We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Averi Llanes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Averi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents took the risk of being small business owners! My parents own a Chiropractic office and though a very different industry than the one I am in, I have been so inspired way they love their clients, have rode out the highs and lows of business, and stepped out in faith when it was time for something new. Without them I don’t think I would’ve had the guts (or knowledge) of where to start! They have helped me countless times with filing taxes and encouraging me to keep going on the slower months. My parents taught me to keep going when things get tough and as all small business owners know, things can get TOUGH. They also invested so much into me always being in some form of art class. Even though they wouldn’t consider themselves creative, they always nurtured my desire to create from a young age.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Of course! My name is Averi Llanes and I am an illustrative brand designer. I have been enrolled in some form of art education since I was a kid and have loved creating for as long as I’ve been alive, When I was first introduced to design programs, I was completely overwhelmed so I actually despised working in graphic design for a few years! Slowly, I got over the learning curve and felt like I could create anything once I understood the programs and fell in love with designing. I have been illustrating and designing since I was about 17 and over the past 2 years have honed into branding. I have been inspired by branding throughout my life so now getting to create brands for people is a joy! I get to come alongside individuals to make brand identities that create unique and memorable customer experiences. Customized design is the thing that I believe makes a brand go from good to great; generic to memorable. Every business or organization has a story to tell and branding should highlight that story.

Like I mentioned earlier, I am an illustrative brand designer so I like to infuse character into brands with hand-drawn illustrations to help the businesses I brand for to stand out. I find a lot of inspiration from the typography and layouts from the Gilded Age. Designs from this era are clear yet boldly and beautifully done and in a way that still looks stunning! I draw a lot of elements for brands I design from vintage logos. If it looked good 100 years ago and does today, chances are it will look great for a business for decades to come.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

YES! A million and one. But some of my favorite resources are– • Honeybook – A all in one management system to book, invoice, and send contracts in a beautifully automated way. I recently moved all of my clients to Honeybook and recommend it to just about every solopreneur.

• Podcasts – Listening to a podcast while I work has helped me to learn so much! Some of the insight from podcasts like Goal Digger, the Futur, and the Professional Creative have taught me more than a few of my college classes did. I think stories are the easiest to connect with and they are frequently shared on these podcasts.

• The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook – I was at a near loss when figuring out pricing for my services. The numbers given in this handbook were such a resource to make sure I was charging a fair price.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The flexibility! I think now more than ever there are so many opportunities for creatives to make income. Currently I am focusing on branding but have also got to work on wallpaper design and am looking into.a bit of children’s book illustration. Getting to steer the ship of my business to where it feels life giving and best serves me and my family is so rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ofliliesandfields.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ofliliesandfields