We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ali Lile. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ali below.
Ali, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
While I wouldn’t say it necessarily falls under the title of industry-breaking, per se, I would say that within the realm of web design, certain people in the entertainment industry kind of have a neglected presence online. Not by their own desire, of course, but because the web design world seems to put the ultimate focus on service-based businesses, entrepreneurs, and e-commerce. There is a whole world of people out there: actors, singers, dancers, choreographers, voiceover artists, you name it…that feels like a standard, the run-of-the-mill template is the only route they can take to showcase their talent and work online. But these DIY templated sites rarely showcase who the artist is as a person, or at least in my findings, no where near enough as it should.
As a multi-hyphenate human myself (dancer, singer, actress, and graphic designer), I saw an opportunity to speak to this community. My community. Every artist I meet and get the chance to work with has their own unique sauce, and I wanted to be the person to help those amazing artists show it off. So, I guess when it comes to stepping outside of the industry norm, I would point to my focus on connecting within this space of the entertainment industry that often gets forgotten about in terms of web design, and bringing it to center stage in a super fun way.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m Ali Lile, the visual storyteller behind Tobyrose Designs, a multi-faceted graphic design studio based in sunny Los Angeles. I’m a passionate graphic designer, a self-professed pun queen, and that friend who will tap dance through literally any convenience store or supermarket aisle without hesitation. At it’s core, my business is centered around helping passionate entrepreneurs and creative artists make their mark in their industries by dishing out dynamic brand and web experiences that make them stand out from the crowd.
My philosophy is simple: Graphic design is just like doing choreography, but with a trackpad instead of your body. Well, after years as a successful professional dancer, I count myself incredibly grateful to have found another career path that I am equally as passionate about as performing, and that came in the form of brand and web design. It all comes back to visual storytelling…I live it, I breathe it, and now, I get to tell your story through the eyes of a seasoned graphic designer.
On my journey to creating what Tobyrose Designs is today, I tried on a LOT of different hats for size, resulting in a few rebrands, some minor meltdowns, and a whole lot of soul-searching. I spent countless hours researching, learning, grinding. I felt the overwhelm that can come with redefining the landscape for yourself while trying to chase your dreams at the very same time.
I built this business of mine from the ground up, and experienced first-hand how important it is to have a clear vision and goal in mind, how important it is to consider both strategy and aesthetics, and how important it is to find the right partners and resources to execute it. Tobyrose Designs was created to help other people, who yearned for the same things for their brand/business that I did, to finally feel heard.
I am that show tune-belting, hoofing tap dancer that made a career out of being seen and heard on the stage. But I’m also that crazy passionate business owner who lives for sharing her love of design with her clients and basically anyone who is willing to look and listen. Further, I know what it’s like to not be confident in what I’m putting out there. As a performer, most of my life was spent looking in a mirror and being judged on my appearance or talent.
But instead of letting that define me, I redefined my life. Working day in and day out with creatives and entrepreneurs who want to elevate their game sets my heart on fire, like my man Bruce Springsteen preaches, and well. I go above and beyond to bring my clients the smartest, most strategic, and best-looking design for their brand or persona.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
This comes to mind right away: how to let go of imposter syndrome. Growing up and training as a dancer, you are constantly confronted with critique: whether it be about how you move, your body, who you’ve danced for, who you know, what projects or shows you’ve booked, etc. I always felt it was a non-stop comparison game. One that I was always willing to play because I loved to dance so dang much, but not one that came without a needling sense of never quite being enough.
When I started dabbling in calligraphy, and ultimately, branding and web design, I felt those old fears bubbling right up, Who was I to come into this new space with confidence? I didn’t have a design degree, and I was self-taught on almost all of my design platforms. But you know what? I LOVED it, and that was enough to start working on my confidence and becoming my own biggest cheerleader when it came to my design business.
I saw a terrific quote the other day that really spoke to me about this particular topic- one that essentially said that if you don’t at last feel like a little bit of an imposter, then you haven’t truly scratched the surface of what you’re actually capable of. That is paraphrasing of course, but the sentiment rings true to me. My motivation to ditch the imposter syndrome and embrace what I know how to do and what I love is a huge driving force in how I run my life and business.
Do I nail this every day? Heck no. Do I continue to strive for that gold star of 100% elimination of self-doubt? Sure. It’s al;l about unlearning and relearning every day.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, the biggest joy in being an artist is how I get to sprinkle a bit of my creativity into so many parts of my life. But I get a real sense of fulfillment from the deep connections I forge with my clients through my art.
One of the most profound compliments I’ve ever received came from a client who shared that my work not only highlighted the aspects of themselves they cherished but also revealed beautiful facets they hadn’t recognized. Talk about hitting straight to the heart! It’s not just about making something look good; it’s about seeing and bringing out the best in people, sometimes the bits they hadn’t noticed themselves.
Hearing how my work touches someone’s life, how it helps them see themselves in a new, beautiful way, that’s the real reward. It reminds me why I do what I do—it’s all about connecting, understanding, and sometimes revealing the unexpected. The joy and gratification derived from witnessing their reactions, from surprise to self-recognition, and knowing that I played a part in that process, is really what it is all about.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tobyrosedesigns.com/
- Instagram: @tobyrosedesigns
Image Credits
Rachel Monteleone @montephoteaux