We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Abbie O’Brien a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Abbie, thanks for joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
My business launched in the pandemic. At the time, I was laid off from my decade as a Creative Director working in-house for a top home services franchise. When I pitched my first client, I agreed to design and build a website for under $500. My total income in my first quarter of business was nearly 2k. That’s it. The New Year turned and sparks began. Consistent posting on social media told my connections I was available to hire. Within my first 6 months of business, just as things started to pick up, I welcomed our first daughter into the world. I setup a small maternity leave and subcontracted some of my client work out. This felt like a financial set back at the time, but I had to keep my clients long-term. The same handful of clients I worked with from day 1 in my business are still my clients. What began as building a logo or designing a flyer has morphed into so much more strategic creative for these brands. If you do great work the first time for someone, there’s a good chance you’ll be their go-to contact again and again….
Q4 2020 – business opened
Q2 2021 – 1st daughter born
Q2 2022 – 2nd daughter born
I outline the calendar above because in the first 3 years of my business, they’ve also been the busiest personally. My business has been fortunate enough to grow yearly. I nearly doubled my income from year 2 to 3 (even with a newborn!).
Abbie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Abbie – Owner of Abbie’s Design Studio Graphic Design Agency
4-year degree in Graphic Design/Art and Communications/Journalism from Shippensburg University. Career began at the agency level at Benchmark Group Media in Harrisburg, PA. It evolved to leading the in-house Creative Team at CertaPro Painters for nearly 9 years (headquartered outside Philadelphia, PA). We created collateral and marketing campaigns for 350+ franchise locations. Having the experience of in-house and understanding the importance of brand styles, mission, values, vision, etc is extremely relevant for my success. My clients are hiring an agency, but one that knows in-house. I become an extension of their team as skilled resource.
We tell your story through the power of art and design. We turn beautiful visuals into meaningful connections with your target audience. We help brands (large and small) drive conversions and generate new business with the power of design. I’m a small agency with big creative power. I’m driven by the synergy of design and strategy. We’re remote based in the Philadelphia suburbs (ever heard of Conshohocken?).
I like to consider myself a “one-stop” creative shop. Need a website? I can design and build it. Need a Print or Web Ad? Brochure? Trade Show Banners? Marketing Collateral? Social Media Creative? I cross between print and digital creative constantly. With my franchising background in the home services industry, it’s nailed down more franchise clients and clients within the home services industry.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Knowing the direct success of a campaign I designed. Seeing a TV Commercial I developed on a TV at my house or in a bar has been pretty cool..
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I consider myself a tech guru and dabble in learning new platforms as they become available. My daily mix of favorite platforms are Google Drive (storing & sharing files), Evernote (for lengthy client notes that I can access anywhere on-the-go), Adobe Creative Suite and Canva. Canva is extremely robust and has made social creative much easier, quicker and efficient. However, there are still many times working with a professional should apply – especially when launching a brand new business. Check out all of these platforms if you aren’t already using them!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.abbiesdesignstudio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbiesdesignstudio/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbie11/
Image Credits
Karen L. Phillips Photography