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

Jessica, appreciate you joining us today. How do you think about vacations as a business owner? Do you take them and if so, how? If you don’t, why not?

Absolutely. I think it is extremely important to take vacations, or staycations, or whatever you want to call it – just time away from work. It’s important to remember that however passionate we are about our businesses – we are more than just our work. Neglecting the other parts of who we are, outside of our jobs, is a sure way to end up burnt out and lacking in purpose. Taking time off to do something you love, or be with those you love, isn’t neglecting your business. It is a way to re-energize yourself so when you do come back, you can be fully present, full of life, and ready to tackle whatever is thrown your way. Building a business and a team that allows you to live a full life is a great way to set yourself up for longevity.

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?

I started doing work in graphic design around 2011, and honestly, I wasn’t really sure where I ultimately wanted to go with it. Mainly I think because I wasn’t quite sure what options were out there. My brother had been doing web design as a side hustle for a while, and eventually, in 2013 he gathered myself, and his wife, and talked about starting a design company – Sievers Creative. I had never really thought about entrepreneurship before, but this was one of the first times I had been truly excited about a future in design. We all worked full-time jobs while building our company up on the side, and eventually in 2017 we all made the jump to full-time at Sievers Creative. Shortly after hiring our first employee, and it just kept growing from there.

We now offer a full range of marketing and design services – we like to say we’re creative problem solvers, so if you have a need in marketing or design, we can help you with it. To give an idea of the range of services, here are some: web design, branding, digital and traditional advertising, marketing consultation, photography, videography, graphic design, social media management, and we even recently acquired a sign studio, so we can produce car wraps, murals, and all kinds of signage.

Out of all the projects we’ve produced, and the clients we’ve helped grow, I’m probably most proud of the team that we’ve created. At Sievers Creative we value each team member and want to see them succeed professionally, and personally. Everyone at our company is amazing in their own ways, and I’m lucky to see them all work together for the good of the company and the clients. And our team, that’s what sets us really apart – we actually truly care about helping our clients succeed. And we do our best work to help get them where they need to go.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Early in my career I really turned my nose up on using stock assets. I thought it was a low-brow way of doing design, and that my clients would be upset to know I had used stock graphics in their designs. Once I started really understanding the motivations of my clients, I realized there is a time and place for everything. I have some clients who just want to look professional and get business. They couldn’t care less about where I get specific graphics from. They want the end result to look good enough to bring more business in – without paying extraordinary fees. Although we always customize whatever stock assets we use, having those starting blocks allows us to create great designs for a reasonable price. However, we also have other clients who value unique graphics, photos, illustrations, and textures. They know more time is needed to create projects like that and they’re willing to pay the higher price.

I had to unlearn that the tools used are what give value to a design, and learn instead that the client’s goals are really what shape the tools we choose to use. As an artist we can choose any tools and use them to create great pieces of design that have the impact we want them to.

Any advice for managing a team?

The best advice for managing a team, and maintaining a high morale – is to care, and work to help them be successful. Get to know who they are and what matters to them. First and foremost your team members are people, and if you value them as people – you will automatically treat them better as employees. Also, understand their challenges at work and take it upon yourself to get them the tools, resources, and help they need to be successful at their jobs. Do they work better with collaboration, do they need detailed notes, or do they need the freedom to push back and ask questions on projects – find out how they do their best work, and meet them where they’re at.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sieverscreative.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sieverscreative/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sievers-creative/