Today we’d like to introduce you to Janelle Nelissen

Hi Janelle, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

Hi friends, I’m Janelle. The founder, CEO and creative behind The Sage Creatives, a website design and branding studio for small businesses and creatives that don’t just dream, they do.

For me, it’s not just about building pretty websites, it’s about building foundations, telling stories, and connecting people.

I love learning about the passion that drives people to start their business, what their “why” is and how they wish to show up for their community. It’s the most important part of my creative process. By fully understanding what my client is all about and how they do what they do, I can establish their voice, build their brand, and bring their vision to life.
It’s so important that my clients feel confident in their brand, are excited about their online presence, and are completely comfortable in their own skin as a business owner.

My love for website design began in 2016. I was working in operations and was tasked to redo my company’s website. Having zero experience in website design, but ample experience in dedicating myself to the task at hand, I dove headfirst into this challenge and absolutely fell in love with it. Over the next couple of years, I continued building websites on the side as a hobby but stayed the course with my steady job.

It wasn’t until 2020 while on maternity leave, I was building a website for a friend that was starting her own business. Right before we launched her site, there was a moment we had that she really realized that her big dream was turning into a reality. There was a confidence that I helped build and a voice I helped her realize. It forever changed the course of my life. It was in that moment that I knew I could turn this hobby into something more.

So in 2021 I decided to bet on myself. I took the best kind of risk and huge leap toward a new path, and I’m so glad I did.
Since then, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to support others that have taken this same leap.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

The road has not been smooth, and it will forever have its twists and turns (which makes it even more worth it in my opinion).

In the beginning I struggled with imposter syndrome and constantly questioned my decision to change careers:
“Do I have what it takes to make it?”
“Can I put myself in the same category as all of these other creatives?” “What if I fail?”

But there was a shift when I reframed those questions and told myself that I was never going to take the approach of “fake it until you make it”. I was going to work really hard, keep learning, surround myself with a community of other creatives that would push me to be better. And as long as I am doing that – I’ll will never have failed.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I love working with business owners that are either just starting out or in need of a refresh for their brand.
If they are just starting out, I help establish their voice, build their brand, and bring their vision to life.
If it’s been a minute since they’ve updated your website, I help them redefine their voice, refresh their brand, and revitalize their vision.

What sets me apart from other website and branding studios is that I take a connection-first approach to my business. And that means I put connections before transactions. Does running a business take a lot, yes. Does running a business mean you have of make money to keep the lights on, of course. Being a business owner means you are putting everything on the table at the chance of succeeding. But the minute we put transactions before connections, we lose sight of the bottom line. We have to be human begins first. We have to be more than what we’re selling.

I don’t believe that there is a one size fits all approach to every project because every person is in a different place with their business and journey. I do what I can to tailor my approach so that my clients can get the most out of our time together.

Who else deserves credit in your story?

1. My husband – that challenges me and provides a safe space for me to turn my dreams into realities.
2. My family – that didn’t doubt for a second that I wouldn’t make the most of this chapter of my life.
3. My daughter – that without knowing it, pushes me to be a better version of myself each day.
4. My community of women – that do nothing but support and champion this big dream of mine.
5. My community of creatives – that open my eyes to new approaches and perspectives.

Pricing:

• Branding projects starting at $1500
• Website projects starting at $4000

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thesagecreatives.com/
• Instagram: @janelle_nelissen

Image Credits

https://kaitmillerphotography.com/