Pine + Pixel | Jessica Dietrich

In this episode of At Home in Waterloo Region, Cher sits down with Jessica Dietrich, founder and principal designer of Pine & Pixel, to talk about building a meaningful brand, navigating unexpected layoffs, and stepping fully into entrepreneurship. Jessica shares her journey from corporate graphic design to running a successful branding and website design studio, along with powerful insights on trusting your intuition, overcoming identity shifts, and creating aligned businesses that truly resonate. 

In this episode you will hear:

• [01:30] – Inspired by her father’s influence, Jessica reflects on how her love for design began and the story behind the name Pine & Pixel.
• [03:23] – Following an unexpected layoff, she shares the emotional journey of navigating shock, sadness, and self-doubt, and how she ultimately reframed it into an opportunity to fully step into her business.
• [10:05] – Rather than taking a safer, part-time route, a pivotal decision was made to go all in on building her business from the ground up.
• [12:56] – Learning to move forward without having every answer became a turning point in accepting the situation and embracing uncertainty.
• [20:22] – By sharing her story openly, she now supports others who are navigating similar challenges in their own journeys.
• [24:53] – Stepping into entrepreneurship felt unexpectedly natural, aligning seamlessly with both her skills and passions.
• [28:01] – Flexibility, freedom, and being more present with her children are just a few of the reasons she loves running her own business.
• [29:33] – Listeners get a behind-the-scenes look at her process when working with clients on branding and website design projects.
• [30:38] – A strong emphasis is placed on strategy, user experience, and ensuring every design aligns with the ideal client.
• [32:33] – Through recent project examples, she illustrates how intentional and thoughtful design can directly impact business growth.
• [34:13] – A local business program played a key role in helping her refine her strategy while building confidence as an entrepreneur.
• [35:42] – With mentorship, business planning, and grant opportunities, the program offers tangible support for growing businesses.
• [39:48] – The power of community shines through as she shares her appreciation for collaboration over competition within the local business scene.
• [41:25] – Current design trends are explored, along with the importance of balancing what’s popular with what remains timeless.
• [43:01] – Each designer’s unique style becomes a magnet for aligned clients, reinforcing the value of authenticity in creative work.
• [45:30] – Jessica encourages entrepreneurs to seek expert support when feeling stuck, especially when it comes to branding and website strategy.

Special Offer: As a thank-you to the At Home Co. podcast community, Jessica is offering a complimentary strategy session or website audit to the first few listeners who reach out. Simply mention the At Home Co. podcast when you connect with her to take advantage of this exclusive opportunity. 

Connect with Jessica:

Instagram: @pineandpixel

Let's Connect:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/at.home.co
Website: www.athomecompany.ca
Email Community: https://athomeco.myflodesk.com/podcast
Contact: hello@athomecompany.ca

Thank you to our Sponsors:

• Amanda Walczyk, Mortgage Agent | Level 2 license at Dominion Lending Centres National Ltd, FSRA #12360
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saltboxmortgage_agent
Contact: Amanda@saltboxmortgages.com
519.497.9256

• Den1880
Website: https://www.den1880.co
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/den1880.co

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Hello and welcome to the At Home in Waterly Region podcast. I'm your host, Cheryl Getz. The purpose of this podcast is to shine a light on what makes this region special: the people. We will hear from inspiring locals and business owners, their stories and their goals. Whether you are born and raised here, are new to the area, or something in between, join us as we get to know who is part of making our home in Waterloo Region so wonderful. Today on the podcast, we have Jessica Dietrich, the founder and principal designer behind Pine and Pixel, a branding and website design studio based in Waterloo Region. Drawing from both her corporate design background and entrepreneurial journey, Jessica creates thoughtful brand identities and custom websites that blend strategy with creativity while helping businesses feel more aligned and intentional online. Her work is especially inspired by businesses in the health, wellness, and service-based space while continuing to support a variety of growing brands and entrepreneurs. When she's not designing, she's balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood with two young kids at home. Welcome, Jessica. Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

I'm so excited to be here.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

I'm stoked to have you here because we have like, I feel like we've been on a journey together for the past few years. We've seen each other through a couple ups and downs, which we'll definitely get into. But uh first, I want to talk about what made you start this business and why is it called Pine and Pixel?

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Yeah, great question. So for me, I actually was inspired by my dad, which is a super special story. So growing up, he owned his own business. He went to school for, it wasn't a graphic design because it didn't actually exist yet, the program. So it was more sign technicians. So he learned how to like hand letter and hand paint signs instead of actually do them by computer. So yeah, I kind of grew up just watching him, and he actually would teach me on the uh computer, just you know what, I'm gonna be doing a white truck and we're gonna put yellow lettering on it, but that's not gonna stand out enough. White and and yellow don't contrast it enough. So we're gonna put black on before that, and that's gonna be that shadow. So he just kind of taught me color theory and talked about fonts. Like, are we gonna choose a thin one or a large one? I want to make sure it's bold so you can see it from far away. So it's really cool just growing up, having that connection with him. And then my passion just like I just thought it was so cool and I loved seeing what he was doing. And yeah, because of that, I went into graphic design.

SPEAKER_02 2:25

So neat.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

Yeah, it was such a special story. Yeah. And then yeah, pine and pixel as well. I should answer that too. Is um pine represents more of the paper part of the business, like the um paper side, and then pixel is a digital side, so representing that end of it. So kind of having those two pieces together.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

Oh, I love that. That's so clever.

SPEAKER_00 2:43

Thank you. Thank you. That's so cool.

SPEAKER_02 2:45

And what were you doing before you started this business?

SPEAKER_00 2:49

So before I started this business, I was actually in corporate for graphic design. So I did that for quite a number of years, about 12 years. Um, and I actually did this business on the side for about four to five years until this point. So it was really hard for me because I loved both of them so much. And I went back and forth for a long time. Like, do I do this full-time my business? Do I just do corporate full-time? Because I love the people at corporate, I love the stability that uh that paycheck that you know comes every two weeks, right? But I couldn't quite let go of my business. So it became this back and forth in my head to the point that one day, and I'm gonna share a vulnerable story right now because I feel like it's very important. Um, one day I was driving into work and I was on my way and I thought, you know what? I'm just gonna, I've made my decision. I'm tired of going back and forth. I'm going to stick to corporate and I'm going to just stick with the stability. I just love the people. And then three things uh kind of came up to my head at that point. I had my first thought was, okay, well, maybe I'll just do like one client a year. Like I couldn't quite let go of it, even though like it's really not, it was way too much to do both. Right. Um the second thought was, maybe I'll just wait until like my other friends at work with side passions, you know, they go out and they do their dream and then and then I'll go out. But then I thought, does that really make sense for me to wait to do my my dreams and my passions um after everyone else? Right? It doesn't really make sense. And then the last thing I thought to myself was, okay, the only way I'm not going to do my business now. The only way I'm going to do my business full time is if I get laid off from my corporate job. An hour later, Cheryl, I kid you not, an hour later, I was laid off from my corporate job. Wow. It was crazy. It was it was a huge shock. And I want to talk about it because I think a lot of people are going through it. And it was very vulnerable just to be in the office one minute laughing with coworkers, and then the next minute going into a meeting room and and knowing what's happening and and being done there, and just having to walk out of that um office for the for the last time, knowing it's the last time that I'll ever be in there and going past the people I was just talking to, but you know, just seeing everything. It was a lot of mixed emotions. I'd say first would be a lot of sadness, and then that doubt like, is there anything I could have done differently to not be laid off? It's that embarrassment, right? But it was a mass layoff, but it's still it's still really hard to kind of process that because you will never actually know, you know, what the reasoning is behind everything. And that can be really tough on your on your mental health. Um, but then uh the other side of me, I had this little bit of excitement, like, wow, I totally just chose the opposite of what just happened. But I think I guess I meant to do my business full time, and I just felt very clear like, okay, this is what I'm doing. And I had a bit of a smile actually, like a little bit, walking out thinking, okay, you know what? Watch out worlds. This is gonna be my my fuel. I'm gonna I'm gonna kick ass at my business and and do a great job. So yeah, very, very tough to go through. And I I do I'm glad that I took the time to process it emotionally because I could have, because I had the backup plan, I could have just rushed into it, started going into it. But it was a lot to process. So I took, um, it happened kind of before Christmas. So I took until the end of the year where I would have moments, to be honest, like just, you know, laying in bed looking at the ceiling and and wondering why and crying. And yeah, it would happen a lot, and I but I wanted to really process it and be okay with it. And it's strange to think when you are at home, you see the time. Oh, it's Tuesday at 2.30, everyone's going into a meeting now, and I'm not there. It just feels you're so used to going somewhere. So a lot to process, a lot to even though I had a backup option, it still doesn't mean it wasn't easy. And I think it definitely, like I'm I'm so happy and I'm really glad it did happen. But yeah, I just want to recognize that because I feel like so many people are going through it. And I don't want anyone to think that, you know what, why me? You're not bad at your job. You're not, you know, you're not a bad person or bad employee. Just it's happening a lot, and it's okay to feel lost. It's like an identity crisis almost.

SPEAKER_02 6:47

I was gonna say, like, it is like an for me when I got laid off, which you know, like because you, you know, connected with me when it happened to talk about entrepreneurship and everything. And I was like, girl, I've been there. And you're like, I didn't know that. I had no idea. Yeah. So it was wild because, you know, I was working for my father who was a home builder, and he retired. So naturally, like I didn't have that job anymore. And I was like, I'm gonna go gung ho into being a real estate agent. And then another home builder, you know, called my father and was like, hey, like who was doing this job for you? He said my daughter was doing it. Um, and he was like, Do you think she would do it for me? And my dad was like, I don't know, you gotta talk to her. Like, she's now gung ho into real estate. And this was not like there wasn't a big gap. Like I was like, just like, you know what I mean? I set my mind to it and like barely did anything else. It's not like it was years. And uh, and so he called and we had an interview, and he was like, I'd like you to come work here. And I said, I will under the condition that you understand that I do want to continue to do real estate. So I just wanted to be transparent about my quote unquote side hustle.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:07

Um, especially because real estate isn't one like maybe yours, where you could turn it off and turn it on depending on the time of day. Like real estate, like I can get calls at 2 p.m. And if my boss walked in and I was on a call unrelated to that job, like I needed him to know that was happening and him to be okay with it. So we came to the agreement that as long as you're getting your stuff done, well, I don't care. Like, yes, and I'll like support you and stuff. So I was like, hey, great. This is the best of both worlds. Stability while having kids. Yep. And still being able to pursue my passion in real estate. And my identity was a little like wrapped up in home building because of working with my father. So this was uh terrible for me because it just like amplified the identity of home building and solidified, like, oh, this is my future, actually. You know, like I feel like I went through the roller coaster when my dad retired because obviously I had an option of taking over that business. I didn't think it was the right uh path for me at that moment. And so then when I got like sucked back into it, I was like, oh, this is my thing, my identity. I'm meant to be doing this. And so then uh after my second Matt leave, I returned and I got uh laid off. And it's so funny because even with that backup, quote unquote backup plan, it's devastating. It is. So I really can't imagine the majority of people getting laid off don't have this backup plan other than going and playing for other jobs. Um, but I think what goes through our mind is yes, I have this backup plan, but do I have the courage to go 10 toes into it? 100%. And that was a huge battle in our household of like, well, do you go and work for someone else and continue the side hustle of real estate? Like, should you pick up, should you meet in the middle, pick up something part-time? I don't know if you guys talked about that. Like, oh, do we pick up something part-time? Yep. And then and still do this side hustle. So at least you have like a piece of stability, but it's not, you know, as high, but it's not as like many hours. And then it seems like both of us were just like, no, we're 10 toes into entrepreneurship. Did you have that conversation too? With like, do you do something part-time? Do you go apply somewhere else?

SPEAKER_00 10:29

Yeah, 100%. So there was a couple of different options, right? Like, yeah, I could have dove into, you know, going back into corporate, but we just felt like even though that stability felt good, we felt like um our kids are three and five. So I really a part of it was I really want to be able to have flexibility to be there. Um, so we even looked at part-time. Do we do that? But I just found like I do feel like I, you know, it could be successful if I put this all in, but it's terrifying, right? Because you still have other options. It's the scariest option. But I just wanted to see. I'm like, just let's give it some time. I want to try it. And I want to see if I can put everything into it, if it can be successful, if I need to get that part-time. Because my concern was if I were to do something else on the side, um, will that you know slow down my growth or not really give me the success fast enough? And I want to be able to see. I've waited a long time to do it. So we definitely had that conversation. I feel like that's probably a very common conversation in the household after a layoff.

SPEAKER_02 11:26

For sure. Because you have kids and finances and stuff to worry about. And um I forget what I was gonna say, but it was a point around. Oh, it was whether or not you take something part-time. The way I justified it, similar to kind of what you just said to my husband, is I was like, okay, but every hour that I spend at that part-time job is an hour away from my quote-unquote side hustle that could be my full-time job. Exactly. And so do we just want to you're just pushing off, you know, the inevitable of what you want in a way. And it's not just the hours you work, like 20 hours a week. It's also the commute time to get there. It's the commute time to get back home. And then it's like the mental switch of going from what you're we're doing for someone else and then to what you do. And then if that is draining you, you don't have anything left in the tank for what you want to do. So it just felt like it was short-term pain for long-term gain. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_00 12:32

Yeah. I found that when you also add in the fact that you're, you know, a mom and you own a house and yeah, like by the end of the day, if you're gonna fit a part-time job in there, I just feel like it's not gonna be what's gonna suffer is likely gonna be either your house or your family or your passion, your full-time job. So yeah, it was a hard decision, but yeah. Sometimes you just have to trust, trust your gut.

SPEAKER_02 12:55

And one thing that we talked about when we were going back and forth after you got laid off is like the grief. Oh my gosh, yes. Like you mourn such a loss, not only in your identity, but yeah, like just your place in that job. And I so resonate with what you say of like one minute you are chatting with your colleagues, laughing it up about something. And the next minute you're done. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:25

It's so fast. It's so shocking to the system.

SPEAKER_02 13:28

Yeah. And then you wake up the next day. And you're just like, what? Like, I'm not checking that email, I'm not calling those people, I'm not texting my coworkers. Like, it is such a jolt. It is so hard. And we talked a lot about, you know, those insecurities creeping up because you know, yes, like you, you experienced a mass layoff and you can tell yourself that. But at the end of the day, and this is the same for me, someone was still left there.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

Exactly. That's the hard part.

SPEAKER_02 14:06

You're right. And it's like you dive into this, like, why me? Why was I not the chosen one? Exactly. Right? Like, why was my why wasn't I valued as much as the people who weren't laid off? What did I do? What did I say? And you spiral. And I'm so glad you took that time because I didn't. And I think it still affects me to this day.

SPEAKER_00 14:33

Yeah, that's fair. I feel like it's gonna, it's like a long-term thing. I still sometimes think, like, oh, I'm okay from it now. But there'll always be moments I still have where I'll, you know, have grief or sadness or like a bit of frustration. And I don't know. I feel like it's gonna take a long time because it's you were like I was there for so long. And yeah, it's just really hard to to wake up the next day, like you said. It's an awful feeling where a second you think everything's normal, and then you're like, it's so fast. All of a sudden you don't have your laptop, you don't have your team chat where you can just message your friends. And it's hard too when people start finding out and then the the messages start flooding. And even though it's like that mixture of that support is so amazing, I felt so loved and supported. But I also, you know, every time someone sent me a message, the tears would come. And I think that's all part of healing. But yeah, it's just it's a very hard thing to go through. And I think that I I knew a lot of people beforehand that went through it I was really close with. And I want to actually take a moment to recognize that too, because that side of things can also be hard. I talked to my coworkers afterwards, and some of them really struggled with all of a sudden Jess is gone, right? And I went through that too before, where it's like they also have to go into work every day and and not see those people that they're so used to to seeing that happened to me like about a year before where one of my best friends, you know, was no longer there and it happened really quick, and it was hard to come back in. And yeah, so I feel like just overall for for everyone, it's really hard because you create work is more than just work, like you create those relationships, and it can be really challenging to go through it on both sides.

SPEAKER_02 16:04

What are the things that you felt helped you the most to get through it?

SPEAKER_00 16:09

Yeah, I found that because I didn't have any like official closure, right? Like they happened so fast that A, it was taking the time where I didn't dive into my business until the new year. So just sitting uncomfortably in my house by myself, even though it's very hard, I feel like I needed to sit there and go through through the emotions. I also reached out to like the coworkers that I had, and we scheduled, um, I think more in the new year, kind of when I was feeling more ready, but we scheduled like lunches where I get to meet them all up and it gave me a bit of closure to like to see them and for them to see me and you know, the hugs and the some of the tears. But even though I found that sometimes that would definitely like bring back all the emotions and the tears, it made me feel like, okay, I got to like see them and and I promised myself that I'm going to prioritize. Like I'll still make sure to see the people that I work with because I don't want to lose that. That was a part that like really upset me to not be able to see those people. So just like making sure that I can the things that you miss about the job, making those still happen if you can. So I found yeah, just scheduling in those lunches and seeing people and getting numbers and has been really helpful.

SPEAKER_02 17:20

Yeah. Getting the closure. And sometimes you can't get closure.

SPEAKER_00 17:24

No, like as far as like reasoning, that's the one thing that's gonna be hard too. It's like I'm never gonna know what was going behind that process and the decision.

SPEAKER_02 17:33

It's so funny. There's this one uh, you know, landmark in Kitchener where I kid you not, every time I drive past it, I think to myself, was that the conversation? Like, did I say something in that conversation? And that's what led to the eventual like choice layoff. Like it's it's crazy how much it eats at you.

SPEAKER_00 17:58

It does. And sometimes, like out of nowhere, all of a sudden you think you're fine, and then boom, it just pops up. Yeah. Man, I am still upset about that.

SPEAKER_02 18:05

And it's what's this is what's crazy too, is like it's such a battle within both of us. But from the outside, people, first of all, probably people have no idea either of us experience that. And second of all, would never think that we're still grieving because we're quote unquote like out here killing it. You know, it's like, why would why would she ever like, you know, grieve that loss? Or why would she would she be dwelling it like look at how successful they are? And like, you know, they were doing this before getting laid off. So obviously they're happy, they're gonna do this full time, but it's still, yeah, it's like such a like such a soft part of you, you know, that always feels like insecure and grief and the the wondering that um I don't know like if it goes away. And even if you don't go to entrepreneurship but you go to another job, yeah. I don't know if it ever goes away.

SPEAKER_00 19:05

Yeah, that's the thing. I don't know that it does. Like I feel like it still might pop up. And it's just for me, I've tried to figure out like because the first few weeks and months, I kept asking, why me, why me? But then I thought, you know what, I will never really truly know the answer. And I don't want this to, you know, haunt me forever. So I need to find a way to just accept it and be like, okay, you know what? It is what it is. I can't control it. And this obviously was meant to be for me. I meant to do this full time. I've wanted to do it for a while. So yeah, trying to get like past that uh past that point of trying to at least try to move on to an extent. But yeah, it might always pop up. It's hard to say, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:41

Yeah. And I think for for us or even the the person who doesn't go into entrepreneurship but goes into another job, I think the why me, you just have to convince yourself it's it's beyond your control or your boss's control. Yeah. The why you is a greater power. Whatever you believe in, it was something else because you were not meant to be there anymore. And I remember when you messaged me when it happened, I was like, I promise you it's so hard right now, but one day you are gonna look back. And it was the greatest gift anybody could have given you was laying you all good.

SPEAKER_00 20:19

Yeah. Yeah. That really helped. So I find too, that's actually something else is that what helped me is just actually, even though it was scary, like I would just tell people about it, like sharing it with you and sharing with other business owners. It made me feel like I don't know, just made me feel a little more seen and supported. And then to all of a sudden hear that some people I was talking to also experienced it. I was like, okay, actually, it's okay. I'm not alone.

unknown 20:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:39

You know, it happens to a lot of people.

SPEAKER_02 20:41

So many people that you would never know. I say um, sharing shields shame.

SPEAKER_00 20:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 20:49

So if there's anything you're shameful about, the best thing you can do is share it. And then all of a sudden the shame disappears because people either make you feel better about it somehow, or they just raise their hand and they they're like me too.

SPEAKER_00 21:03

Yeah. And I feel like it inspired me to like use my voice. And I thought, you know what, this is so hard. I want to like share this story, even though it's, yeah, it is scary to share it, but I just feel like I'm gonna turn this into something good. I could either let it take me down because it was really hard, or I could take it and say, you know what, let's let's share this story, let's talk about it, because not a lot of people, you know, I'm sure they go through it. And like you said, if they don't have a backup plan, which most people don't, I can't imagine they're struggling, right? It's it's really hard and it's an identity shift. Um, so yeah, I just want to be able to share it and and talk about it because it's not talked about too much. This is vulnerable.

SPEAKER_02 21:38

So And it's a reminder for people who I I think we need this. I give this to some of my girlfriends who are corporate girlies all the time. It is a reminder that your job is not your life. Oh, 100%. You're replaceable. My dad, he's ruthless. My dad would be like if you put your finger in this glass of water and you take It out. Is there a hole there? And I go, no. He goes, it means you're replaceable. Wow. I love it. Like you are replaceable everywhere but your home.

SPEAKER_00 22:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:08

And getting laid off is an eye-opener about wow. I like killed myself for you. Exactly. Like I went the distance. Like I sacrificed time with family. I sacrificed my mental health at some point because I wanted to do the best job possible for you. And I'm 1,000% replaceable. And I remind my girlfriends of that all of the time. Like, yes, like you are, you, yes, you may be loved at your job. Yes, you may be very valued there. Yes, you might have opportunities. But you are replaceable. And they will take you out before they take themselves out.

SPEAKER_00 22:52

I think there's yeah, and I was gonna say, I think there's some that mindset too that if you work so hard and you put lots of hours in, then you're safe. You're not gonna get laid off. So it's that like it really it hurts so much to know, like, okay, I and so many people like you work so hard and then an instant it doesn't really matter. All of a sudden, yeah, it's just all gone. It's all gone. It's yeah, it's wild.

SPEAKER_02 23:12

Yeah. It's truly it's why we need to live our lives for us, you know? And like, yeah, for sure. Like if you love your job, you love your job, that's great. It can't be your whole identity, and you can't sacrifice every part of you for it. Um, or else if it does happen, it's gonna be that much more tragic and hard to get through. Yeah, agreed. Yeah. Just a quick break to thank the sponsors that make this podcast possible. Amanda Walchuk, also known as Saltbox Mortgage Agent, with a level two license at Dominion Lending Center's National Limited, FISRA 12360. Amanda is a passionate mortgage professional on a mission to educate clients about mortgages. She ensures her clients benefit from trust, confidence, and the security of knowing that they are getting the best mortgage for their needs. If you've got mortgage questions, Amanda's got the answers. Be sure to check the show notes for her contact information. Welcome to Den 1880, Uptown Waterloo's premier, boutique, co-working, and event space. Step into a workspace that fuels ambition and sparks connection. Den 1880 offers a variety of memberships with everything from hot desks to private offices. They've got the perfect setup for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and growing teams. Think beautifully designed spaces, curated programming, and all the amenities you need, including unlimited coffee. Need to host? Den 1880 sets the stage for meetings, workshops, and unforgettable events. They even have a fully equipped podcast studio in a vault. Come see the benefits of working in a community. Explore the memberships, or book a tour at den1880.co today. So, full-on entrepreneurial journey now. Yep. Doing it. Anything unexpected? Any any surprises where you're like, huh? Interesting. Wasn't expecting like this challenge.

SPEAKER_00 25:07

Yeah, actually, I did have a surprise, and it wasn't really a challenge, actually. I was um surprised how like right it felt and how aligned it felt. Because I felt like um leading up to this before when I was doing corporate still, I was just like, I had that gut feeling and I didn't trust enough. And it's it's like almost like a lesson to me. Like, if I would have trusted that, you know what? If people trust their guts more, you can actually be successful. I was very shocked that like, you know, how how much I'm booking in advance now and how like well it's going, how good it feels. It just feels so right and it's such a good feeling. And I thought, hmm. I knew deep down, but I'd hide it because I'd push it down because of the fear.

SPEAKER_01 25:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:45

But I knew deep down if like I had the capacity to really dive full in and I had the time to market and do all the business things, that it could be truly successful. But it was always that bit of doubt or cur like would fear would creep up and it would shove that down, be like, yeah, but it's not stable. Yeah, but you don't know for sure if that money's gonna come in, right? So I found that I was really it was a good thing, but I was like, wow, that's like a lesson learned for for people even that aren't taking that dive yet. That if you truly believe and you're passionate about it and you can see that passion and you know deep down that it could be successful, I feel like trust your gut and and go for it. Because now I see that and like, oh, should have should have trusted it. It's totally, it's totally cool. It's fine. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:28

Yeah. And I think I truly believe that if those thoughts are in your head, they're in there for a reason.

SPEAKER_00 26:33

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 26:34

It's meant for you, I feel. It's meant for you because give that idea. Yeah. Yeah. Cause I do look at, you know, all of the time as entrepreneurs, we like doubt ourselves, like, oh God, should I just give up and like go get a job? This is like too hard or too stressful. I don't want to do my taxes. I don't want to show up on Instagram again. Like, oh my God. For sure. And so, but then I think like, no, I want to do this, and there's a reason why I want to do it. And I'm lucky I have a ton of entrepreneur friends, but I also like everyone pretty much everyone who I'm still am close with from high school, none of them are entrepreneurs. Yeah. They're all like nine to five corporate girlies. And I'm just like, I don't think once the dream of entrepreneurship entered some of their minds. Like they know they want like a nine to five. And so, like, that's just proof. It's just proof that like if you have that that feeling inside of you, it's meant for you and it's there for a reason. And um, yeah, go after it. Yeah, such a good point. And nothing, and the other thing I remind myself is nothing is permanent. No, that's true, right? Right? You can go for it and then you can go get another job if you can pivot. If you want to, you can pivot, right? Yeah, exactly. Or the or the reverse. So I love that. I'm so glad that that is something that you found unexpected about running a business. We'll we'll touch base in a couple years. See if any see if else unexpected surprises or challenges have come up.

SPEAKER_00 28:00

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 28:00

Um what are you loving most about it?

SPEAKER_00 28:03

I'm actually loving the like the freedom and the flexibility of it. Um, like I said, with the three-year-old and a five-year-old, just to be able to, they're only little once, and I'm the kind of person that wants to be like super present and I just love kids so much, especially mine. Uh so to be able to just take them to the bus or drop them off to daycare. And if there's like a school event, it's not a challenge or a you don't have to ask to kind of take time off and try to juggle that or try to make time up later. It's it's really nice to be able to have the freedom and flexibility to do what I want when I want for my kids, be there. Um so that's been something that I've just loved. And I love like the slow mornings. I don't have to stress other than the school times. Yep. To be there on time, I don't have to um stress too much. It's not as stressful of an environment in the morning if uh if I just don't have to be somewhere at a certain time, right?

SPEAKER_02 28:53

So Yeah, that is definitely a nice change.

SPEAKER_00 28:56

I really like that part.

SPEAKER_02 28:57

Yeah. No clocking in or or or clocking out. So, okay, you um do branding and website design. So if there is, you know, a small business listening to this, tell us a little bit about like what those first initial steps would look like if someone is like, yeah, my website needs a refresh or my or I don't even have a website or branding. I've just been like, you know, rock in this so far. But now it's time. So what are those like initial steps like with you?

SPEAKER_00 29:32

Yeah. So first they would just reach out um to schedule a consultation. So they can kind of obviously we can chat back and forth a little bit, get some questions answered, and then I generally like to hop on a call just to get a better sense of exactly what they're looking for and what they need. Um so we'll have that call quickly, like a discovery call first. And then after that, I'll usually send them like a proposal just to give a bit more detail and information. So they have that to really sit back with and look at what's included, what's the timeline's like. I also have a very specific process so that they know you know exactly what the steps are. And I take it from start to end so that they don't have to worry about that end of things. I find a lot of people they'll, if they're not designers, they'll attempt it and then they'll come to me later and be like, I tried to do my website, but it took me hours and it was so painful, I had no idea what I was doing. So just to create that ease as well, taking that off their plate. Um so yeah, then they would review all that. And then if they had any other questions and wanted to move forward, then yeah, then we would kind of go into more of like the contract signature deposit part. And then yeah, we'd schedule our first design call, get into creative brief where we talk about the business and really what's what's a lot of fun is doing the not just design, like I'm not just here to make things look pretty. I love doing that part, but it's all about strategy. So talking about like who are your dream clients? You deserve to have dream clients. Who are they? Let's try to attract them because design can really bring those people in. For example, if we want to attract someone in a space that's, let's say, like a male senior, we're probably not gonna choose a pop pink color as our color palette for our brand. So just kind of really aligning it. I think sometimes there's this disconnect where people think, I love these colors, I want to do this. And we want you to love your logo 100%. But just that balance of, okay, but what do your clients love and what's gonna who's your dream client? Let's attract them, what did they love? So doing that research and the strategy part of it. And same with the websites too, I find yes, I can make a website look pretty, I definitely do, but it's also about you know, is the navigation easy to use? Are your pages, if you have a current website, do your pages um make the most sense as far as user experience? Can they go through? Because if they get frustrated, it doesn't look professional, that trust is weakened, and they're not gonna be able to feel like, okay, I feel confident in investing in this company, they look like legitimate. So it makes a big difference. So yeah, just the strategy and the design part, and also talking about yeah, how the how the client feels, how we want to make them feel. So there's a lot more that goes into it, but I love designing uh with them on that and working together and doing that design call. And then yeah, from there we're just gonna go through the whole process of of the all the different stages, all the steps. Yeah, it must be so much fun. I love it. I love the color palettes and the fonts. Yeah. It's so much fun. Yeah. A lot of people love like doing it with me. Like, oh, it's so funny. This is a job. I'm like, I know.

SPEAKER_02 32:24

So creative.

unknown 32:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:26

Do you have any um like recent brands or websites that you really loved working on?

SPEAKER_00 32:33

I just did um mini mushroom music, which I haven't um I haven't launched it on my end, but she's kind of launched the branding there. So it's super cute. It's um like a forest nature program where they like little kids and and parents as well. They go in to the forest, they learn about nature, they um they sing and they talk about the seasons. So we just wanted to create something kind of that that balance of that professionalism. It looks towards the parents because they also are the ones that join the kids because it's like a younger age group. And then um, and then towards kids as well. So it was a lot of fun to do that brand. And it was beautiful, but it also, you know, had that bit of playfulness to it. So that was really fun. I've also done, it was a couple years ago now, a Taylor's bridal website. So Myra just kind of going into that bridal shop and getting to work with uh the owner was really neat. So yeah, honestly, there's been a lot of great projects and so many amazing clients. So it's been so fun to have that variety and get to work with all these different business owners. And it feels so valuable and rewarding to me to go in and help them like directly see the difference and see how that that can affect their business in such a positive way.

SPEAKER_02 33:39

Yeah, it probably gives them so much confidence.

SPEAKER_00 33:41

Yeah, exactly. And they'll come back and say, Yeah, like I wasn't really that busy on this certain day, and now I'm a lot busier, and I'm getting so much more like people inquiring because that professionalism creates that trust to then make people feel comfortable like investing or spending with that business. So yeah, it's a great feeling.

SPEAKER_02 33:59

That's amazing. And you recently completed a local business program here in Waterloo Region. Tell us more about that in case other people don't know about it or are interested in it.

SPEAKER_00 34:11

Yeah, it was such a good experience. So I actually ended up um meeting with an advisor through the Waterloo Region Small Business Center. Um, and she just recommended this program. She's like, okay, I think it's about twice the year they do it. You have to apply to be accepted into it. But it's all government funded, which is insane. So I don't have to pay anything to get into this program, which is really awesome. So I wanted to take advantage of that. So yeah, I applied into that. And then essentially it's about minus about eight weeks. I think it varies depending on um the cohort and the season. But you do six classes where you are with like 24 other business owners, which is really cool in itself to just see like all the different businesses that are coming out and they wanna be successful and what everyone's doing. It's so cool to network with them. And you have to be about like zero to five years into business. So kind of more at the beginning, but you're looking to grow and expand. Um so yeah, I'm almost at like the four or five-year mark, but that was kind of more part-time. So I'm like, I'm I'm going for it now. I want to it just felt really right to do it right now. So yeah, we get to sit and do some classes um in the SDG idea factory, which is really unique as well. It's this factory downtown Kitchener. You get to go in, and that's essentially where they they help you bring ideas to life and help you grow your business and help you succeed. So we had um six sessions where you learn each session is learning about a different part of business. So operations could be one class, marketing could be another, finance could be another. So just kind of making sure you're really thinking about all these things. Um, and then we also get three mentor sessions, which was really cool. So we had three mentors from the Waterloo region that are business owners. They come in and they sit down and they chat with you, and you literally have the chance to ask them anything you want about business. So it's really cool to get their insight as well. And then after that, well, kind of during the program, you are required to complete a 16-page business plan, which at first was intimidating. Yeah. And you have to do like a two-year cash flow kind of analysis for projections for what you think you're going to be making and making those assumptions to give you an idea. And I was intimidated at first, because I'm not really a numbers person normally, but I found once I actually got into it and started to and you can ask questions, so it's it's great that they're there to help you, but it actually gave me more confidence to have a business plan set out, to have a cash flow projection, because I found, okay, this for sure can succeed. Look at these numbers, they make sense. This is the way that we can do it. And the business plan kind of outlined all these different details that I might not have necessarily really thought through as much as I did then. So we do that, we submit it, and then um at the end, once they kind of give feedback, you revise it. Then you get to actually present in front of a panel of judges in the area and they're business owners as well. And then if you are successful and they, you know, really see the value and you do well, and they'll honestly to prep for that is it sounds intimidating, but they give you so many tips on like, okay, these are the things you have to hit in the presentation. So it's pretty clear if you kind of prepare properly, it's not too bad. Um, pitch that, and then you have a chance to win like $5,000 worth in grant money for your business. It's really cool. And it has different categories about like what areas you can spend it on, and it's very specific to growing. So like paid ads you could spend money on, um, insurance you could spend money on computers or like tools and equipment. Um and the cool part is a lot of people think, okay, that's scary. Like, how am I going to be that one person to win the 5,000, right? There's 25 of us, but it's government funded. And the really neat part is that the government um does it so that if you are successful, technically every single person or I think almost every single person could actually win the 5,000. So they can all get it. So that also doesn't create any competition. Right. And you can all be successful. So it's just a great, such a great program that's offered right here in Waterloo Region, and I had no idea.

SPEAKER_02 38:04

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 38:04

And uh just to be in that and get the networking, the connections, and just really hone in on the details of my business. It was an overall a fantastic experience.

SPEAKER_02 38:13

Is there anyone that you met in that program where you're really excited about their business?

SPEAKER_00 38:19

Also, yeah, there's so there's so many of them. I'm trying to think specific ones. Like there was hmm. Yeah, there was like a dancer, there's a yoga instructor. Like it's just really cool. Like um, there's even like a beekeeper. I'm trying to think of everyone. I want to name everyone, but I can't. But um just to kind of see their passions and what they're doing and a lot of like health and wellness um industry related people too, and Mabel's clothing. Mabel May. Anyways, it's like Uptown Waterloo. I've got a we'll have to correct it in the in the notes. But um, she's got like a cute little pink vintage shop. Oh, and she was in the business too. So it was so cool to connect with her. Yeah. It was it was amazing to see.

SPEAKER_02 39:00

Such a great networking opportunity for you for everybody as well.

SPEAKER_00 39:03

Yeah, like we all, and they were all so like like, I don't know, outgoing and we all connected really well. And yeah, it was just an amazing experience.

SPEAKER_02 39:10

Yeah, because nobody supports a an entrepreneur or like a fellow entrepreneur, right? Right.

SPEAKER_00 39:15

We all got it to succeed, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:17

I find like when you got a good group of of you together, like all you're trying to do is come up together, you know? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So I mean, this might uh be part of your answer for this, but what do you love about being based in Waterloo region?

SPEAKER_00 39:40

Yeah, that is part of it for sure. I feel like I love the the people, the types of business owners. There's so many of them. And it's really neat to see that it's not competitive. Like even fellow graphic designers running businesses, like I'll go for coffee with them sometimes and and just sit and chat and we just compare, you know, notes and get advice from each other and we can help each other if we need to. Yeah, there's not a lot of competition because I do truly feel like if someone like you can choose any designer, for example, but if someone really resonates with your story or your personality, they're gonna choose you. Um and I think that it's just kind of meant to be with who you're gonna be with. So I'm not too concerned about that part. And I feel like a lot of people feel that way. They just want to support in the area. So I love the the businesses, the people. I just love the variety in Waterloo Region. Like I love the cute shops and the beautifully designed spaces like here today we're in. Um and the trails, and yeah, there's just a lot here to offer, and it's just a really nice, nice area to live in.

SPEAKER_02 40:41

I don't know if there's as many brand designers in Waterloo Region as there are realtors, but man, is there enough business to go around? That's the thing too, eh?

SPEAKER_00 40:50

There's enough business. There's so many businesses.

SPEAKER_02 40:52

Yeah, for sure. And yeah, I think everybody chooses their their person for a reason.

SPEAKER_00 40:58

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 40:59

It's good fit.

SPEAKER_00 41:00

Yeah. Yeah, that's what I like about it.

SPEAKER_02 41:02

Is your industry one that like, you know, fashion has trends? Does your industry have trends as well, like certain colors, certain fonts that um like people try to follow, but all the at the same time, like you don't want to follow too hard because then um it could all of a sudden like feel dated very quickly?

SPEAKER_00 41:24

Yeah, there are trends for sure. I feel like yeah, it's that fine balance, like you say, of trying to, you know, you could follow that trend a bit, but you also don't want to follow it full throttle if it's gonna be something that they want to last a long time. So it really depends. If it's a campaign, then it's more appropriate to maybe do more more trendy um look and feel. But for me, I like to kind of just stick with what I love to do or it's and what's most effective to me for it's kind of more minimalistic, more simplified. Um I find that there's a lot of times where sometimes trendy things, even right now, are a lot of big bold copy. If you use it correctly, it totally works and the colors and kind of really bright and bold. Um but for me, I just want to make sure that fine line is if it gets too overpowering and too much on the page, then it can really the customer can essentially glaze over it. So I like to make sure that we're still making it beautiful, we're still making it more kind of structured to the business, their aligned client, who they want to attract. I think those are more important than trends for sure. And then making sure that it's functional and that it's readable. So it's so important to have like a lot of white space and and make sure that there's not a photo underneath a photo with copy on top, right? It can be really hard to read. Um so yeah, definitely trends. And I feel like it's really cool to use them and do them. Um, but it's that fine balance of if someone's doing something big, like minor more big things, like branding a website, or we want to have longevity.

SPEAKER_02 42:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:50

So in that case, I generally will keep it kind of more like who's the client, who are we attracting, and you know, what is gonna be readable and what looks good.

SPEAKER_02 43:00

And I imagine like you you guys all have styles like interior designers have styles, right? Like there's probably a designer who has this like maximalism style, and then some have minimalism, and some are very bold and colorful, and some are more neutral, right?

SPEAKER_00 43:18

Yes, absolutely. Yeah. There's a lot of different variations, which I think also, if that's kind of your style, then people that are looking for that style will be attracted to you. I know there's designers in this region that have beautiful, like bold, colorful, bright um branding, and I love that. And that's, you know, businesses that want to kind of go towards that. Um, it makes sense to go with those designers, right? And I'm more like minimal, calm kind of vibes there. So yeah, it just all depends on what you're designing and what your um look and feel is, and then those people will be attracted to you as well. But it's nice to have the variety too, because if I have a project where maybe I think, okay, that person's more suited, I might um recommend them over there. So I'm definitely not, yeah, about I'm not a salesy kind of pushy person. I've I've been in that situation where I don't like when people try to like force me into things or make me feel uncomfortable. So it's really about having someone come to me. I'm gonna give them my recommendation and my expertise. And if you know it's a great fit, they have to do what's best for their business. I'm not gonna, yeah, I'm not gonna pressure you. Yeah. You're here to to inquire about more. There's no there's no pressure. But yeah, love helping people. It just feels so good. I'm very passionate about design and and just seeing successful businesses grow.

SPEAKER_02 44:28

Well, and speaking of, you know, your passion and you know, your no pressure approach, you gave a very generous offer to our podcast listeners. So anyone listening that's feeling stuck with their brand or their website, they're welcome to mention the podcast when they inquire about your services, and all of your information will be in the show notes. Um, and you're gonna offer a complimentary strategy session or website offer for the first few people who reach out. That's right. So listen to this, grab that info in the show notes, mention the podcast, reach out. Cause like I think that's a huge part is sometimes as entrepreneurs, we feel like we might need a change, but it is nice to just have that no pressure conversation with an expert. Yeah. And be like, hey, can you look at this? Like, do I need a change? Like, and if it was a change, you know, what would you do? Because we can be really protective over things as well, right?

SPEAKER_00 45:26

Yeah. For sure. Yeah, that's what I want to offer. Because I feel like there's a lot of people in that in-between stage where they, you know, they have a brand, or they have a website, or maybe they don't at all, but they're really just not sure where to start, or I don't really like what I have, what do I do? And it just allows them to sit down with me and yeah, I'd love to offer like that complimentary um strategy session or the website audit where we can kind of go through and look at the website and help them with kind of what they're looking for, what do I recommend? It just kind of, yeah, like you said, it gives them an idea of like, okay, what's my direction for next? And that next step for them, it helps them out. So I'm happy to happy to do that.

SPEAKER_02 46:00

So kind of you.

SPEAKER_00 46:01

Yeah, no, I I want to be able to help out whenever I can. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:04

Oh, I love that. Thank you so much for coming on, sharing all of your knowledge. We are all cheering you on. Um, and I'm sure a lot of listeners are so grateful for you sharing that story because so many people, they don't share that story. And yet so many of us are in it or were in it. Um, and maybe it will help someone even who could be in it in the future. So we really appreciate that vulnerability. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for tuning in to the At Home in Waterloo Region podcast. It's been a pleasure sharing another incredible story with you. If you've enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a review. It helps us reach even more people who love this community as much as we do. To stay up to date on new episodes and everything Waterloo Region from the housing market to community events, follow at Home Co. on Instagram and join our email newsletter community, both linked in the show notes. Until next time, take care of each other and let's keep celebrating the stories that make this region home.