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

Alright, Abby thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

When asked about what my parents did right, endless examples come to mind. But when it comes to building my business and pursuing my passions, I want to share a story about my mom finding the perfect solution—not only for herself but also for a severely underserved market.

When my family moved to Seattle from Illinois to be close to family, my mom knew she wanted to contribute to our family’s income in a meaningful way, and she wanted a flexible schedule to take care of my sister and me as we headed into our adolescent years. She mulled over a few different ideas and even drafted up some business plans with some potential co-partners at one point, but ultimately, she formed her business around a service she was already providing— and had been providing to our family for years, I might add. Her academic and professional background includes interior design, sales, and real estate, but in her personal life, she witnessed big professional corporations move my family across the country. And then she managed my family’s move herself when we returned to Seattle! Once there, she helped my grandma clear out the home she had been living in for decades, and into a great new retirement home just a few miles away. She organized everything in the old house, packing the items that would go to the smaller space and carefully sorting what was left into donation, consignment, and family keepsake piles. She advised moving trucks, introduced real estate agents, and even recommended the new home’s interior design, thanks to her intimate knowledge of the previous home’s layout and owner’s preferences. My grandma was awed by my mother’s efficiency— not to mention comfortably setup in her new downtown apartment.

Well, word got around to my grandma’s friends, and, as the jokes about my mom helping out with their own impending downsizing became more and more frequent, my mom got thinking about how much this demographic could really benefit from her move management services.

So you see where this is going, right? Within a few years of our move to Seattle, my mom was setting her own hours, charging a premium price, and filling her calendar with new projects. My mom’s business started as a bespoke move management service for seniors transitioning from a home they’ve lived in for decades to an apartment in which they’ll spend the rest of their lives. The business quickly blossomed into a full-blown home organization and move management company with a team of dedicated employees who help people in all kinds of situations.

Witnessing her success, her hard work, the countless hours she put in, and the immense satisfaction she received from it all was the most significant privilege of my childhood by far (and honestly, I had it pretty good, so that’s saying a lot). I grew up understanding the ups and downs of running a small business, and thanks to her trust in my teenage marketing opinions, I also got my hands on the first graphic design tools I ever used.

Circa 2012, my mom used to enlist the family after dinner to help her address and stamp what seemed like hundreds of envelopes. After that, it was time to fill each envelope with the marketing materials she had made. I loved pulling a chair up to her desk during the design process. Together, we meticulously picked fonts and colors and clipart while troubleshooting printers and PDFs and flash drives. My mom’s journey to success inspired my passion for design and drove me to pursue it with the same dedication and perseverance.

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

My name is Abby Larson, and I am a graphic designer. I live in San Diego, soaking up every last ray of sunshine, but the Pacific Northwest is where I call home.

I help people with all kinds of creative tasks, but my true love is brand and web design. The digital storefront, better known as the website, is a fundamental component for any business that wants to grow and thrive. And good websites need good brands to back them up. To me, brands are more than fonts and colors; they are the energy your audience connects with, which needs to be consciously designed by someone just as passionate about your success as you are.

It makes my entrepreneurial heart grow a few sizes bigger each time a happy client tells me how much my work has saved them, whether it be time, money, or a headache!

The intersection of art and technology has always fascinated me, so I went to school at Washington State for their Digital Technology & Culture program (the fact that both of my parents call WSU their alma mater might have some weight to it though). Thanks to several highly valuable internships and introductions, my freelance career began while I was still in school. Having been very technologically savvy all my life, I quickly learned the necessary programs and software needed to excel in my industry. At 19 years old, I built my first website to showcase my portfolio and published it to abbymlarson.com. I fell in love with the website design process and began offering it as a service alongside the drawings, logos, and flyer design I was already providing to local businesses and friends.

After college, I worked for Ames Bros for a stint, soaking up business know-how and musical legendry before getting a job offer I couldn’t refuse from a software company to be on their in-house creative team. I gained valuable industry experience during my three-year tenure, but I kept my side hustle alive all the while and eventually went full-time with it.

Today, I have the privilege of making a living doing what I love and helping people achieve their business goals along the way.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being a graphic designer lies at the intersection of creative impact and personal growth. The truth is, there’s nothing quite like seeing the magic unfold for small businesses. These passionate owners come to me with these incredible dreams for their brand, and I get to translate them into graphics that bring their vision to life. It’s this beautiful collaboration, watching them shine a little brighter because of the design magic we create together. Every project feels like a fresh adventure, a chance to explore a new design direction or dive into a valuable new tool. There’s this quiet satisfaction in constantly learning and growing as a designer. But the real cherry on top? Seeing the pure joy on a client’s face when they see the final design. That, my friend, is pure gold. It’s a reminder that the work I do makes a real difference, and that’s a pretty great feeling.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I didn’t know from a super young age that I wanted to be a graphic designer— heck, I didn’t even know what that was until college! I also didn’t just wake up one day with a lightbulb above my head and the bright career moves all mapped out. Nope, what actually got me to the point I’m at today is all thanks to years of entrepreneurial endeavors and creative flexing.

Creative flexing, you say? Well, we all have this amazing wellspring of creativity within us, even if we don’t always tap into it. Think of it like a muscle – the more you use it, the stronger it gets. Being creative isn’t just about painting masterpieces – it’s about finding new solutions to problems, brainstorming fresh ideas, or simply expressing yourself in a unique way. And that’s where the magic happens! I’ve found that regularly flexing my creative muscles can boost problem-solving skills, melt away stress, and even lead to some surprising personal growth.

So while I wholeheartedly accept my title of ‘creative,’ I also completely reject the concept of ‘non-creative.’ We all have that spark in us, but remember to fan the flames from time to time!

Contact Info:

• Website: abbymlarson.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/abbys.art
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/abbymlarson