Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a brand from the ground up? Jennifer Andos of Paperfish Creative joins us to share her voyage from a cozy Chicago suburb to the helm of her own branding and graphic design kingdom. She opens up about her family's pivotal role in her career, the life-changing relocation to Virginia, and why sinking roots into local soil is a game-changer for business growth. Jennifer's take on social media is as refreshing as it is effective, focusing on authenticity over algorithms. For creatives and entrepreneurs seeking to weave their own narratives into their ventures, she's got a treasure trove of wisdom you won't want to miss.
Then, we step into the world of a Lab and First Responders Foundation board member who lights up our discussion with the power of philanthropy. Discover how immediate support for our first responders is more than just aid—it's a lifeline. As we peel back the layers of this altruistic endeavor, we're reminded of the immense value of community service. And for those with a keen eye, we explore the art of photography, not just as a way to capture the world, but as a profound form of personal expression. As we dissect the technicalities of print-ready imagery, we also celebrate the unique brand each photographer can develop, ensuring you walk away inspired to make your own mark.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a brand from the ground up? Jennifer Andos of Paperfish Creative joins us to share her voyage from a cozy Chicago suburb to the helm of her own branding and graphic design kingdom. She opens up about her family's pivotal role in her career, the life-changing relocation to Virginia, and why sinking roots into local soil is a game-changer for business growth. Jennifer's take on social media is as refreshing as it is effective, focusing on authenticity over algorithms. For creatives and entrepreneurs seeking to weave their own narratives into their ventures, she's got a treasure trove of wisdom you won't want to miss.
Then, we step into the world of a Lab and First Responders Foundation board member who lights up our discussion with the power of philanthropy. Discover how immediate support for our first responders is more than just aid—it's a lifeline. As we peel back the layers of this altruistic endeavor, we're reminded of the immense value of community service. And for those with a keen eye, we explore the art of photography, not just as a way to capture the world, but as a profound form of personal expression. As we dissect the technicalities of print-ready imagery, we also celebrate the unique brand each photographer can develop, ensuring you walk away inspired to make your own mark.
Speaker 1:
My name is Jennifer Andos, the name of my business is Paperfish Creative and I do branding and graphic design and also copywriting, so I feel like the copywriting falls in with branding and it all leads to marketing.
Speaker 2:
Oh wow, that's a nice little thing going here. Yeah, and can you tell me a little bit about your childhood? What were you like and how has anything from that childhood led you up into this bit about your childhood? What were you like and how has anything from that childhood led you up into this point in your career?
Speaker 1:
Sure, Sure, I grew up in suburban Chicago.
Speaker 1:
I'm all prospect, I'm the oldest of four and I went to Catholic school and I lived in this weird spot Our street was.
Speaker 1:
It's a fine neighborhood, but it was surrounded by very busy roads so there was just one block and, for whatever reason, there was no other kids on our street, and so I grew up super tight with my siblings because there were no kids to play with, you couldn't go anywhere because you couldn't cross the street, because we were too little, and so I think that made us really super tight, like an unusual way, and my parents both worked, and I think what they did raising us is shaped, what I ended up doing, and that my mom has never stopped working, but when I was a kid she would work Wednesdays and my grandma would come to watch us and then the weekends and my dad was home from work, and so they had this like way of balance, you know, keeping it going with, but always having someone home with us, and I didn't realize it at the time, but that's clearly what I ended up wanting to do for myself.
Speaker 1:
Um, yeah, and it's good. We're all still close, my family still lives in Chicago, in that area, and obviously I don't live here, but we're still really close. I talk to all, or at least one of them, pretty much every single day.
Speaker 2:
Okay, so what brought you to?
Speaker 1:
Virginia, amazon Not for me, but my husband got a job at Amazon and he was in data centers back in Illinois and then came here and we knew one person, his old co-worker, which is how he ended up at Amazon. And my cousin happens to live in DC, which has been a lifesaver for us. She grew up in Spokane, washington, so we sure didn't grow up together, but we moved here All of a sudden. We got all this, all this like amazing quality time and her family's amazing.
Speaker 1:
So my first year here, I did not want to move here, I have to be honest like at all. Well, partly because my family's so close, I had a business in Illinois already, all those things and it was just wasn't my, not in my life plan. So my first year my kids were six and nine I spent the entire year not really working, but I became the room mom and I went to every school part. I did everything I could to meet all the people in the neighborhood and to meet all the parents, cause you can't like, let your kids just go to random people's houses, right? So that's how I spent my first year here and then I finally started back at work.
Speaker 2:
Okay, and you said you had a business. Is it the same business you have today?
Speaker 1:
I do. So this is actually my second business, but that first one was five years my business partner and we just didn't do well to prepare for change, so that didn't work. And then she this is funny, but this is like so long ago that being together, the internet was so much lower, so what I do with graphic design being together was so much more important than it is now. Now you know you could shoot proofs to people in milliseconds and it doesn't matter, but back then it wasn't the case. So I started this business 17 years ago. My son was four weeks old. Oh my goodness, so young. That's how I could keep track of it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I love that, that and then this is going to be right up your alley, this question. But like, what are you doing for marketing, for marketing yourself, your business?
Speaker 1:
so I social media, I guess, is one of them um, but I'm an organic poster. I am not. What does that mean for those of us who don't? Okay, so I don't plan my posts. I don't have like a month calendar coming out. I don't have, I don't do that.
Speaker 1:
I'm very much reactionary, or I did this. I'm super involved in the community, which is my, I guess, another marketing thing in a way, but I'm on a couple of boards, so I spend a lot of time fundraising and out meeting people, and so I share that and I believe in the causes that I'm fundraising for. So it's natural for me to say please come to this fundraiser, because we're saving money and we're raising money for firefighters or whatever, and so that's one big thing. I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn, my business. I've ended up because I guess I live in Ashburn, I've ended up doing a lot of branding and marketing for data center companies and because of that I follow the industry and so I'll share things I read or I don't know, industry knowledge, I guess, but yeah, Love that.
Speaker 2:
What advice would you give to somebody who's like I need to plan my posts. What should I do? Is it better to do it organic? What advice would you give them if they're struggling?
Speaker 1:
I think a combination is great. I think that if you don't know where to start, it's always good to start with, like, the basic day of the week. So if you want to post twice a week say every Tuesday is this and every Thursday is that, it gives you a theme, a big, a huge on themes, which, like even for paper fishes, always helped me. Just to have a theme around things. It really makes life easier. National holidays and events around your own industry are a great way to start. As far as planning, those are planned posts that you can do ahead of time. I do think that you should be brave enough to post organically. If something you see sparks you, just do it immediately. Don't be like, oh later, maybe today, it doesn't have to be perfect, just share it and share a couple things, a couple things. That said, I found this interesting because or we can help you do this too, or whatever it is, but I like a combination of both, because I feel like having both feels more authentic than all planned.
Speaker 2:
Okay, and is there anything in your heart that you would like our listeners to know about you personally, like what you're doing outside of your own business, like whether it's in regards to the community or anything like that?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I totally, totally believe in community service and giving back, totally, totally believing community service and giving back and it all of my friends that I've met are most of my friends here are in the business community, but they're also all people that give back. So I see them and we've become friends because we're all fundraisers and we're all. We all have some sort of mission, and so my advice would be that it grows your network in a way that you wouldn't think, but it also just fills you up. I could go on and I'm on the Lab and First Responders Foundation board and we raise money for firefighters and police and sheriff and everybody in their time of need and I love it and I could sit here and tell you all day and talk about it.
Speaker 2:
No, please do yeah.
Speaker 1:
So we raise money, so it's not just for accidents and injuries. A lot of times we've helped families when there's a death in the family and they couldn't afford a funeral or mental health awareness and some other examples. You know, last year I think it was last year one of the sheriff's dispatch women lost her home. And what's great I love this is what I believe in our foundation so much is that we are able to cut a check of support within 12 hours. Oh, my gosh. So they just have like one little short form and they turn it over and 12 hours later now they have money so that they can rent a hotel room or stay at the hotel next to their spouse's hospital, surgery or whatever, whatever the request is. And that speed to action, I think, is what I love, because it alleviates so much stress. Yes, and so that's really what we're doing is alleviating some stress through financial support. Yeah, um, and so there was this huge sterling had this huge explosion, I think.
Speaker 2:
I heard about that on the news.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and we lost a firefighter at it and 11 others got injured, and so I've basically only fundraised for the last month. But the awareness is great and these people will have trouble for a long time to recover from these injuries, so I just love it Wow.
Speaker 2:
I know how did you get started in that, like what sparked your interest into being so involved.
Speaker 1:
My parents are big volunteer people. I think that's a good thing. And then when we were, when I was first married, my husband's nephew lived with us for a while and he's quite literally like one of the nicest people ever meet and you would never know all the things he went through, and so that kind of gave me a different perspective on how people are, how there's ways to help people without I don't know. I've been lucky, I am lucky, my family is great, right, and so there's so many ways you can help people yourself. People think that they can't make a difference, but you really can, even if you're making one person's difference.
Speaker 1:
I think that started me being interested in giving back. And then somebody asked me to be on this board and I said yes and I love it. Now I'm on a second board that's for the data center industry. That's kind of pure networking. However, we support education and I have a new initiative that I'm doing through them for Loudoun County Public Schools. I just love it. You love being involved. I do so much and I love people, so every time I have a fundraiser, I get to talk to a hundred people.
Speaker 2:
There you go. It's just a win-win for you right there Exactly. I love that. That's so wonderful. What advice would you give to anybody who is moving out of their like home state to another place? Like for any business owners who are, like my husband or my wife, just got a new location, how do you help them when they have their own business or adjusting?
Speaker 1:
I joined something. So the first group I joined was called FemWorking, which I know doesn't exist anymore, but it was this wonderful group of women that own their own business and all different kinds of stages. Most of them are kind of startup and we got together probably twice a month or something, but that little networking group. We're all still friends actually and that was a great start for me here.
Speaker 1:
If you go to a community like Loudoun, loudoun has the most involved chamber of commerce I think I've ever met. They have opportunities for social opportunities to meet lots of business owners, just all kinds of things. It's a great and loud in general even our loud and economic development. I work with them a lot. They have all these tools that help businesses find rental space and help with set up with vendors if they need new vendors. So go and find the organizations that are. There are organizations in pretty much every community that is there to help you succeed, and don't be afraid to say I don't know anybody or I don't know what to do next, or because there are people that actually are there to help you.
Speaker 2:
That is so great to know, because oftentimes you're just like I don't know anybody, like who do I call? And just to have that little hub there for you to connect with people who are like, hey, I was in that situation, let me offer you a hand. Yeah, I know this great person. Or they just moved from here. Get to know them. Exactly, I love that. It's just help about helping each other and wanting everybody to to thrive and adjust. Well, exactly, love that. And then, um, if you could give any advice to just anybody it doesn't have to be a business owner on, like, how to get your business to succeed. I know that can be a little bit subjective sometimes, but what steps do you need to take? Like, is it? You have to be consistent, persevere consistency is big.
Speaker 1:
Also, mapping out, I think, what you think success looks like is important. You'll like if you're looking for how to work on your business, not in your business situation. That's not me. I still am a graphic designer. I graphic design every day. I do hire people for things that I just can't handle it, or I'm a terrible web designer, so I have a whole team of people that do that for me. But I think defining what your success will look like helps you start with a roadmap and if you start to think I'm not sure if this is going to work for me or I don't know if this is the right thing having that roadmap, remembering why you went into business in the first place, will help you steer back to that. And if every day, you could just do one little thing that it doesn't have to be one little thing to grow your business every day, but one little thing that keeps you in that, why it'll keep you happy in your business. I think keeping you happy in your business helps you succeed in your business.
Speaker 2:
I agree. And then I have a question about the copywriting. What is that in regards?
Speaker 1:
to. It's so funny. So I actually went to school for journalism. I was a journalism, public relations major, and in that you do a lot of writing, as you can imagine and so I wanted to do public affairs when I graduated college and I did it for my first job and it was not my thing. So I got my first job in an ad agency as a copywriter from ad samples or whatever.
Speaker 2:
I don't even remember anymore how I ended up getting hired there.
Speaker 1:
But I got a job as a copywriter and I ended up as a graphic designer, because their graphic designer had quit and they needed someone to fill in. While they had somebody and when you're in journalism major, major and I don't even know anymore, I'm assuming it's still the same you had to learn page layout, and so I knew how to do page layout. So I was like I can do that. So I did it to earn the time and a half they offered me. I did it at night, after work, oh my gosh, and I loved it. And so then I went on some big marketing agency and did that. For a long time. I forgot how we started there.
Speaker 2:
No, no, I was just saying about the copywriting. Oh the copywriting, yes.
Speaker 1:
So what's great about the copywriting are, for me, that writing experiences my designs. I'm a graphic designer, but I hate to think of myself. I'm not a graphic artist per se. I think everything I do is very content driven, so I'm very focused on the message. So I will create new messaging around things that people are doing first. So if you read, if you see one of my websites, you'll see I'm very big on like the statements and the feel, and I love personality. That's every to me. Everything your business has to have a personality so people can connect to it, and so I help rewrite it, and so the writing sometimes comes first, before my design. Also, that path to journalism has really helped me with research. So I spend a lot of time which is the thing that has kept me going for so long is that I love researching. Every new client means a new business that I learn, or a new aspect of business that I never knew before, and so copywriting has nothing but helped me, I think, in my graphic design journey, if you will.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I know I love that. And tell me about your work. I know you said you're not more of like. What was the word Not artistic, you said, but I think there is. If you're a graphic designer, no matter what, I'm creative.
Speaker 1:
Creative yes, I'm creative, I do so. I do all kinds of creative right, Lots of logos, branding. I like the branding part, and the branding to me is the whole package. So the logo, but also the language, the feel, the colors, everything that people walk away with, that feeling.
Speaker 1:
And to me, personality is the biggest part of branding. And to me, personality is the biggest part of branding. It's your way to express yourself. I think you know you have to, of course, tailor what kind of your business is. However, like attracts like, and so if there's a certain client that you want to work with or a certain kind of people you want in your restaurant, you portray that yes, and that like attracts like, you'll start getting the clients that you want, the customers that you want in your restaurant. You portray that yes, and that like attracts like, you'll start getting the clients that you want, the customers that you want, and so personality to me is a big deal in branding and that's really my favorite part, and so that's also why I think I've always held so close to my work and I don't necessarily hire out to do.
Speaker 1:
The main branding part is that I love people. I just love that part of getting to know people and like really connecting with them and so um yeah, with their personality and everything.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I know you do like your research and stuff, but do you ever just like get coffee with them just to get to know them or like not stalk? But you know, look at their Instagram and see like what is like. So it all together always.
Speaker 1:
I also always make sure that, like in between I'll take long phone calls with them to kind of talk to them and see even people's cadence and how they talk gives a little yeah, it gives a little direction into how they talk. You know, I always make a new client tell me their history and tell me why they do it, not just here's like all our things, but I want to hear your story because that you can see the parts that people light up and be like and then I got to and then I had to, and then I got to and that pattern becomes really where the person part of the personality comes from. So I, yeah, always talk to people and a lot of my clients become really good friends too. I go to company parties at Christmas time. I love that, I know it's cool, it's so cute.
Speaker 2:
I love that you found your passion through like being a little bit on the computer but also getting to know people, and still not losing that, Because sometimes you get jobs where it's like no, you lose that touch, that human touch, but with yours it sounds like you have a nice little balance there. And then a couple more questions here. What do you like to do outside of your business, like what are your passions? Are you traveling? Are you a cook? I am a terrible cook.
Speaker 1:
Same it's not my passion. I love hiking and things. I don't do that as much. My daughter is like my hiking buddy but she's at college now, which is sad. I read a little bit Happy, sad. I watch probably too much television. Same, yeah, I take walks a lot. I also get antsy, so I'm always kind of doing something like I don't watch TV, I just like watch and search. I watch and learn something new. I try to learn a new skill every year.
Speaker 2:
That's the researcher in you.
Speaker 1:
Yes, exactly Exactly. So it's hard to like sit still there. But, um, so, like last week I decided I there's this chair that's been in my life for like 30 years. I'm gonna paint that chair. And then I realized that I could re-repulse to the chair, so I tore everything off and like so it's just that hands-on. Sometimes I miss like a little bit hands-on artsy kind of thing, so I'll pick that up. Um, I love photography, so I know.
Speaker 1:
So, yeah, like creative endeavors, things that just I like to be. Yeah, yeah, that's totally open my brain. I love art museums. I could go to an art museum every day of my life.
Speaker 2:
I love that. That totally matches you too. Like you're like graphic design, but photography but also art museums.
Speaker 1:
If you go through my phone, through my phone, you'd be like picture of a picture, picture of a picture, picture of a picture.
Speaker 2:
No, that's so cute. I love that. How did you get your foot into photography as well? Like was that? Like just an extra course?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, in high school I took all four years of photography and that was back when, like, we used film and stinky rooms and all that stuff, stinky rooms. I learned film was a little bit stinky yeah Right. And I did that and then when I went to college and photographer in journalism school, you also take photography and so that was cool because you take photography from like a totally different you know, like my high school classes were art classes, yes, where this was subject matter.
Speaker 2:
Technical yeah.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, technical classes, where this was subject matter, and yeah, technical and um. And then even like how do you get it ready to go to print? And like the contrast is different and all those things. So yeah, so I ended up to keep doing that. And now, um to me some, in some respects photography is just like also like I don't want to say quick art, but like like such a way to capture, like I wish I could sit down and like paint that beautiful picture and remember it forever, but I can't. So this way I can. The picture, the picture.
Speaker 2:
I love that.
Speaker 1:
Always take the picture.
Speaker 2:
Thanks for sharing that. I love that because I'm actually taking classes like that too. We're printing and making sure that the color profile is correct with the paper and the size, and it's just like whoa, exactly, I know there's a lot to it that you don't realize. But it's a joy you get to like see another physical form of that art Exactly. And then my last question if you could leave our listeners with anything that's in your heart or a message that you would want them to know what would that be?
Speaker 1:
Honestly, I think it's be yourself, and I know that sounds super cheesy, but I have been in business now long enough to have gotten lots of advice. And if you're yourself, then you follow your gut. And I'm not saying don't go out of your comfort zone, because absolutely go out of your comfort zone, but if it feels wrong or if you're doing it just because everybody else is doing it, don't Be yourself. I've been told that. So I laugh a lot, I talk super loud, I'm always full of stories and I literally, over the years people have been like you know, if you just sat down, we're a little more serious. If you were a little more dressed, a little I don't know, literally like actual advice that people have given me and I've realized now that it's not who I am, so I would struggle in a meeting trying to stay calm and quiet and not speak up. So I've gotten away from that and so be yourself and just be bold and let everybody see you and you'll attract the right people.
Speaker 2:
I love that. That's great advice, thank you, yeah, thank you so much for being here, I know so fun, yes, yes, very fun, thanks.