We recently connected with Jonell Pollard and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jonell thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?

In the creative world I feel like people are more hesitant to support because there is no guarantee for success and if someone doesn’t understand the vision behind what you are trying to do their lack of understanding will make them question what you are doing. These times are hard and if you don’t have anything to back up what you are trying to do it’s hard to really ask for support. Sometimes strangers will support you before family and friends will. That is just the reality of it all. Thankfully in my case I have a supportive tribe behind me. I have always included those around me in my work whether designing something for a family or friend, or having them model in my pictures for whatever I am offering. My best suggestion is to just start, continue to create, show off your work, show who you are, and the support will come naturally and organically. The natural and organic following is what will get you 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?

My name is Jonell and I am what I like to call myself a creativepreneur. I am a graphic designer, a content creator, and I still work a 9-5 which I don’t think a lot of people talk enough about. My goal and mission is to help women plug into the boss inside them through designs for marketing, branding, and networking their business.

I got into design because at the time I felt there was a void and I saw that a lot of people were struggling to have their businesses look like what they envisioned in their heads. There were gaps in finding resources to better their brands. I decided to learn on my own how to help those in need of design services. I hosted events for businesses to showcase what they had to offer and it definitely bridged the gap between entrepreneurs and customers. In person events allow that personal touch and I love that. You get to see the passion behind the work and the products or services. I designed individual flyers for all the businesses who attended to promote themselves. There are so many levels to design with so many possibilities.

Through content creation, I help people see that they too can learn these skills and be successful while doing what they love. Entrepreneurship is hard work but so rewarding especially in design. Creating content gives you the opportunity to showcase your work and give a behind the scenes look to see something from the beginning to end and it truly is fulfilling.

I know a lot of people don’t talk about still working a 9-5 while working on their business but I think it is important to share that information. I use my 9-5 to fund my business until my business provides for me more than my 9-5 does. My 9-5 also provides comedic relief as well on my social media. I think some people leave too soon and then get stressed about bills. I fully support going all in on your business but in these times we have to be smart and be fully prepared for all things that can happen.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Pivoting has been a way of life for me as far as design goes. It is a tough industry and depending on the economy you have to pivot and move with the times. When I started out on my entrepreneurial journey prior to The Pink Plug, I made body care products, I made jewelry, I made tshirts, and so many other things. It wasn’t until I really sat down and said girl you are doing too much and people were confused because I offered so many things. I had to really be honest with myself and figure out what brought me joy, what was I passionate about, and what could I see myself doing and not get bored.

Once I prayed about it and realized that my goal is to help people I had to figure out how and I found the void in design. With every business endeavor, design was a major part for me and I had the most fun doing that. I noticed alot of people did not enjoy it and I gladly stepped up to the plate to offer that service.

Now I get to network and have conversations with people about their businesses, experiences, and just create a life I love. Trying out all these different businesses as I stated previously gave me the experience to design for so many other people.

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

What I think helped build my reputation within my market is the fact that I provide knowledge with what I do, customer service, authenticity, and word of mouth.

When I speak to my clients, I find often that they don’t understand what goes into designing and what they need to have prepared prior to even meeting with me. For example, something like professional photos in different orientations and layouts. Consultations are extremely important to insure the best results.
Customer service is key just as much as communication and comprehension. I truly show up for myself and my clients and that shows through my work.
Word of mouth has helped me a lot as well. People trust the people they know and once they know you and what you are capable of it’s a win from there on out.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thepinkplug.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thepinkplug_?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thepinkplug_?si=PJZm2CAbdbqFpqCH
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thepinkplug_?_t=8fhC72GPDLi&_r=1