We recently connected with Brooke VanSchaick and have shared our conversation below.
Brooke, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.
My first client came after I had created a Instagram account for Flora Creative Co and I was just posting fun portfolio pieces/artwork for people to enjoy. I started the account in March 2020 after not feeling creatively driven at my current corporate job. I wanted a creative outlet and I was lucky enough to start a following just by creating for fun and sharing it with the world. I got my first client off of Instagram in late 2020! I was so excited when she signed out to work with me. I was so scared though because I felt like I didn’t really know what I was doing haha. I defiantly owe her a lot of my success because she always trusted in me and still to this day comes back for extra design support!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m Brooke and I am originally from Wilmington, NC but spent the last 7 years exploring around Florida. I just recently moved to Raleigh, NC with my boyfriend and two very cute fluffy dogs.
When I got my first job as a graphic designer, I was fresh out of The Ringling School of Art and Design and so excited to start doing the work I loved. I packed my bags, my (super adorable) dog Kipper, and I moved to Miami.
Fast forward a few years, and I found myself leaving my 9 to 5 because creatively I knew I could do so much more with my craft. I wanted to work with other creative woman and help them follow their dreams by creating a business they loved. I knew I could introduce them to the world of branding and web design and the impact it has on a business.
Now, my mission is to help women-led businesses own their magic, find their confidence, and attract their people.
What sets me apart is my edgy-romantic style that is truly me as a person. I love crafting up pieces of art for my clients that they can use to showcase their business. It’s a part of my process that I truly cherish because I get to tune into my inner artist.
My workspace isn’t just inside my computer. I’m an artist first, designer second, meaning I collage, I paint, and I experiment with textures to give graphic design a romantic & handcrafted touch.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Being authentic on social media has been crucial for me! I never post anything I don’t stand behind. I also really like to share other parts of my live with my followers like: skincare, my dogs, home decor, cooking and more! I really want people to feel like they know me as a friend and supporter. I have been lucky enough to work with amazing women owned businesses who we just got along so well so they continued to share the word about my services. Word of mouth and posting to socials is everything!
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
For me, friendship with my clients is a huge core value at Flora Creative. After our project is over, I continue to follow along on their social media by being a huge supporter! I also send them occasional emails to check in.
Plus! some of them have become close friends and we text which is so special to me.
I think it’s incredible important to continue to be a supporter of their business since they supported yours!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://floracreativeco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/floracreative_co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Floracreativeco
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/floracreativeco/