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

Jessi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

My path to building This Way to Fabulous was far from straight line – it’s more like a messy collage of heartbreak, reinvention, and a gut‑level refusal to quit.

I graduated college in 2007 with this very clear (and slightly rebellious) gut feeling: I am never going to work for a corporate firm. So, instead of climbing someone else’s ladder, I jumped in and started my first company—a tiny design and stationery studio that I ran out of a spare bedroom. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew I loved creating. Within a year, I’d added wedding photography to the mix. I became known for my eye for emotion and the way I could tell a story through imagery. Those years were electric—weekends full of weddings, stacks of custom invitation suites, and this addictive rush of watching an idea turn into something tangible that made people light up. I found myself quickly immersed in the wedding industry, building what would become a seven figure wedding empire.

But fast‑forward to 2016: while pregnant with my son, I retired from wedding photography to focus on our thriving stationery business… only to watch the entire print industry crumble as digital media and social platforms exploded. My business partner and I spent a year trying to save it before finally closing the doors on what had once been a seven‑figure company. It felt like my whole identity vanished overnight.

Then 2018 hit—and it became the hardest year of my life. A collapsed business. Post‑partum depression. My son was attacked by our dog the day before his first birthday, needing almost 100 stitches in his face. My high school sweetheart and then-husband walked away from our marriage. I was left shattered, emotionally and financially. For two years, I barely recognized myself, but I kept inching forward. I started saying yes to small brand photography projects just to keep going—and little by little, I started to feel alive again.

By 2020, I had signed my divorce papers on Zoom (thanks, pandemic) and finally began rebuilding. That’s when my mantra crystallized: “No one is going to do it for you.” I dove deep into personal development and started asking myself what kind of business would feel like home this time.

In 2021, I officially relaunched This Way to Fabulous with a mission that felt so much bigger than just me: to create a place of creative support for women to voice their dreams and unapologetically bring them to life. The momentum snowballed and suddenly we were a booming full‑service marketing agency with a growing team and exciting projects.

But with all success, comes curveballs including another gut check in 2024. I realized the label of “Marketing Agency” felt completely unaligned. I didn’t want to be another team taking money to churn out posts and ads when the clients truly weren’t ready for it—I wanted to help people build something that could actually stand the test of time.

I wanted to stop being part of putting bandaids on the wrong problems, so, after plenty of “let’s just burn it all down” conversations with myself, (as well as a reality-tv show stint for entrepreneurs – I competed on Season 17 of The Blox that is streaming now) I decided to pivot into to what we are today: a Creative Branding Agency laser‑focused on helping entrepreneurs build strong foundations before throw their resources into growth marketing.

We now have three core offerings—Photo/Video, Brand/Website, and Education—and we’re even bringing back our podcast, this time letting ourselves talk about what truly matters instead of what society says we should.

Why did I know this was worth it?
Because I’ve lived both sides. I know what it’s like to build on shaky foundations and watch it all crumble. And I know the unstoppable confidence that comes from clarity—when your brand, your visuals, and your message are in perfect alignment. I had the creative chops, the hard‑earned scars, and the proof from clients who walked away saying, “I finally feel like I know who we are and where we’re going.”

This isn’t just a business to me. It’s the culmination of every chapter—every late‑night hustle, every failure, every rebirth.
And that’s how I knew: if I could help others skip the heartbreak and build something that truly lasts, then all of it—the messy, winding path—was absolutely worth it.

Jessi, 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?

Hi, I’m Jessi Cabanin, and I help impact-driven entrepreneurs build mission/story led magnetic brands.

I’m the Founder and Creative Director of This Way to Fabulous, a Creative Branding Agency based in the Chicagoland area—but working with dreamers everywhere. I’ve spent the better part of the last 15+ years building, breaking, and rebuilding businesses in the creative space. My first company was a luxury stationery brand that grew into a seven‑figure operation in the wedding industry. From there, I became a sought‑after wedding photographer, known for capturing emotion and telling stories through imagery.

Those early chapters taught me two things:

I thrive when I’m creating and building alongside other passionate people.

A beautiful product means nothing if the foundation behind it is shaky.

What I do now:
Today, through TWTF, I specialize in helping entrepreneurs and small businesses stop spinning their wheels on marketing that doesn’t work and instead build magnetic brands from the ground up. We’ve evolved far beyond “just” design or “just” marketing. My agency now offers three core services:
• Photo + Video – Brand photography, story‑driven videos, and content that visually conveys your mission.
• Brand + Website – Identity design, messaging strategy, and sites that actually convert.
• Coaching + Education – Workshops, 1:1 training, courses, and a podcast that guide you to clarity and confidence in your brand decisions.

The problems I solve:
Most of my clients come to me after trying all the things—ads, social posts, funnels—without seeing results. They feel stuck, unclear, and burnt out from chasing trends.

I help them:

Uncover their brand’s core values and audience so they stop second‑guessing.

Translate that clarity into visuals, messaging, and experiences that feel aligned.

Create content and websites that attract clients instead of chasing them.

What sets me apart:

We’re not about quick fixes or cookie‑cutter templates. We believe in going deeper—asking the uncomfortable questions and building a Brand Compass that guides every decision you make. We’re known for our vibrant, bold design style and our ability to make branding feel less like a mystery and more like a powerful tool you actually want to use.

What I’m most proud of:

Honestly? That I’ve built a space that doesn’t just deliver a service—it transforms how people see themselves, as well as their business. I’ve watched clients go from discouraged to energized, from “I don’t even know what to post” to confidently saying “this is who we are.” That shift in their posture and their voice—that’s what lights me up.

And here’s the fun part:
In 2024, I had the wild privilege of competing on a reality docu‑series for entrepreneurs called The Blox. I’m not obsessed with the “being on TV” side of it—but the experience itself? Absolutely indescribable. Imagine a room full of 90 driven founders, cameras rolling, pressure high, and lessons flying at you faster than you can write them down. It cracked me open as an entrepreneur and reminded me how much I love being in spaces where ambition meets authenticity.

You can catch more of my unfiltered takes and founder stories on our podcast, talking about whatever we’re called to talk about, instead of what we think we’re supposed to.

And because life isn’t all strategy and branding: I live in the Chicagoland suburbs with my son and my boyfriend. I’m a total craft beer enthusiast (he brews, which is dangerous for my fridge space), and when I’m not building brands, you’ll probably find me on a spin bike, in a coffee shop sketching ideas, or laughing way too loud with my people.

At the end of the day, here’s what I want you to know:
We don’t just make brands look good—we build them to mean something, to feel like home, and to serve with clarity and heart. If you’re tired of guessing, tired of throwing money at marketing that doesn’t stick, we might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

YOLO – life is short—so let’s make it count.

After losing everything my comeback isn’t about creating something “pretty” just for the sake of it. It’s about the ripple effect. I’m obsessed with the idea that one conversation, one brand clarity breakthrough, one courageous decision can create waves far beyond what we can see.

Every time I help an entrepreneur find their voice, build a brand that feels like home, or step into a room where their energy actually belongs, I know that impact doesn’t stop with them. It carries into their clients, their team, their family. That’s what drives me—helping people create something that outlives a single launch or trend.

I’ve lost enough people close to me and lived enough life to know we don’t get unlimited chances. I’ve watched a seven‑figure business crumble, I’ve rebuilt after divorce, I’ve parented through chaos—and through all of that, one thing became clear: if I’m going to pour myself into something, it has to matter.

So my mission is simple but deep:
• Build brands that create impact, not just income.
• Find and fuel the right rooms—spaces with ambition, heart, and aligned energy.
• Remind people that they’re not too late, too small, or too broken to start again.

It’s not about the falls, its about getting up. It’s not about hustling harder. It’s about creating work that makes people feel something, do something, become something. That’s the heartbeat behind every project, every client conversation, and honestly—every decision I make as a founder.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Honestly? I’d say my reputation was built one genuine connection at a time.

I wish I could say there was some secret formula, but for me it’s been a mix of obsession, authenticity, and a whole lot of hot pink.

First and foremost, I am obsessed with client experience. Not just the deliverable, but how someone FEELS. From the very first DM or email to years after we’ve wrapped a project. I approach everything as a collaborative effort—this isn’t about “the customer is always right,” it’s about listening, co‑creating, and making people feel seen and heard through the entire process.

I also take the time to educate, not gatekeep. Whether it’s in a Zoom call, a podcast episode, or a random Instagram Story, I share the why behind what we do. That empowers my clients instead of making them dependent on me—and that kind of trust builds loyalty you can’t fake.

Another huge piece? I stopped trying to be someone else. For a long time, I worried about what people would think if I showed up fully as myself—loud, sassy, pink‑loving, energy‑obsessed me. The day I let that go was the day everything changed. Now people literally text me pictures of hot pink outfits, accessories, even strangers they see on the street because they think, “This is so Jessi.” That kind of brand resonance? You can’t buy it.

I’m also a big‑picture thinker to my core. I can zoom out and see where a brand fits into the larger story—not just the next campaign, but the legacy they’re building. That perspective lets me guide clients beyond quick wins, helping them make decisions today that align with where they want to be years from now.

And then there’s the fun, quirky stuff that somehow makes me unforgettable—like coining phrases during photoshoots (one day I yelled “Hey Girl Hey!” and now it’s a whole vibe), or buying random domains just because I might want them someday. (I own 25+ domains that go nowhere, but you never know when inspiration will strike!)

At the end of the day, I think what helped me build my reputation is that I’m people‑first, not ego‑first. I’m every client’s biggest hype girl, I celebrate their wins like my own, and I show up online and offline as the same person. That consistency builds trust—and when you combine that with an obsession for making people feel amazing throughout their experience, the right people can’t help but find you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thiswaytofabulous.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thiswaytofabulous/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thiswaytofabulous
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicabanin/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdhRPkWQWgcKrosnGPy4lng
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/ThisWayToFabulous/
  https://thiswaytofabulous.com/podcast

Image Credits

Hannah Schweiss Photography
https://thestudiochi.com/portfolio-hannah-schweiss