Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Heather Taylor. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Heather, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
The mission behind O’Bryan Designs comes from a place of helping as many women business owners succeed. O’Bryan Designs was created in 2005, as a custom graphics company who specialize in business advertising. One business at a time we want to help uplift our community as well as the community of other women business owners. O’Bryan Designs offers via our website: (www.obryandesigns.com click Local Business Thursday) a “Local Business Thursday” which is a FREE 4×4 digital ad for any business. One is picked each month, we create a digital ad at no charge and feature that business on all our social sites as well as our website. This is how we stay connected with both community and women business owners, helping to keep money within our community and to help promote local buying! If you are interested in being featured, please go to our website and submit your inquiry. You will be notified when your business is chosen.
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?
O’Bryan Designs was founded in 2005 as a custom graphics company specializing in business advertising and promotions, my name is Heather Taylor and I am the owner and head graphic artist. We have done work for celebrities such as Rap icon Future and reality star and producer A1 also known as SPRNGBRK with there Collab “Mushrooms” currently streaming all platforms, also reality TV star Ms. Hazel E from Love n Hip Hop for her podcast found on Youtube “You’ve Been Hazed”. We offer digital and print graphics all custom and original work. There are a lot of so-called graphic artist that copy work from google that may not be talented enough to come up with original ideals, researching your marketing company is a must! O’Bryan Designs will not sell their customers short, as we offer custom and original work always! I will say “If you start strong you will end strong” keeping your marketing to one designer/company helps to keep your marketing consistent and cohesive in matching throughout. Some feel they can do their own graphics but in reality they are only depreciating their brand, as designing takes schooling, skills and formulas to help to catch the audiences attention and keep them interested. We offer a no-charge consultation via in-person or virtual to go over all the clients wants and needs. We will ask the client to bring examples and screenshots of designs they really like, this is to help us get in the head of our clients. before starting production of design O’Bryan Designs will carefully research the field and marketing currently being used in that field of work. From there all communication will be virtual to help in deciding the final outcome. In the world of design, graphic artist normally only give a client 2-3 changes but O’Bryan Designs are different in the fact that our clients have unlimited changes (within reason) to get that look our clients are envisioning. We strive in delivering amazing customer service and keep our clients coming back and referring us to other business owners. Our work has been featured in magazines such as women ran “Advance Magazine” located in Detroit,MI also our work has graced the billboards of Time Square for the song cover “Mushrooms” SPRNGBRK featuring Future, and even Eastern Michigan University servicing business within such as: Starbucks, Wendys, Subway and JP Morgan Chase Bank. O’Bryan Designs is a proud women owned and operated business that puts women 1st and helps women to become a successful business owner helping one business at a time! They say you have seconds to catch your audiences attention, be sure to choose O’Bryan Designs for all your advertising needs!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
The lesson I had to unlearn as a business owner was to not compare myself to others in my field. Remember that you are only as good as the time and consistency you put into your business. Sometimes when we compare ourselves to other business owners in the same field, we tend to think down on our accomplishments and feel overwhelmed to do way more than what we are ready for. Don’t get me wrong, looking at other business owners and their accomplishments helps to set a goals for our business but their is no rule book on when and how you should achieve those. Please note that every business owner has different obstacles in life and your path is unique to you! Some things to do to help you see how far you have came is to:
– NEVER compare yourself or business to another
– create beginning year goals and cross them off as you accomplish them.
– create a visionary board to help in keeping your eye on the prize.
– Know that consistency is key and excusing wont push you further.
– Do the number, meaning if you need to make $10,000 in a month, then break that up into weeks, then days to know
exactly the financial goal you need to reach.
– Don’t take offense, but take notes on client feedback, they will tell you exactly what they are looking for.
– STAY FOCUSED!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My journey has been a trying one, but rewarding at the same time. I am a firm believer that “Everything happens for a reason”. I was only 17 years old giving birth to my 1st child, had to quit school and work fulltime to provide. I wanted way more out of life and I was determined to not become a statistic of society. I completed my GED and enrolled in my local community college to begin my goal of becoming a graphic artist and business owner. During my community college years I also gave birth to my daughters who are 2 years apart, while still finishing my Associates Degree in Applied Science and received a certificate in Graphic Design. It was just after completing my Associated Degree that I opened O’Bryan Designs. Not knowing full-circle what a business takes to be successful I had many trial and error moments, but it’s in these moments you find out how bad you really want something! I then transferred to Eastern Michigan University and completed my Bachelors in Communication Technology in 2020 all while running a graphic business from home. I am pleased to say O’Bryan Designs now has over 120 clients and run my business fulltime as well as working to complete my graduate degree in marketing. Being resilient to me means not giving up when things get hard, but coming harder because you want it that bad! Creating those goals and crossing them off, not paying attention to the naysayers, and creating a plan that works within your reality. If you want something bad enough, nothing can stand in your way but yourself! Show the world that you were made for this! 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.obryandesigns.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/obryandesigns/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-taylor-8938bb101/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@obryandesignsllc2013/videos
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/o-bryan-designs-whittaker
- TikTok: @obryandesigns