We recently connected with Antonia Quinn and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Antonia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

For as long as I can remember, I dreamed of starting my own business. After college, I worked at a tech startup, doing graphic design. That job taught me valuable lessons in structure, time management, and applying my skills in real-world settings. But even as I honed my craft, I continued working on personal projects and taking on freelance clients during evenings and weekends.

In 2022, I reached a crossroads. I had fallen in love with my freelance business, brand design, and especially the process of helping companies create identities from the ground up. My corporate role had grown stagnant, and I debated switching jobs, yet the pull of entrepreneurship was stronger than ever. I realized that if I didn’t pursue my dream of starting my own business now, I might regret it and be back exactly where I currently was in a few years. After months of deliberation, and many sleepless nights filled with imposter syndrome, I finally took the leap of faith. That’s when my freelance brand design business, Antonia Quinn Design, was born.

Looking back to when I first had this dream when I was young, I remember how much I had romanticized the idea of being my own boss. I thought it would be all about creative freedom, flexible hours, and the ability to work on my own terms. But when I took the plunge, the reality of running your own business quickly hit me. The notion that working for myself would be easier than a corporate job faded almost immediately. While I had prepared as much as I could, nothing truly prepares you for the daily grind of the logistical part of managing your own business—marketing, networking, finances, and strategy all demand so much time and focus.

To make my workload even more daunting, about eight months into running my freelance design business, I started creating t-shirt designs as a purely personal project. What started as a fun creative outlet quickly turned into another unexpected success. To my surprise, people loved the designs, and business took off. Suddenly, I found myself juggling two businesses— which was equally fulfilling, exciting, and overwhelming. In 2024, I launched a website for my apparel business, Reckless Sunday, and now, I’m still balancing both ventures simultaneously.

I’ll be honest—being an entrepreneur isn’t always a smooth ride. On tough days, the thought of going back to a regular job crosses my mind – this happens more frequently than you’d think.I often wonder if it would make me happier to clock into a corporate design job. But every time I think that, I remind myself of the deep satisfaction that comes from working for myself. The long days, the late nights, and the constant battle with self-doubt and imposter syndrome are all part of the journey. I think of the incredible people I’ve met and worked with, watching the brands grow that I’ve helped create, and the people I’ve seen all over the world wearing my designs, and I realize that it has been worth every moment.

I’m incredibly proud of how far I’ve come, and in moments of doubt I always focus on that. I haven’t gotten rid of that self-deprecating voice in my head by any means, but I’ve definitely learned how to minimize it. It’s been a wild ride, and I’ve grown so much through it all. I know that I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of my family. They’re the ones who listen to my frantic calls, put up with late-night work sessions, and encourage me that I’m on the path I’m meant to be on during the tough times. When they tell me they’re proud of me, it’s that support that keeps me going and reminds me why I made this leap in the first place.

Antonia, 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?

As my family would tell you, I have always been in love with doing anything and everything creative. I don’t think there was ever a doubt in my mind that I would end up in a creative field. Growing up I did everything from painting, photography, to creating programs for the dance recitals I would put on for my family and make them watch (probably against their will). I specifically always loved looking at and collecting magazines, trying to sketch people or photos I saw in them, and cutting them up to make huge collages. I always told people I wanted to be a fashion designer or a magazine editor when I grew up. It was funny, because at the time I was in high school, print magazines were on the decline, and online magazines weren’t popular yet. I didn’t know how the industry would evolve, and when it came time to decide my major in college, I actually frantically chose a Bachelor of Science in Film, thinking that was an industry with better job security – spoiler alert, that was very misguided.

But almost immediately after graduation I felt really lost on where I would fit into the film industry. I actually began working for a non-profit part time to make money in the interim. At that time, they needed someone to help with marketing design, as someone who had minimal experience with design software but was overly confident, I volunteered for the task – after all I would choose to do anything creative. Honestly, as soon as I started designing, everything clicked and I realized this is exactly what I was meant to do – after that I began learning everything there was to know and never looked back.

In my current business, I provide all types of design services: anything from one off menu design for restaurants, full corporate booklet design, to full brand identity design for a brand new business. I do have a soft spot for designing for small businesses, where I can help make someone’s vision of their dream business come to life, just like I did for my own business.

I work with everyone from individual business owners to corporate clients, providing modern designs with a unique edge. I absolutely love working on new types of projects, and the challenge that comes with a new venture. Right now I am working with a small athletics company that approached me to design t-shirts, a one-woman food startup, and an ongoing corporate client. I am never bored and love working on such a variety of projects at any time – it truly keeps me on my toes and keeps my passion for design alive.

What sets me apart is how much I truly become invested in the success of the client’s business. I love to really listen to the client, dive deep into what their vision is, and come up with a completely unique creative solution for each project. My design aesthetic is minimal and timeless, but I always like to show people just how much creativity and thinking outside the box can be expressed within that style – nothing I deliver will ever be boring or cookie cutter!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One thing I had to quickly realize, was that my vision for the final design was not necessarily the client’s vision, or what was best for their particular business. Over the first year or so that I was running my freelance business, I had to learn time and time again about what would work best design-wise in each particular industry, and for a specific target demographic.

Learning how to apply my own design aesthetic to all types of businesses was challenging at first, but I have absolutely fallen in love with this process now. I am obsessed with learning all I can about competitors in each industry, and what styles, colors, fonts, and marketing works best for that industry. I love to learn about new trends, new segments I haven’t worked in before, and about the extensive psychology that goes into this process. It is amazing to be able to put this brand psychology into practice first hand, and I find that it has greatly elevated my skills as a designer, as well as my value to clients.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is being the person who brings an idea from a concept in someone’s head (or my own) to something tangible and real. Whether it be a complete brand design from the ground up, or a simple t-shirt design, looking back on the creative process once the final product is done is incredible.

There are so many versions that a design will go through, no matter how big or small the project is, and seeing the final product of where all those creative ideas led is amazing. The ultimate payoff is seeing how happy the design I brought to life can make someone. Whether it be delivering a final brand presentation to a client who is starting their first business, to seeing someone wearing a shirt I designed, witnessing someone have joy from a design I created is the most incredible experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://antoniaquinn.com
• Instagram: @by.antoniaquinn
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonia-quinn/
• Other: Reckless Sunday Apparel

  RecklessSunday.com
  Instagram: @recklesssunday