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

Cayley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

Growing up, I never thought too much about being a business owner. It’s not that I didn’t want to, more than I didn’t think I COULD. Growing up in the early 2000’s, being an entrepreneur was essentially talked about the same as being unemployed. College and working at a large corporation was touted as the dream scenario. So, I did the thing. I went to business school, graduated, and got a boring office job. I LOATHED office life. Then, in 2020, I was laid off from my corporate job due to COVID. I spent about 3 months looking for work; I sent out HUNDREDS of applications and didn’t have a single interview. I was so incredibly discouraged and started to think I was worthless to the workforce. Then, a family friend who knew I was struggling presented me with an offer to help me build up a business of my own in something I was already good at–marketing. I started as a social media manager/strategist and over the last 4 years I have evolved into a full-blown graphic designer and illustrator. I wish I had started my business straight after college, and not even bothered with the mainstream workforce. Hindsight is 20/20, however, and I am still grateful that I started the business even if it was a bit later than I should have.

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 currently own and operate two businesses. My main business is called Little Bug Media, LLC and I specialize in bespoke web design, brand design, and illustrations. My superpower is being able to get into the heads of my clients who are having a hard time articulating their ideas. I take pride in bringing the client’s ideas to life. I often get the opportunity to work with clients for years at a time, as my skillset is pretty vast if I do say so myself. I bring a unique perspective to the design space because not only do I love to create beautiful things, I dig deep into strategy-based decision-making. Nothing in my designs is by accident. Everything is geared toward increasing sales, leads, and making sure their brand is strong at every customer touch point.

I have always lived by the “how hard can it be?” mantra, which has pushed me to constantly learn new skills, practice, and add more tools to my toolbox. I am never satisfied and always hungry to learn, grow, and improve.

This year, though, I started up a second business (Cryptic Creative Co.). My #1 focus is to teach emerging designers how to go freelance or start up their own businesses. I post free, educational content daily on my Instagram that’s essentially a step-by-step roadmap to starting and running a design business. I also sell done-for-you templates that my followers can use to look like seasoned pros straight out of the gate with client work. It’s been a great new challenge and I am so grateful for the community that I have built so far.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The lessons keep pouring in every single day it seems! But the one that has been the most impactful to unlearn is that being an entrepreneur is an unstable career. I see how that myth has developed and stuck around, sure, but I also see how putting in the work and diversifying your income streams can make it even MORE stable than a “regular” job. Being an entrepreneur means you are constantly on your toes and adapting. You get skilled at rolling with the punches so if something isn’t working for you and your business you’re able to pivot. Also, you end up learning so many more soft skills when you’re your own staff. You wear many hats. When you have one job, one income, and you lose it (which seems to happen often these days), it can completely burn down your theoretical village until you replace it.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think the biggest thing that has built my reputation is my ability to communicate and make the client feel very comfortable hiring me. I prioritize open communication and make sure the client knows exactly what’s going on at every step and they are very involved in the process. I find things rarely go south with clients if everyone is up front with their boundaries and expectations. Clients just want to know what’s going on and not feel like they’re bothering you by asking. Pro tip: if they’re always asking, your communication may need some work!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.littlebugmedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crypticcreativeco/

Image Credits

All my photos and original work