Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah Lazar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sarah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. The first dollar you earn in a new endeavor is always special. We’d love to hear about how you got your first client that wasn’t a friend or family.

I was in my second year of studying Graphic Design at Dawson College in Montreal. I happened to go out for lunch at a nearby salad bar, and ran into an old friend. We were chatting about what we were up to and I mentioned being in the design program. After they left, the woman working behind the counter (who I later learned was the owner) asked “Do you design logos?” Having never designed a logo before, my response was “Yes, of course!” And so began my freelance career and relationship with the now established Mandy’s. The chance encounter and initial “fake it till you make it” attitude led to over 15 years of collaboration on branding, packaging, two cookbooks and much more!

Sarah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started Cow Goes Moo as a Graphic Design Studio in 2009. Over the years we’ve worked with countless industries including hospitality, food and beverage, real estate, and health and fitness. Today our focus lies primarily with branding, packaging, and print projects for small to medium sized businesses. Our philosophy is to make the process simple and efficient, while expressing the values and visions of our clients and their brands.

I was introduced to the art of Letterpress when planning my wedding in 2013, and fell in love with the process! I purchased my first Tabletop Press a few years later and, before having ever used it, booked my first two projects. This passion took over nights and weekends until I decided it was officially time to integrate it into the business. Fast forward to today, our in-house print shop houses six vintage presses, and we’ve expanded our services to include Letterpress and Foil printing. Our speciality lies in bespoke personal and corporate stationery, invitation suites and much more!

Letterpress is a process that involves heaps of time, energy, and love. To say a lot goes on behind the scenes in order to bring these projects to fruition doesn’t even cover the half of it! We split our weeks between designing and printing, and the mix allows us to nourish both the mental and tactile sides of our creativity.

One of the things we’re most proud of is that fact that we’re constantly evolving all facets of our business based on our goals and interests. Whether it be dipping into a greeting card line, expanding our knowledge with new machines, or brainstorming new social media content…our bottom line is to have fun and enjoy what we’re doing!

How’d you meet your business partner?

I worked on my own successfully for many years, and never had the intention to grow my business—let alone a team! While it worked for a long time, I suddenly found myself working 80 hour weeks, and had completely lost a healthy work-life balance. I was hesitant to share the behind the scenes of my business, but clearly this was no longer sustainable, and I needed help.

I reached out to a former professor to ask if he knew of any graduates that might fit the bill—enter Allison! At the time I don’t think either of us realized how pivotal this connection would be. She started as a part-time assistant junior designer, and the extra hands helped ease things into a manageable state. It didn’t take long for me to feel comfortable sharing more of the workload as we got to know one another, and I was finally able to breathe.

It’s hard to fully explain what Allison and I share. We complement each other in the way we work, our values, and our approach to life. Over the years, we’ve become intertwined not only on the business front but also the personal, leading to an even stronger bond. Our working dynamic is extremely collaborative, constantly sharing new ideas and strategies in an effort to better our process and ourselves!

We’ve since had so many wonderful experiences—moving studios, new machines, exciting opportunities, and of course working on a plethora of beautiful projects together. We’re so excited to see what the future holds!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I’m especially drawn to projects that result in a tangible product. Being able to touch and feel something that you had a hand in creating is really special. Whether it be seeing product packaging on the shelves in a grocery store, or assembling an invitation suite that we designed from start to finish, the experience never gets old!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cowgoesmoo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wegomoo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wegomoo
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@wegomoo https://www.instagram.com/cowgoesmoo

Image Credits
CGM-03 and CGM-04 Photo credits to Alex Tran Photography https://alextranphotography.com/ https://www.instagram.com/al.xtran/