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

Fontayne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s talk about social media – do you manage your own or do you have someone or a company that handles it for you? Why did you make the choice you did?

I manage all of my own social media, it is one of my favorite parts of my business! As a graphic designer, I enjoy creating content on a daily basis. Creating for social media is such a fun and unique way to express who I am and my design style. Not only do I see social media as an important business tool, but another creative outlet I can enjoy. As a designer, I am very selective about what I put out under my brand and I like to have full control of what’s attached to my name. Aside from the content creation for social media, I also love the personal connections and interactions with new people and businesses you can discover. Finding like minded individuals and brands, starting a conversation and watching it evolve into a partnership is amazing. I personally have found new clients and new friends this way. I think some view the online space as intimidating place, but I’ve learned being authentic, showing up as yourself, and being a kind person can shine through and reward you.

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 background and context?

I am graphic designer and content creator with a background in marketing and social media. I graduated from SDSU with a degree in Graphic Design in 2014 and have been working as a designer ever since! My area of expertise is logo design, brand design and content creation. I love watching the evolution of a client’s dream come to life through the entire creative process.

Over the years I have worked with a variety of clientele, everything from fitness to real estate to tech start ups. Working with so many different industries has allowed myself to expand my creativity which keeps things fun and refreshing! I started freelancing full time at the beginning of the pandemic and have been fortunate to work with some amazing clients like Belmont Park, Marissa Charters and The Catalina Marine Society.

I think what sets me apart from others is that I am a very hands on designer! I want my clients to feel apart of the process every step of the way. Most graphic designers hide behind the computer all day and never share what they’re working on. For me, I am the opposite! I like to be very transparent with the everything. Want to see what I’m working on? Let’s zoom and share screens! The project is a joint effort and shared communication is the most important part. I like to fully emerge myself in my projects and by doing that stepping away from the computer is a must sometimes. Is the logo for a new location you’re building? Let’s meet and give me the grand tour! Are you in San Diego? Let’s grab coffee and chat about your vision!

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

My entire lifespan as a graphic designer, I have always done freelance on the side. Over the years I gained more clients, took on more projects and eventually the side hustle become a full time reality. I now work for myself and I wouldn’t change a thing. Not every day is sunshine and rainbows, the hustle is real, but I love challenging myself because it has opened so many doors for me and my business is thriving. Some of the major milestones for my business and personal brand have been: gaining Belmont Park as a client, being featured in several local news publications, and having an Instagram Reel video go viral and hit almost a million views.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part about being a creative is watching the full transformation of a project. Something that started out as simple as an idea sketched on paper and becoming a life size reality is amazing. When I worked with Belmont Park on their Belmont in Bloom campaign, I remember driving down Mission Boulevard and seeing the massive 20 foot banner across the roller coaster that I designed. Moments like that make all the late nights and hard work worth it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.studiosisson.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studiosisson/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StudioSisson
• Other: My personal blog: http://fontaynesisson.com/ My personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fontaynesisson/

Image Credits
Photography by Arielle Levy Photo