Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Balfour.
Laura, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
So how did I get to be a designer? I won a t-shirt design contest in the 5th grade for the local chapter of the Red Cross (my grandmother still wears her shirt proudly) and the rest is history . . . sorta.
With roots in South Georgia and a BFA design degree from UGA, I started my design career in a stationery shop, making custom wedding invitations for heart-eyed brides. I quickly learned the real art of meeting deadlines, friendly customer service, setting clear expectations, and the importance of running a “press check” for letterpress orders.
After that, I joined an in-house creative team for a school fundraising company based in the Atlanta area as their print graphic designer. During my tenure there, I learned the importance of maintaining a nationwide brand as business growth soared. I got to be part of one of the most amazing company cultures but craved more of a creative challenge, and needed to work on more than one brand at a time to keep my creativity growing, so . . .
In 2014, I ventured out to serve my freelance clients full-time and haven’t looked back since!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The first three years of my business were highlighted by saying “yes” to pretty much any design need that landed in my inbox. I knew from my years on a creative team the importance of shooting bullets first, then cannons. In other words, I wanted to see what stuck before really deciding what my studio focus was.
With that came it’s own challenges of having little to no set process, spending a lot of time in email and drafting proposals, and running on the edge of burnout having no way to outsource any part of my business because there was no system. Anywhere.
The success of the business hung on my availability and that is just not scalable. It’s typical for me to try to do it all. I now know, I (*we) cannot do it all if I go at it alone.
I encourage all female entrepreneurs to invite others in, ask for help, seek wise counsel, and get a business coach or mentor sooner than later.
We’d love to hear more about Fleecher Designs.
Fleecher Designs is a holistic branding and design studio specializing in thoughtful branding and design services in partnership with small businesses, non-profits and large churches who are working for good. We believe intentional brand design allows you to effectively communicate your ideas so that your message is memorable, cohesive and set apart from your competition.
We like to remind our people that just because you’re doing a whole lot of good doesn’t mean it looks pretty. If you’re a do-gooder who is tired of DIY’ing design and stumbling through freelancer after freelancer, Fleecher Designs is your answer. (Take a load off – get back to the things you do best in your business!)
We partner with impact organizations in branding and design so that they can go out and actually do their good.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
Women do so much and as a woman, I love that. We are so strong and capable running our homes, loving our spouses, and running businesses. But I still have to ask the question: why is there a pay gap? In gender, ethnicity, or other? If you are in a position to make a change to level the playing field: do it. Women and men can work together effectively . . . and get paid the same.
Pricing:
- Branding packages start at $2500
- Design services start at $1000/month
Contact Info:
- Website: fleecherdesigns.com
- Email: hello@fleecherdesigns.com
- Instagram: @fleecherdesigns
- Facebook: facebook.com/fleecherdesigns
Image Credit:
Payton Marcy Photography
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