We recently connected with Alisa Taylor and have shared our conversation below.

Alisa , appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I often wonder if I would be more productive if I had a ‘regular’ job. I believe I would. But would I be happier? I doubt it. Owning my own business has had its fair share of challenges. I have had to grow mostly in time management, research, communication with clients, and owning my own failures. I can’t hide behind a company or a boss. I have to own every decision I make. The area I’ve most recently grown in has been assessing the value of my time. Not just in a monetary way. But how much the work may have on me emotionally. These are things I hardly considered until recent years. I started a work journal where I meticulously recorded the hours I was spending on each project. But also recorded my stress levels and at what points of the project encouraged or discouraged inspiration and motivation.

As a business owner I can explore how each job may affect all areas of my life. I am allotted the freedom to quote the project based on these factors and if it’s worth my time based on the values and principals I adhere to. I’m very grateful for the ways I am able to learn and grow through owning my own business.

Alisa , 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 live with my husband and six kids on a lemon grove in southern Arizona.​

What started as an architecture degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has evolved into many forms of creative work from graphic design, illustration, hand-lettering, painting, murals and teaching. ​

Through a variety of mediums including hand-drawn illustration, calligraphy, painting, Procreate, and Photoshop I create custom artwork that inspires and encourages.

My etsy shop has instant downloads, stickers, cards, & custom gifts.

I have experience creating stickers, prints, window and mural art for both personal or professional use.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I started my ‘side hustle’ via Etsy in 2013. I’ve had a steady growth rate each year. I believe my patience and consistency have paid off. My initial year my shop had only 327 visits. By 2022 I was up to over 15K visits. It’s hard to grow a business organically on Etsy but you have to be willing to have good customer service and stick to it.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to get paid to create so that I may continue to bless others through hospitality, murals, teaching, and other creative resources.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alisataylordesign.com
• Instagram: @alisataylordesign
• Facebook: alisataylordesign
• Linkedin: alisataylordesign