Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Briana Spence. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Briana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been 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? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I stumbled into design unexpectedly. I had never taken an art class, and I didn’t touch my first MacBook until my senior year of high school. I knew I was creative, but I didn’t expect design to become my all-consuming passion. I signed up to be a graphic design and web development major, having no idea what I was getting into. I don’t think college is for everyone, but I learned a lot and was able to start a freelance side hustle before I graduated.

I had the opportunity to be a design intern in Washington, DC, one summer, and I quickly realized that the city life I thought I wanted wasn’t for me. This made me rethink my design career, and I decided that after college, I would accept a low-paying job that allowed me to travel, work, and freelance in my spare time. Before long, I had a steady three whole clients I was working for.

After a year of living the nomad life, I got married and settled down in Pensacola, Florida. Since money was tight, my husband and I were both working three jobs. I would take my computer to work and fit in freelance work on my lunch break (and sometimes send an email on “bathroom breaks,” but that’s our secret). After a year and a half of juggling schedules, I decided to dive head-first into design and take a position at a local marketing agency. Let’s just say I learned how not to be a boss.

Then COVID hit, and I got laid off for seven weeks. I should have taken the opportunity then to start my business, but I was still nervous about the commitment (and lack of steady income). When I came back to work, the environment was worse than when I left. I would have to arrive at least 30 minutes before my shift started just to overcome the panic attacks I would have every time I pulled into the parking lot.

I dealt with this intense stress for three months before I decided it was go-time, and I was going to pursue my dream of starting my own design studio. I put in my two weeks’ notice, and during that time, I went full speed ahead in building my brand. I would wake up extra early, spend two hours at a coffee shop designing my branding, go to work, go to Panera until they closed to update my website, drink another coffee, and keep designing until 2 a.m., just to do it all over again. At the end of those two weeks, I was never more excited to quit.

I said my goodbyes and let the world know that Spence Studios was open for business. And I prayed. I prayed hard that God would send clients my way. I prayed that I could make at least $20,000 that first year. I made $26,000. The next year, I prayed I would make at least $45,000. I made $63,000, and Spence Studios has been growing ever since.

I don’t think it’s anything special that I’ve done. I follow other designers, and I know that there are people who are more creative, more passionate, and more talented than me. I’m just so grateful to be doing what I love, and knowing I’m adding value to the world through design is what motivates me to keep growing and refining my skills.

Here are the steps I took to launch my design business; I hope they help you too:

Name your business.
Brand your business.
Set up a business plan.
Register with the IRS (LLC, S-Corp, DBA, etc.).
Keep track of income/expenses.
Establish a standard for file organization.
Create a project management system (I use Trello, but Monday, Asana, and Notion are good options too).
Develop a project workflow.
Set your rates (hourly or per project).
Secure those dream clients and deal with the not-so-glamorous ones in the beginning.

Briana, 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 there! I’m Briana, the founder of Spence Studios.

I started Spence Studios because I love creating beautiful designs that add value to the world. Whether it’s a logo for a new business, a website for your organization, or an awesome graphic for your next event, I want to help you make something that makes you feel great about yourself and your brand.

I know what it’s like to be an entrepreneur—you’re always looking for ways to stand out from the crowd, but it can be hard to find good design work that resonates with you. That’s why I created Spence Studios: to help business owners like you bring a unique vision and style to their brand through custom graphic design.

I’ve recently found a passion for helping towns and cities curate their designs to create aesthetic places that add value to locals and tourists who spend time there. My most exciting project yet was designing a 60-foot welcome sign that will greet over 2.5 million visitors a year in Pensacola, Florida.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Ok, I have a lot of good resources I’ve collected over the years. Some of these are very niche and random, but I love them all! #notsponsored

Freelance and Business and Stuff book by Hoodzpah Design – Best investment I ever made when I was launching my business

Logo Package Express 3 – I would buy this everyday

Trello – it keeps me organized

Adobe Illustrator Beta Retype Tool – I’m always losing fonts so this is a huge help

Creative Market – iykyk (they also do a free weekly drop of goods that I’ve been collecting for years)

Boomerang for email – I schedule so many emails at midnight and don’t send them out until the next morning this way. Also the 30 second “unsend” feature saves my butt

GoFullPage Google Chrome Extension – especially good for capturing website designs

Unsplash, Pexels, and Dupe Photos – who doesn’t love a royalty-free photo

Mockups of any kind, but my favorite websites to source them are graphicpear, unblast, and mockups-design.com

rainymood.com. – How I get in a deep-focus zone

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think that communication and being on time with projects is the best way to build trust with clients. We all get really annoying clients, but if you can be kind, set boundaries, and deliver promptly then people will want to work with you. I haven’t missed a deadline yet and I’m always doing my best to put procrastination to the side and keep my clients first.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.spence-studios.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/spence.design.studios/