We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chelsey McKenrick. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chelsey below.

Alright, Chelsey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success is such a relative term that is different for every person defining it. I feel that success should be measured by the amount of happiness that accomplishments bring to you rather than the dollar amount. Sure, money does factor in defining success but I don’t believe it’s the most important thing. I would rather be a happy person while accomplishing things instead of a money hungry person not caring about anything else except the bottom line. In my book it takes a balance of things to be successful. It takes drive, compassion, a strong belief in yourself and what your limits are and a mindset that is willing to be open and can pivot if needed. The willingness to pivot was something that came on full force for me in 2019 when I was diagnosed with AML (acute myeloid leukemia). I had to pivot in business while juggling treatment in a hospital room while still getting client work done for clients who I already was contracted with. Of course my clients were more than willing to put the project on hold, but I was determined to get the designs done. I’m in remission now, but I chose to pivot things in my business and to really allow myself the space to take a break if needed. I have a system that works and it allows me to be successful in my own way.

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 have been creative from the beginning. It started with making arts and crafts when I was a little girl. When I was a teenager I started scrapbooking memories and writing my own books. As a young adult I helped with catering events, decor and print design. As an adult I started to design invitations for all occasions. Creativity is something that has been a part of my life from the get go and I have always had a passion for it.

I decided to be my own boss and take the plunge and develop my own business. I had made contacts and relationships along the way and started talking to them about becoming my clients. Within the first month of being official, I had 2 big clients and another came shortly thereafter. I was lucky enough to have a startup business that took off with clients coming and going. I was able to stay home and take care of my son while working with my clients.

I started by taking on all kinds of projects and soon realized that I had a love for branding and all that went with it.

I decided to niche down to be a branding designer and therefore I only accepted projects for branding.

Whether my client’s are in need of a new brand for their small business, need just a few key brand design elements, or want to elevate their current brand, I have fully customized branding packages perfect for their small business needs. Everything from their logo, their marketing materials and their social media graphics, I can help them design a brand that communicates all the right messages to their ideal client.

The problems I solve for my clients by educating them on branding and the misconceptions that they may have heard. I help them navigate the world of branding and how branding can elevate their business and help to guide their ideal client to working with them or buying from them.

There are a few things that set me apart from other brand designers. One of them is that I don’t charge a premium fee for their original files. Those files, while they may not be able to open them, are theirs when they work with me. I provide them as part of the final files. Another thing that I do that some don’t is give a freebie with their brand identity. I provide my clients with a brand sheet that has all of their important brand information (color palette, typography, logo, etc.) so they have it if they ever need it. The final thing that sets me apart would be my customer service and attention to detail. I pride myself on going above and beyond for my clients and I want them to be happy. I treat all of my clients like they are family and I take great care in designing their brand as if it’s my own.

Something that I am most proud of is creating a business that I love that allows me to be present with my son and my husband. I love the life I have created — one that I can travel often, take mental breaks when needed and just enjoy life with my close friends and family who are always there for me.

The main things that I want potential clients to know about me is that I care. I care about their business and I want to design something great for them. I am there to help them understand branding, know the process of working with me and I am there to ask any and all questions they may have.

Another main thing is that I love life and I live it to the fullest! After my diagnosis, treatment and remission, I have continued to live life to the fullest, just a little more now. I love to travel and I have been all over the world. I love to read books and can get lost in a book so easily. My son and my husband are my world. I love them so much and I love doing things with them.

The final thing is that I love being creative on a daily basis. I get to design something for someone almost every day. When I’m not designing for a client, I create my own design briefs for made up businesses and design a brand that would be the perfect fit. Designing makes my soul happy and I will continue to do so for as long as I am able.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

A cancer diagnosis during the early years of your business can definitely show you how resilient you are. I started my business officially in 2016 and I was just getting my groove with my business and then a curve ball was thrown at me in 2018.

I had just celebrated the new year and on January 16, 2018, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. It was a shock to my system. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to still run my business. The beginning stages of treatment and the first round of chemotherapy, I was just trying to heal my body and get my health back to semi-normal ranges. My counts were all extremely low and it was a battle to get my counts back to a somewhat normal range.

You learn a lot about who you are when you are facing something as big as cancer. I learned that needles were no longer something that I needed to be scared of since I was poked and prodded on a daily basis. I learned to be my own advocate and to speak up if something didn’t sound or feel right. I learned that cancer wouldn’t break me and it wouldn’t end my story.

After three rounds of chemo over a course of 7 months, I was officially in remission on July 11, 2018. I’ve been in remission since then with getting checks now once a year after reaching my 6 year mark.

My business had to take a back seat during my treatment fighting cancer. But after everything started to get normal again, I decided to really hone in on my business and redevelop my business strategy. I hired a business coach to guide me through the process of redefining who I wanted to serve with my business.

I knew I wanted to continue serving my clients through designing their brands and I knew that I wanted to do more to help. I thought that by developing different social media branded series I could help my clients and potential clients to be armed with the knowledge they would need to work with a designer.

I also knew that I wanted to teach more so I created a freebie to do just that! This Build A Foundation Workbook freebie allows potential clients to really dive deep with their business to help with the branding process of their business.

I have taken everything that I have learned and I have now reached a point where I feel like I am on solid ground again with my business.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Whenever I finish a brand project with a client, I always make sure to send them a little gift as a thank you for allowing me to work with them. If they provide me with their birthday during the paperwork process, I like to send out a card to them for it. I also send out New Year’s cards for my business to all of my past clients, if I have their mailing address, so that they know that I am thinking of them. Something new that I will be doing is reaching out to them after a few months of working with them to see how the business is going and if there are any projects they need help with to nurture their brand. Any touch point that I can have with a past client, I want to explore it. I want them to know that I am here to help in any way that I can. By showing that I care, I hope that it shows that I would love to work with them again.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.double8designstudio.com/
• Instagram: @double8designstudio
• Facebook: Double Eight Design Studio

Image Credits
Casey Jade Photography