We were lucky to catch up with Jacquelyn Dara recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacquelyn, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents supported every part of my business journey—even before it truly began. From the moment I was born, I was blessed with two hands-on parents who loved me more than they thought possible.

Growing up, they taught me to follow my heart and to always be kind. These values, along with many others, have shaped both my life and my business, Kind By Design NYC.

They taught me to believe in myself and that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. Though they understood life’s challenges, they encouraged me to focus on achieving anything I set my mind to. And they were right. While many around me chose the corporate path, I trusted my own path, confident it would lead me to where I was meant to be.

Over the years, my choices were sometimes unconventional, but my parents always supported me wholeheartedly, which I’m incredibly grateful for—since I know that not everyone is so fortunate.

To this day, they remain my best friends and my biggest supporters. They gave me the space to dream big and that’s exactly what I decided to do.

Jacquelyn, 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?

Hi, I’m Jacquelyn! I’ve been a graphic designer for over a decade, starting my freelance journey even before college. I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, where I studied Communication Design and earned a BFA in Graphic Design.

Early on, I knew that the corporate world wasn’t for me, so I pursued freelance work as a graphic designer and social media strategist. Over the years, I honed my focus, discovering my passion for branding. Today, I proudly call myself a brand designer, helping women bring their boldest dreams to life.

But my role extends far beyond brand design—and that’s where the magic happens. With my clients, I’m not just their designer; I’m also their biggest supporter, teacher, and motivator. My mission is to guide them through each step with kindness and grace, turning challenges into milestones. When things get tough, I’m there to help them move past the hurdles.

I offer support with branding, logos, websites, social media strategies, photography, motivation, business guidance, and more.

Kindness is at the core of my business, and with each project I complete, a portion of the profits goes to the organization my client chooses.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

If you’ve ever felt stuck in life or business, I highly recommend reading Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo. This book singlehandedly transformed my day-to-day mindset.

Even when things feel impossible, they aren’t. That may sound cliché, but you’ll understand why after reading it.

A few other books that have inspired me are Eat, Pray, Love and #GIRLBOSS. I’m an avid reader, and although each of these books has a unique style and purpose, they all helped shift my perspective on life.

We’re often taught to hustle and grind to reach our goals, but these books share a common theme: it all takes time.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

A year ago, I started feeling unmotivated in my business, like I was losing my passion. For context, my business has been my heart and soul for the past five years, so this loss of excitement felt uncomfortable.

I didn’t fully understand it, but I knew I wanted more. I loved my role as a graphic designer, yet I realized I was helping my clients with far more than just their branding—I was helping them reshape their lives. Instead of embracing those skills, though, I boxed myself in, believing that because I was officially trained as a designer, I couldn’t move beyond that title.

Then I joined a program called The Awakening, where I realized I didn’t have to limit myself to being “just a designer.” I had so much more to offer, but I needed help figuring out where to start. After the program, I spent another six months refining my business, redesigning my website, creating an entirely new marketing strategy, and clarifying my niche. While some services stayed the same, the transformation felt like a complete relaunch, so I treated it like one.

Now, I feel fully aligned and passionate about my business again. This experience taught me that change is essential and that pivoting can be powerful. As we grow, we often outgrow old versions of ourselves and need to redefine what life and business mean to us, over and over again.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kindbydesignnyc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kindbydesignnyc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kindbydesignnyc

Image Credits

Amanda Crommett