We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Morgan Sandlin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Morgan below.

Hi Morgan , thanks for joining us today. It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

I think the biggest challenge to profitability in the creative industry in general, is finding the clients who value creative work as something more than just “making pretty things”. Because so many people take artists and designers as people who sit around all day painting pictures and playing with fonts, they don’t seem to understand the price tag that a lot of us designers have on our services. Of course we love what we do, it’s a passion and something we get excited about, but it also takes a lot more than picking some trendy colors out. I think artists and creatives could flourish a lot more if more people started taking us seriously in the sense of “oh this person is very talented at what they do, and it’s worth every penny to trust them to create for me”. Being creative 24/7 can take a toll on the mind, and of course there are so many other things that go into running our businesses as well.

So to sum it all up: pay artists and stop thinking you can find a friend to do it cheaper.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I grew up in the midwest, and made my way out to Colorado around 4 years ago. I fell in love with this place after a roadtrip out West while I was in college. I studied graphic design and got my degree, however I knew I wanted to do something with art for a living when I was in high school. After a couple of years working internships and entry level design jobs, I knew even more that I wanted nothing more than to work for myself, to be my own boss. It was after losing my full time design job at the beginning of the pandemic that I took the leap to go full time with my business and I haven’t looked back since.
I run Native Brush Design, where I create branding and websites for a variety of businesses. I tend to find myself working with other creatives such as photographers, however I love getting those clients who are different and outside of my typical style. A lot of my clients come to me with a similar problem: they don’t know how to showcase their overall brand in a cohesive and unique way, so I help them bring that to life through strategy and design.
I would say what sets me apart from others is my ability to dive headfirst into a challenge and welcome it with open arms. I love having the opportunity to push myself and grow as an artist. I’m really proud of myself for starting my business and going full time with it in such a short period of time after graduating college. A handful of people told me I should gain more experience in the industry before putting myself out there on my own, and I didn’t listen, I couldn’t handle waiting any longer and giving myself to another company like that.
I get extremely excited when others come to me with a business idea, I always want to hype people up and help them reach their goals by sharing my knowledge or creating for them.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Last year, I fell really ill. I was sick for what felt like a lifetime, it was off an on literally for almost a whole year. I went through so many tests and doctors visits, and they were never able to find any answers. It was really scary because it was starting to get in the way of my life and running a business. It genuinely impacted my workflow and my business started to slow down a lot. Due to not being able to be present on social media or put a lot of energy into communicating with clients, I thought I was going to lose everything I’ve been working for. I eventually started feeling better and have been doing great this year, but it’s been a lot of sleepless nights and hard work that I’ve put into rebuilding and getting things back to where I had them before being sick. Making it through a hard life moment like that and not giving up really showed me just how resilient I am, and because of that I do feel more equipped to take on whatever hardships life throws my way.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I still have a long way to go when it comes to nailing down social media and building my following, but as far as building my audience goes, I really just post the content that feels most authentic to me and my brand and the rest just happens naturally. I should probably put a lot more effort and time into social media than I do, but it can be tough. Running a business has so many moving parts and social media is just one of them. Something I have learned is that while social media is important for business and reaching potential clients, it shouldn’t be your only source. Social media can crash, your account can get hacked, and platforms can fade away, so it’s important to make sure you’re also reaching people in through real life connection and networking.
Just be yourself, post what feels true to you, and keep working hard. Don’t get tunnel vision on one thing like your social media following.

Contact Info:

• Website: nativebrushdesign.com
• Instagram: @nativebrushdesign
• Facebook: @nativebrushdesign

Image Credits
Photo of myself in the studio taken by Lauren Leyba Photography