We were lucky to catch up with Desi & Angelina Butler recently and have shared our conversation below.

Desi & Angelina, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

It all really began in 2016 when we met through an online dating app. Immediately, we knew we were both creative and ambitious individuals. We had also shared with each other that, from a young age, we both knew we wanted to be successful business owners. Despite our dreams, we continued to work for other businesses as the years dragged on and on.

Before we knew it, it was 2019 and we were still just going through the motions. There was an emptiness that we felt. In fact, we realized that we had become stagnant and, if we wanted to break out of our rut, a drastic change needed to be made. It was time to take a chance and finally start fighting for our happiness. True happiness, to us, meant doing something that made a difference in our lives, as well as the lives of others. We wanted to pave a new career path that allowed us to inspire smiles daily, challenge ourselves creatively, and uplift our community.

It didn’t take long before we knew the perfect industry we wanted to establish ourselves in; we set our sights on becoming brand development specialists. We knew this was ideal for us because we get to put our design skills to work, do something we love every single day, and best of all, help others find their own success and happiness. We were ecstatic and couldn’t wait to get started. Needless to say, that was much easier said than done. Obviously, neither of us had been business owners before and, not to mention, we were doing it all by ourselves with no one else’s assistance. Talk about scary!

In August 2019, we both quit our cozy, little corporate jobs and dove, head first, into the unknown. It may seem crazy, but as soon as we came up with our business name, PRYDE Designs, we both knew we were going to do whatever it took to make it. There is so much power in a name. Even though there were many sleepless nights and countless life lessons to be learned, we persevered. Sure, there were times when we were barely keeping our business afloat, but those are the moments that made us stronger and more resilient in the long run.

We always knew that starting our own brand development business would be worthwhile the endeavor because it is an opportunity to change the world, one business at a time. We finally feel we are being true to ourselves and that is what made it totally worth the risk. We knew in our hearts that this was going to work because we had the dedication, the drive, and the passion to see it through.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

PRYDE Designs is an award-winning, women-owned brand development agency that specializes in web design, marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), advertising, social media management, custom logo design, branding and more.

Having always worked under other people and experienced, firsthand, inequality and gender discrimination in the workplace, we wanted to create our own legacy of unity and equality. PRYDE Designs is not just a brand development and web design agency – it is an open space for people of all walks of life to come together and build one another up through ingenuity, originality, and artistry. Although we are a (newer) business, we know exactly who we are and who we strive to be. Our top priority is helping small business owners build or reinvent their brand identity in a way that brings them success, financial freedom, and an overall better quality of life.

We help small businesses build a comprehensive brand identity and get the exposure they need to capture and convert more paying customers. We’re happy to work with both service and product-based industries, as well as non-profits.

We understand the science and psychology behind building a successful brand. We offer complete brand kits that include custom logo concepts, premium fonts, refined color palettes, business card designs, brand style guides, and social media graphics. We design and build custom websites that are eye-catching and functional on all devices. Our team uses professional design software to create custom graphics that can span from logos all the way to full vehicle wraps. We develop and implement unique marketing, SEO, and social media strategies that establish brand recognition, generate leads, and drive website traffic.

Above anything else, we’re known for the quality of work we put out, in addition to the love and care we put into each and every project. We really do take PRYDE in what we do. Although we are up against companies who have been established for more than 15 years, we are getting the PRYDE Design’s name out there and local businesses are taking notice of our zealousness for creative web design and brand development.

Our driving force is not simply our own success, but the success of the businesses, small and large, who continue to trust us with their vision. From the beginning, we have poured our hearts into every project and it is our promise to never lose that special spark of intensity (or insanity?) that sets us apart from every other web design company out there. At PRYDE Designs, we are proud of the work we do, we are proud of what we stand for, and we are proud of believing in a better future for ourselves and others.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

This is a fun one! In our first year in business, we were really trying to figure out our perfect sales technique. We knew we were likeable and honest, we knew we were passionate, and we certainly knew we had the talent…but how could we possibly sale ourselves on all of those qualities to a complete stranger, let alone someone who is supposed to trust us with their business?! It took us a while to register that our first mistake was overthinking. We found that people don’t want a sales pitch, they want genuine and informative conversation. Once we came to that realization, we were able to be our authentic selves with prospective clients during calls and meetings. It didn’t take long before our company’s sales went up dramatically, as well as our confidence in ourselves and our business.

Fast forward another year and we get a call from an individual looking for web designers for a new website build. During the initial phone consultation, we learned that this particular web design project would be the largest one we had ever come across. Before that day, we had quite literally only dreamt of being awarded a project so big.

Of course, the first conversation went well. Eventually, we were scheduled for a second interview with members of the board, followed by a third meeting, and finally, a fourth. With the vast scope of the project, it makes sense that they wanted to be as thorough as possible and they were always transparent about the fact that they were talking / interviewing several other web design candidates. After our last meeting with them (and the meetings usually went on for hours), they informed us that we would be hearing back from them with their decision within a week or so. Around that time, it was the anniversary of six years that we had been together. We decided that there was no better place to commemorate our love than in Las Vegas! We hopped on a plane to the city of sin and had just made it to our hotel when we received a call. One look at the caller ID and our hearts sank – it was them with the answer! We each took a deep breath, held hands and braced for the impact. With a subtle shakiness in her voice, Angelina said, “hello” and before we knew it, the client was telling us that we had won the project! Not only that, but we had come out on top of 9 other interviewees. Once we heard that, it was like in the movies where we were jumping up and down enthusiastically, throwing our hands in the air, and doing goofy dances, but we couldn’t make a noise because they were still on the phone talking. After the client hung up, we stared at each other in silence for almost a minute and then screamed out with joy. To this day, that is a moment we will never forget, because it moved our business into a higher tier. We truly needed to win that project to solidify our belief in ourselves as caring and devoted business owners. Not only did we work our you-know-whats off to get that W, but we did it in the best way possible – by being our sincere selves. We had grown as a whole and as individuals, we had gained without gimmicks, and we had come out victorious. To make it even better, we got to celebrate in Vegas!

You just know we were feeling lucky and decided to head down to the slot machines (where we won absolutely nothing)…haha!

Any advice for managing a team?

The advice we have for managing a team and maintaining high morale is simple: just be good to people! We know you’ve probably heard this hundreds of times growing up, but it still applies today (especially when it comes to business) – treat others as you would want to be treated.

As business owners, we 110% care about our PRYDE Design’s team members. You could even say we are more like a little family. Above anything else, our top priority is to set everyone up for success. It begins with making them feel that they are valued and respected. Unlike (sadly) most company’s, we do not rule with an iron fist. As a matter of fact, we operate with compassion and understanding. Some examples of how we manage our team are: 1) When our employees need time off for personal or mental health reasons, we are happy to oblige. 2) When they come to us for advice, we jump at the opportunity to provide it. 3) When they are struggling, instead of criticizing, we offer more training. 4) This is the most important one – we always make it a point to let them know that they are doing a great job and they are appreciated. We can’t emphasize the importance of doing this enough! Showing gratitude and acknowledging their hard work is the best way to maintain high morale.

In this day and age where everyone seems more on edge, a bit of kindness and humanity goes a long way. In our case, we give way more than “a bit”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.prydedesigns.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prydedesigns/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prydedesignsco
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pryde-designs/

Image Credits
Christian Butler