We were lucky to catch up with Kathleen J. Shields recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kathleen J. thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
My Grandfather always said, “If you love what you do, it will never be work”, and he was right. When I was in school, I was under the assumption, thanks to my parents, that I could ONLY become a doctor, lawyer, engineer or secretary. There was no other job… and secretary was what you became if you didn’t go to college and become one of the other three options. Spending my summers in the office with my mom, who was a secretary, taught me many of the skills I have today, but it also taught me that I did NOT want to become a secretary. Not that there is anything wrong with administrative work, it just wasn’t what I wanted for my life. Of course, the same could be said about the other three professions. I would not want the responsibility of having someone’s life in my hands. I would not want to be the attorney that so easily lies (nor could I). And I was never very good with math, so engineer was out, as well. When I graduated, I found myself in a minimum wage job, but it was one of the best decisions I made. Looking back on it, working for PostNet (and later Mail Boxes Etc.) I learned life-skills that led me into the profession I am in today. Let me explain. While yes, the majority of that job was packing and shipping, we also did printing. Since we did printing, we’d often have customers come in with an idea that they needed help putting to paper. That is where graphic design came into play. Through that job, I learned many design programs and techniques. I learned styles, layout and many other things necessary for that industry. So, when I finally left that job, as a manager, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life; Graphic Design.
Jump ahead a little, I actually became a designer for a prominent printing company. The catch was, I was back to minimum wage while they charged their clients nine times the amount for my services. When you realize someone else is making money on YOUR talent you begin to realize that maybe you could do better on your own. That is when I started my own Graphic Design business.
Was it easy? No! Was I able to pay my monthly bills in the first month – oh heck no! But marketing that business taught me other skills, like website design – THAT paid the bills. The story is extensive but the premise is; when a new company needs a website, they tend to be business start-ups. Start-ups that seek complete branding solutions like custom logo, business cards, flyers, advertisements, banners, decals, etc.
Did that satisfy me, though? Not completely. You see, I was an only child of a single mother and summers were downright boring! To keep myself entertained I wrote stories. I guess I was always meant to be an author, but that was not even considered a profession (in my family’s eyes). So, when the time was right, and inspiration hit, I decided I want to publish a children’s book. However, during that era, publishing companies were ‘retooling’ and focusing on ebooks. The rejections rolled in. Did I give up? Nope. I studied, trained and became my own publisher. Is there a stigma with that? Yes. But with the knowledge and experience I had acquired over my lifetime, I was able to present new, creative and out-of-the-box solutions to my future authors that have really set me apart from the others. And no, I never intended to publish other authors, just myself, but isn’t that how it goes? When people see someone successfully doing what they want to accomplish they gravitate towards that person in hopes of benefiting from their experience and know-how.
I think to answer the second part of your question, do you sometimes wish you had a regular job, I’d have to say yes and no. When Covid hit in 2020 I did not find my life change in the slightest. I still worked. I still paid my bills with the money I was making and I did not have any downtime. I was not able to bring in unemployment or whatever others were able to do while they awaited their jobs to open back up again. I did not get sick pay. I did not max out my credit cards. I did not take out any loans. I did not have a ton of free time on my hands but I DID keep the status quo. It did make me realize that if something happened to me, or something killed my industry, I would not have anything to fall back on… but I do have my knowledge, my experience, and my out-of-the-box creativeness to come up with the next plan. To be a small business owner you need that kind of spunk and bravery to face the unknown with your head held high. It’s not an easy journey, but someone once said anything worth doing, is worth doing well, and that is something you can take to the bank.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a creative. I have a highly active imagination and a can-do positive attitude. From an early age I wrote stories and poetry. In my teens I began decorating, printing and sharing my poems utilizing graphic design before I even knew what it was called. My early jobs taught me skills I could apply to my future business even though my future plans hadn’t been formed yet. And the situations in my life forced me to come up with various inventive ways to survive in this world. I am a graphic designer who excels at photo manipulation and complete business branding for all walks of life.
I am a website creator who builds eye-catching, easy to navigate websites for all industries, written for humans but crawled by robots.
I am a book publisher, utilizing my graphic skills for cover design, interior text flow and marketing.
I am an author of 23 years with nearly 40 published (many award-winning) books and a dozen more with my name in the byline as developer. I write children’s inspirational and educational books and I am often found out in nearby communities at weekend events and festivals selling my books.
And I do all of this utilizing my God-given talents and the skills that were self-taught, that all flow together, combining multiple industries. I love brain-storming with future authors in story development and flow. I love working with a new business owners in designing their custom logo that would be implemented into all of their future marketing material. When I see their success, I feel I have succeeded as well. I am leaving a legacy of love and creativity that would not at all be possible if I stifled my energies by working as a pawn in a larger corporation. Sure, some months are slower income-wise than others, but like my Grandfather always said: “If you love what you do, it is not considered work.”
I play every day and get paid for it. Shouldn’t we all feel the same way?
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Word-of-mouth advertising is truly the most effective form of advertising on the planet. That is due to the fact that you have had to prove yourself and your talents and excel beyond the client’s expectations. You’ve done a task that your clients feel so impressed by that they feel inspired to mention your name. THAT is when you know you’ve done a good job. When I get a call, out-of-the-blue from a new potential client and I ask how they heard me; when I hear they came as a referral, my heart smiles. With graphic design, with website creation, from new potential authors and especially with online book reviews, a word-of-mouth referral is like receiving an annual bonus multiple times throughout the year. It lets me know I have done my job well and it is a whole lot cheaper than google ads!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
With my particular circumstances, my ‘market’ is wide and extensive. When my phone rings or my email chimes I never know what talent, I am being called to apply. Within the author arena, my reputation tends to stand out primarily at book festivals. My setup is bold and grand. With the number of books I present, my heightened display, the fact that a decade ago I had to think-out-of-the-box in order to present my books in a way to attract the public and not overwhelm them… when other authors see this and inquire about ways they could do the same. When I see someone who has implemented the designs I showed them, I take that as my acknowledgment of a job well done.
When a new potential author contacts me for help publishing their book, I am able to provide them multiple ways to accomplish that task. If they just want help with text flow and cover design and some guidance towards self-publishing, sure, I can help you do that. If they want to know some of the ins and outs of the publishing industry and how best to approach traditional publishers, sure, I can guide you a few ways. And if your story has the kind of oomph that I feel would do well in the world and the author has the drive necessary to market it properly, I may even offer to publish it for them. All I have to do is pick a hat to wear. People know this, and those referrals open many doors.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kathleenjshields.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenjshields/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.kathleenjshields/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleensbooks
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathleenjshield
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/KathleenJShields
- Other: www.kathleensbooks.com www.kathleens-graphics.com www.eringobraghpublishing.com
Image Credits
Author Kathleen J. Shields reading to or showcasing her work to children.