We were lucky to catch up with Caroline Adams Vulcano recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Caroline, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

Before I went out on my own, I had a boss named Justine who is an incredibly hard-working, skilled, and quick-witted person – but the most important impact she had on me was how she reframed what it meant to work with a team. In previous jobs, teams I worked with were not as focused on getting to know one another, but rather on the work task at hand. Of course, efficiency is always important, but watching the way that Justine interacted with our direct team and the teams that we worked with, made clear the value of investing in people on a personal level. When effort was put into creating these relationships in the workplace, not only was work more efficient, but also all stakeholders became more invested.

She taught me that building friendships and deep relationships in the workspace – with coworkers and clients alike, is integral to a happy, healthy work environment – and it’s definitely one of the tenants of my business. Humans first, then work.

Caroline, 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’m a Colorado-based graphic designer, illustrator, and founder of Caroline Parker Creative (soon to be Pizza Bagel Studio – we’re going through a rebrand now!). We create visual identities, digital design, packaging and merch design, and illustration work for brands ranging from brick-and-mortar shops and solopreneurs to large, international organizations.

At the core of my studio is a huge focus on bringing out the story behind the business. Why do you exist? What drives your business? How did you get started? I want the people who interact with my clients’ brands to understand the people behind their business – their origin story, their quirk, or the thing that makes them uniquely them. We strive to create easily implementable branding that feels super authentic.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

As a graphic designer, I spend most of my day hunched over some form of screen, zooming in and out of pixels – so when it comes to traditional marketing strategy, like social media and e-newsletters, I’m not always the best. That said, I’ve been lucky enough to have my business blossom almost entirely through word-of-mouth. I am most certain it would be good for the business to invest in a more strategic approach, but truly, I’ve been blessed to work with really wonderful people over the years who have referred me to their wonderful people – and so on.

I think it’s incredibly important to have clients (or hire a designer!) that meshes with you, so that you can build a vision together. Design is a funny thing because it’s the meeting of minds – between the thing that exists in a client’s mind’s eye and the idea that the designer is receiving. It’s important to have a relationship where you can communicate and really tease out the exact vision for the end product.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Definitely the chance to be inspired by so much, and learn so much! In my work, I pull inspiration from anything from the leaf on the tree outside my office window, to traditional fine art, to the label on a handle at a gas station. The inspiration in my life outside of work always bleeds in a bit to work, and it’s very grounding to have the two so interconnected.

Also, working with so many different types of people, in different industries and environments, I am always learning. I am a super curious person – I love to get onto a random topic and thoroughly research it, so my job gives me a fantastic excuse to go down all sorts of rabbit holes to dig up inspiration and background. It’s the best.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://carolineparkercreative.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/carolineparkercreative