We recently connected with Kathleen Fitzgerald and have shared our conversation below.

Kathleen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I’ve been on the move for many years, it may look like escaping at times, and I’m sure part of that is true, but when a situation isn’t working for me anymore, I pivot.

I left Texas at 18 and moved to California for school and a necessary change of scenery. I eventually found a passion for design and photography but at the end of my college years. I had only just begun my focused education, with little experience, so I took a risk and applied to grad school.

I made the next move and headed to New York — attended the prestigious SVA MFA program and was thrown into the world of design — the good, the bad, and the ego that came with it. I worked, every day, all day, through school, through missed doctor appointments, landed dream jobs, missed weekend plans, and quickly became part of the toxic work culture. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it most of the time, and learned so much in such a short amount of time. But eventually, I burnt out.

I had to make my next move. I had to go out on my own, it was my time to make my own rules and take ownership of my life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Kathleen Fitzgerald, I am a graphic designer, art director, and photographer based out of New Orleans and New York.

I love collaborating with clients and colleagues to make even the craziest ideas become a beautiful reality.

I believe in a world where everyone is welcome to experiment and play with no judgment, and where artists thrive. Where design is thoughtful, strategic, and fun. Where mistakes are welcome. A place to get messy. A place to connect.

I am currently working on opening a new studio space in New Orleans that I hope reflects that. You are welcome to stop by anytime.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media can be an icky place, it has this hold on most creatives. It leads us to compare, it makes us second guess ourselves, and it can leave us uninspired.

I still struggle with all of these but try to remember that comparison destroys personality. When I put myself out there in a more authentic way, that’s when I get the most engagement, the most inquiries, and the most work.

Diving into social media with this intention consistently has been one of the biggest growth factors for me and my business.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Photography was always something I did in college but I didn’t realize it would become such a big part of my career. Two Studios was born out of my love for both design and photography, and how these two worlds, which I kept separate for so long, became more powerful when combined.

When I first started shooting I only did it for myself; I loved walking the streets of New York and documenting what I saw. The little moments amongst the hustle, I still love that.

Back to social, and how sharing can be such a valuable tool — once I started posting photos I started getting inquiries. I had never done weddings before and had requests to shoot them. I had never done commercial or editorial shoots but had requests to shoot them. Portraits, families, products. I just kept saying yes.

And after years of learning and saying yes, I am in a place where I can actually say no, and go after work that really fulfills me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.twostudios.com
• Instagram: @two.studios / @kathleen.fitzgerald
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/kathleenmariefitzgerald/