Like so many others before me, I started out as a solopreneur doing graphic design and HTML website coding (I’d taught myself to code to be competitive a couple of decades ago, after getting my BFA in Communication Design). I had decided at that time that I would say “Yes!” to every job that came in the door. Then, to grow my network and gain professional knowledge, I joined the LA chapter of NAWBO — National Association of Women Business Owners. By this time (2010) I’d already grown my business to two part-time employees, but hadn’t really scaled yet. After what I learned from fellow women business owners in NAWBO-LA, my business really started to grow — I got such great, hard-won advice. I couldn’t keep up with my invoicing, so I hired a bookkeeper, and then a CPA. I was chatting with one of my NAWBO colleagues who was a financial planner that I needed to hire my first full-time employee, and she suggested I make my business, Lentini Design & Marketing, an S-Corp. That way, I’d be able to offer healthcare, retirement benefits, etc to full-time staff. Even though it was scary to do both things, I did, and it really paid off. To continue to scale, I then hired an HR team to help me bring on additional hires in a compliant and smooth way. I also instituted weekly meetings with the team, and created a climate where when one of my staff really sparked to a project or a client or a new idea, I ensured they were empowered to follow it through. All this allowed me to scale efficiently, thoughtfully, and effectively.

As a child, I was always designing fonts, drawing designs for t-shirts, painting, etc. Then when I went to college for architecture, I discovered graphic design, which I realized was my true calling. I earned a BFA in Communication Design graphic design degree). I went right into a career then, designing brochures and recruitment materials for the University of Illinois at Chicago I parlayed that experience into designing for promotional advertising firms, and really honed my skills in marketing and advertising then. Once I moved to Los Angeles, I focused on working for myself and building my firm: Lentini Design & Marketing, Inc. We message our clients’ “Magic” in whatever channels needed to find their audience. We’re more than strategists, creatives, writers, graphic designers, digital advertisers, and programmers. We have extensive knowledge in marketing and messaging, bringing that to bear in all that we craft for our clients. We will always suggest new ideas, always push back on concepts you take for granted, and always be dedicated to making the solution as strong as possible.