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

Elise, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

In February 2022, I decided to leave my job as the receptionist/purchasing agent for a local school and work with a friend of mine who is a realtor as her admin. Leading up to this decision I had been working with her part-time doing some social media management. Several years before this, I started a blog and so managing social media accounts was something that I was able to easily jump into. During this time I also built my first website (my blog) on WordPress and then built a second blog on Squarespace some years later. I did all of this while taking care of a newborn at the time and completing a master’s in psychology.

Even so, somehow with an MS in Psychology, I ended up as a receptionist and knew that it was a temporary situation. I wasn’t exactly sure what creative direction I wanted to head in but knew that a job in Psychology wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do with my life any longer. After going back and forth for some months I decided to leave my job and take a chance on myself.

Soon after this, another friend of mine asked me to build a website for his fairly new landscaping business. I hesitantly decided to do it. I knew that I could build websites but building one for someone else was new territory for me. I was so nervous that I might screw it up! Well, fortunately, I did not screw it up and my friend was pleased with the website design. Fast forward to now, I have officially started my new web design business, Webz by Elise. I don’t think I would have ever taken this idea seriously if I did not leave my job.

Elise, 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?

My name is Elise and I’m an up-and-coming web designer born and raised in Baltimore, Md. Creating something from nothing has always come naturally to me. I thoroughly enjoy the process of designing a website from scratch. My academic background is in psychology. Using my knowledge about human behavior as a tool in my design has made it possible for me to design with the user experience in mind.

Since 2019, I’ve been working with the Squarespace platform via my blog Relax Cook & Decorate. Previously, I designed my first blog website in 2016 on WordPress. Blogging was my introduction to the world of web design. I built and maintained my first and second blogs, although I did have a webmaster for a short period on my first blog.

In 2022, after creating a website for a friend’s small business I decided to seriously pursue offering web design as a service and obtained a certificate in Introduction to Web Development hosted by UC Davis via Coursera. I enjoy the process of coming up with a plan for the design and working with the client to create their vision. Experiencing their excitement at the final result is also an added bonus!

I have also managed a few social media accounts for some local businesses in Maryland since 2021. This work has aided me in expanding my graphic design and short-form copywriting skills. Ultimately, I’ve decided to build a web design portfolio with the end goal of offering web design services to small businesses and content creators for an affordable price.

Services include web design/re-design/maintenance, copywriting, and logo/graphic design.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best sources of new clients for me (although I have just started my business) have been word of mouth and social media. Being able to freely advertise on social media is a game-changer that I think many businesses overlook, sadly.

Clients sharing their positive experiences with their family and friends has also been extremely helpful and much appreciated. At the end of the day, a person will most likely take a referral from someone they know–especially if they’re really in need.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I recently turned 40 and as a result, I think, have become more focused on what my legacy looks like. Building something I am proud of that helps others in some way is always the goal.

However, the goal driving my creative journey is freedom. Being able to live a balanced life where I can work and take care of my personal responsibilities is priceless. Being more intentional about where my attention goes, regarding my work, has helped me to achieve this sort of professional freedom that I am very thankful for. It’s still a journey though, so it’s definitely ongoing!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.webzbyelise.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/webz.by.e/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elise-elbourne-a53184130/