it’s nice discovering new hobbies that bring me joy and feel like an escape from work and the real world.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Briana and I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. I started my business, Graphics By Bri, in 2020 when I was just sixteen years old. As a teen, I always knew I wanted to start some sort of business. At the time, I was always designing things on my phone just for fun, such as flyers, invitations, banners, and even thumbnails for my YouTube channel I had at the time. I decided to turn my creativity and my love for designing into a business and that’s how Graphics By Bri came about.
Since starting my business five years ago, I’ve grown so much as a designer which really shows in my work. I’ve had the chance to work with hundreds of brands, build strong relationships with clients, and even collaborate with popular influencers. In 2022, I released my first two ebooks, “A Beginner’s Guide to Logo Design” and “Bri’s Business Academy” where I shared everything I’d learned about design and entrepreneurship. Today, I offer a total of six ebooks and courses on my site, along with a variety of design services and package deals for my clients. I even offer pre made design templates on my Etsy shop as well. I really love what I do and I’m grateful that so many people trust me with their branding.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I always believed I had to have my life figured out early. Like by a certain age I had to know exactly what I wanted to do and I had to be living a certain way. While I do think it’s great to set goals and strive towards them, I now understand that it’s not realistic to have everything together and not everything is going to go according to my timeline and that’s okay. So, I’ve definitely learned to give myself grace and trust God’s timing for my life.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There were definitely times where running a business got really hard. Being a graphic designer or just an entrepreneur in general isn’t easy. I’ve dealt with creator’s block, juggling client work, trying to balance life while running a business, all while still finding energy to consistently show up on social media to market my own brand. Plus, entrepreneurship is very unpredictable so some months are great while others are sometimes slow, which can be super frustrating. I’ve never wanted to give up on my business because it’s something that I love and I know how much potential it has to go even further. But, I’d be lying if I said it’s not hard at times.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think the biggest lie in the graphic design/entrepreneurship world is that success happens overnight. I’ve had smaller designers DM me in the past asking how I find clients because it’s been hard for them. I feel like on social media everything looks perfect. But, you don’t see the trial and error, the slow seasons, or the behind the scenes work. I believe a lot of people start businesses expecting to blow up instantly especially if they see another person doing it, but it’s not that easy.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I feel like I’m doing what I was born to do. I love tapping into my creative side and designing new things. Whenever I’m creating a logo, a flyer, a website, etc it doesn’t feel like I’m working or doing a job. It feels fun. I truly enjoy what I do and I’m glad I’m able to use my creativity and my skills to bring my client’s brands to life.
Contact Info:
- Other: My TikTok:
@graphicsby.bri My Etsy shop:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShopGraphicsByBri?ref=shop_onboarding&ele=shop_open
