We recently connected with Em Deane Kelley and have shared our conversation below.

Em , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

Although relatable to some, my version of getting started isn’t the one that is mapped out on Pinterest or the one that you will find folks on social media selling courses or free guides for. In my younger years, I was always someone who had to have a plan when it came to my career. All of that went out of the window the moment I decided to start my own business.

For me, starting my own business meant committing fully to myself and the idea that the only option was to be successful. Before quitting my job, I really didn’t do many of the things that were “recommended” or that were deemed as safe – or even responsible really. I found it extremely challenging to take what I believed to be the “proper” steps to building a business while I was working somewhere else – it also felt so secretive and misleading to my employer (who I cared for deeply) which ultimately led me to figuring almost everything out once I gave my notice. Prior to quitting my job, I came up with a name for my business, purchased a domain and locked in the Instagram handle, but that was pretty much it.

Giving my notice at my job gave my brain permission to brainstorm and work on my business in a way that I could not before. I felt inspired and felt the pressure to build something meaningful and sustainable (for me, my lifestyle and the planet.) I am someone who I would describe as equal parts stubborn as hardworking, so telling people I was starting my own business was a way to go all in without second guessing myself or questioning my decision.

Up until this point, I had strictly worked for new and growing businesses which meant I had exposure to most parts of a business – sales, accounting, marketing, logistics, etc. This was huge in giving me a basic understanding in figuring things out on my own or knowing what resources/people to tap into for the questions that I had. Having friends running their own business was also an invaluable resource for sharing ideas, asking questions and soaking in their tips and expertise, shoutout to Holly Shankland and Megan Sahnow.

My biggest piece of advice is to give yourself permission to what feels right and authentic to you. Although some may claim to have the answers, there is no one size fits all guide to self-employment. If you are someone who needs to save up a nest egg to fall back on if your business does not work out, do it. If you are someone like me who wants to dive straight in, do it. Life as a business owner is a wave – hang on and enjoy the unpredictable ride.

Em , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Growing up in rural Maine, the outdoors has always been engrained in my DNA. After dipping my toes in a more urban lifestyle for college in New Haven, Connecticut, I wandered west to California. After self-proclaiming I was just there for the summer “until I figured out what I wanted to do with my life” , Truckee, CA has served as my home for the last decade.

Post college, I navigated my way through the outdoor industry as a marketing manager with a hand in events, design, e-commerce, partnerships and collaborations and social media – sounds exhausting, and to be honest, it was. My experience working for a new and quickly growing brand was invaluable in marketing, learning to build and manage an e-commerce website and building meaningful relationships. With an overwhelming amount of new skills, connections and dedication to the brand’s trajectory, I realized my creativity was slipping away and I no longer identified as a creative. Knowing I needed to make a change to take back my happiness and power as a creative, I quit my job, cashed in my PTO payout on a new mountain bike and dabbled with freelance work before starting a new role as a marketing manager. While I loved and believed in the brand, my taste of being a freelancer lingered and I began to wonder when or if I had what it takes to work towards my own dream rather than for someone else’s.

Two weeks after making my New Year’s resolution to start freelancing no later than August, I gave my notice at my job – once I committed to myself by writing it down, I couldn’t wait any longer to give self-employment a try. Life and timing are a funny thing – they don’t care or wait for anyone. Fast forward a couple of weeks into my new journey as a business owner and something happen that turned the world upside down. If I penciled it out, starting a business less than a month before the world shutdown for the pandemic would not have been in my business plan. However, I feel BEYOND fortunate that the timing worked out in a way I never could have imagined. I had the ability to bring a positive light to small business owners who were looking to bring creative solutions to their business during an extremely difficult time which in turn was directly helping them, their staff and their customers.

Fast forward four years later and my design studio, Locals Creative , continues to grow and evolve in a way that aligns with me and the folks I have the pleasure of working with. With a deep rooted love for design and nature, our services and giveback initiatives are a reflection to our personal and business values. Our services including branding, web design and miscellaneous design services. Currently, I am really enjoying diving more into illustration work which has been a natural shift the truly excites and inspires me.

When starting my business, I chose to plant my roots in the mountains to keep creative collaboration opportunities true to the nature that often inspires them. Through my work, I strive to use my business as a platform to advocate for community and environmental causes. I am proud to be a member of the Protect Our Winters Creative Alliance as well as serve on the Board of Directors for Slow Food Lake Tahoe. My commitment to advocating for the places and causes I love has led be to connect with likeminded business owners and creatives across the country as well as up into Canada. While their are so many incredibly talented graphic designers, my passion and dedication to the planet and my community are something that set me apart from others.

To keep my creativity thriving, I can often times be found working from the road, with a laptop sprinkled with dirt and close by to a trailhead or nature view to inspire my client, brand and personal work. Outside of the office, I can be found skiing, mountain biking, hiking and enjoying bluegrass shows alongside friends when I am not exploring the country from the comfort of our van alongside my husband and husky mix, Pico (pronounced Pie-Co).

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

A large reason for starting my business, was to keep creative collaborations in the mountains that often inspires them. Through working in the outdoor industry, I was shocked to find that many outdoor brands were either located far away from the outdoors or maybe were based in the mountains, but needed to seek professional creative services elsewhere. This opportunity to bridge this gap is something that initially excited me and still continues to.

As my business and I have grown and continued to evolve, this mission has grown into something much broader and deeper. As we enter in our third year as a 1% for the Planet Business Member, I strive to keep expanding our love for keeping our collaborations true and inspired by nature to also give back to causes that us and our clients care about. Through our latest initiative Designed for Nature, we invite our clients to choose from our suggested environmental partners or select one that most resonates with them from the #1pftp network for us to donate $100 to.

The outdoors has served as a constant backdrop to my life and inspiration to my work. To have the privilege of using my business as a way to give back and advocate for the places my clients and I love most is truly an honor and one of the reasons I do what I do.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being creative for a living is exciting, sometimes emotional, inspiring, challenging and rewarding. Alongside my design skillset comes a love for creative problem solving. There is something so special about having the opportunity to listen to fellow business owners open up to you about their challenges and have the ability to help them. Although many think the main ways we as designers add value is through our artistic skillset, it really comes from the ability to listen and leave our egos at the door to help our clients meet their goals. Capturing a clients vision and building a brand that reflects their values and connects them with their people (aka customers) is the ultimate reward as a creative!

Contact Info:

• Website: localscreative.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/locals.creative
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-deane