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

Carly, 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?

When I was in college, I knew I wanted to do something in the arts. At the time, Project Runway was at its peak and I dreamed of being a fashion designer. However, the logical side of my brain knew I did not want to live in New York or LA and that the climb in that industry was not for the faint of heart. I wanted to do something that would guarantee me a steady job and income out of college but also allowed the ability to run my own business and work for myself in the future. All of these goals led me to major in Graphic Design.

In design school, I recall a professor telling us the value of working at an agency for at least 5 years to gain industry experience before pursuing independent freelance careers. That advice stuck with me and I was determined to soak in every aspect of the agency world during my time there. I pushed myself creatively, asked questions, listened intently to those above me, and tried to understand all the roles that made things happen. After all, working for yourself means you have to be all of those people daily. I stayed in touch with colleagues and ensured that I never closed a door when I moved from one job to another.

After almost 7 years of working for ad agencies, I had my son and knew this was the time to work for myself. I crunched the numbers and set a goal for what I would aim to pull in monthly to make ends meet. I put in my two weeks and took a deep breath. On my drive home from work that evening, I made my first call to one of my old Creative Directors. To my surprise, he filled up my time with steady contract work and I immediately started making more money than what I was making at my old job.

Over the last 5 years, I’ve continued to balance the steady contract work through my old Creative Director and local clients that have come to me through word of mouth. The depth and care I take on each branding project is specialized and high-end and I’ve found that word of mouth is the best way to get new business leads that understand the value and investment they are making. I have had the luxury of not having to advertise for my business and feel lucky to live in a small town that values supporting local small businesses. For the first time, I am completely booked and am booking new business leads months in advance. I feel lucky and fulfilled and hope this steady growth continues.

Speeding up the process of my growth would have overwhelmed me. I prefer a slow burn that I can handle over time. Finding a balance in work and life is important to me and I feel so lucky to work for myself.

Carly, 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?

I am a graphic designer specializing in branding and building brand systems for businesses small and large. My methods are thoughtful and strategic. Using information extracted from my clients, I create systems that visually tell the story of the company and establishes a strong foundation to grow on. What sets me apart from others is my thorough process, attention to detail and my knowledge in both design principles and brand systems. I pride myself in hand crafting everything with meaning that ties back to the foundation of who the company is.

When I am not crafting brand systems, I am also a family photographer. I capture the authentic and special moments of families as they grow. My offerings include maternity, newborn and family sessions. I thrive in the chaos of children and aim to capture their personalities in moments that freeze time for parents to look back on years later to remember their children as they were. Their laugh, their joy, their energy.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

For me, word of mouth is currently generating the best new clients. I ensure that every interaction I have is intentional. Word of mouth brings potential clients that share the same values as me and they understand the importance of the investment they will make with me.

Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?

Over the years, I have built up my photography business. I offer brand photography that pairs really well with my design clients. I help them generate authentic photography for their business that fits within their brand aesthetic. This all in one service is really helpful to maintain brand integrity and cohesiveness in their brand applications.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clorrainecreative