We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Caitlin Lang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Caitlin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

The insight that transformed my business was simple, but ended up being incredibly powerful: busy women running service-based businesses need a better way to get their branding done. Like most designers, I started with a traditional approach that required constant client involvement—providing content piecemeal, reviewing multiple design iterations over weeks or months, and maintaining endless email threads. This process wasn’t just limiting my ability to scale; it was actively preventing my clients from focusing on what they do best: running their businesses.

The real breakthrough came from understanding what my clients needed most: ease. They needed premium, professional websites that would reflect their expertise and command higher prices, but they couldn’t put their businesses on hold for months during the design process. They needed a streamlined approach that would deliver exceptional results without consuming their valuable time.

Understanding this idea led to two big decisions that transformed my business.

First, I chose to work exclusively with women who run service businesses. While this might sound limiting, it actually opened up more opportunities. It allowed me to develop deep expertise in what these specific businesses need, made it easier for people to recommend me, and helped me connect more meaningfully with my ideal clients.

The second and most significant change was completely reimagining HOW I work with clients. Instead of the drawn-out traditional process, I developed a concentrated “design intensive” format. Every project now starts with a crucial 90-minute interview that allows me to truly understand my client’s vision and goals. I use what I learn in that interview to create a comprehensive creative brief, and then I deliver the entire brand and website in just two weeks, requiring only two days of client involvement.

The key to making this work is showing up as the expert my clients need me to be. I learned that my clients—just like me when I’m the client—appreciate it when service providers take control and guide the process. This meant developing a clear, strategic approach that takes the burden off their plates while ensuring they get exactly what their business needs.

This evolution required significant mindset shifts. I had to challenge the conventional wisdom that branding projects need to take months. I had to trust that focusing on a specific niche would strengthen rather than limit my business. Most importantly, I had to believe in the value of my expertise and my ability to deliver premium results in a condensed timeframe.

The results speak for themselves: my clients get beautiful, effective brands and websites that truly reflect their authority and expertise, all without the project taking over their lives. They can maintain focus on their own businesses while still getting a premium result that helps them command premium prices.

My path to scaling wasn’t about working more hours or taking on more clients in the traditional model. It was about fundamentally rethinking how I could deliver more value in less time. By aligning my process with my clients’ needs and constraints, I created a more efficient, effective, and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. This has allowed me to help over so many women feel confident with scroll-stopping brands and websites, while building a more sustainable and scalable business for myself.

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?

My entry into design wasn’t exactly traditional. I started as an Art History major at Wesleyan University and landed my first design job with a photography portfolio (I hadn’t done any design work yet). After completing my Master of Fine Arts in Design from California College of the Arts, I discovered my true passion: helping women entrepreneurs present their businesses with confidence and authority.

Over the past two decades, I’ve developed a unique approach to branding and web design. I specialize in creating premium websites that enable service-based businesses to attract their ideal clients and command higher prices. What sets my work apart is a streamlined process that transforms the traditionally lengthy branding process into a focused, two-week experience. It starts with a comprehensive 90-minute interview that allows me to deeply understand each client’s vision, after which I handle everything—from strategy to implementation—requiring only two days of client involvement.

I’m known for being exceptionally conscientious and responsive. Extreme dependability is my not-so-secret superpower. This attention to detail, combined with my structured approach, has allowed me to help over 100 women transform their online presence. My goal isn’t just to create beautiful websites—it’s to give busy women entrepreneurs the polished, professional foundation they need to scale their businesses, without taking months away from their core work.

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

Five years ago, I faced a pivotal moment that tested and ultimately strengthened my resilience. With my graphic design business essentially dormant—I’d made just $2,000 the previous year—and a young son in elementary school, I made the difficult decision to leave my marriage.

It was terrifying. I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to support myself on my own.

I set what seemed like an impossible financial goal for myself and threw myself into rebuilding my business. Within six months, I’d made enough money to feel confident asking for a divorce. I secured a couple of long-term retainer clients that sustained me through that transition and the subsequent Covid quarantine.

The real test of my resilience came close to two years ago when I lost a major retainer client. Instead of playing it safe, I took another leap, investing in a coaching program that completely transformed my approach to running a design business. I narrowed my focus to women-owned service businesses and overhauled my entire business model. While reimagining my business was daunting, this calculated risk led to more demand than ever before.

These experiences taught me that resilience isn’t just about perseverance. It’s about having the courage to take smart risks and the flexibility to learn and adapt. Now I know I can face any challenge, learn from it, and emerge stronger on the other side.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I’m currently focused on building my presence on LinkedIn, and I’ve found that authenticity resonates more than perfection. My approach is straightforward: I share a mix of personal stories, practical insights about branding and design, and client results. What’s working well is being genuine and using conversational language, even though LinkedIn is considered a “professional” platform.

I recently got a powerful reminder about the importance of authenticity on social media. I learned that the word “spinster” originally meant something powerful: a woman who spun fabric, provided for herself, and didn’t need to marry. I used that knowledge to write a post about reclaiming the word spinster, embracing my independence after divorce, and challenging outdated labels. The post went viral, generating 50,000 impressions and connecting me with hundreds of new followers. More importantly, it led to multiple calls with new potential clients and networking opportunities. This success reinforced something I already believed: people connect with real stories and honest perspectives.

For those just starting to build their social media presence, I’d suggest three things: First, don’t feel pressured to be everywhere—choose one platform and do it well. Second, develop a content mix that feels sustainable. For example, I rotate between personal stories, educational content, and client showcases. Finally, write in your natural voice rather than trying to fit into a manufactured idea of what “professional” sounds like. Authenticity cuts through the noise on any platform.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.liquidformdesign.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-lang-designer/

Image Credits

All images are my own.