We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kenzi Green a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kenzi, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
I was able to graduate fully self employed in 2019 with my bachelor’s in design. I only made $20,000 my first year as a full time designer & was able to get by utilizing the small savings I had created while freelancing in college.
One of the keys to creating a full time living as a creative is NOT giving up even when you have no idea how you’re going to pay your bills. I remember going a full month with ZERO clients but I kept pushing to create content, make blog posts, do passion projects, and ultimately anything that could attract my next client. A major milestone for me was investing $350 into a basic design course that same year. It was super scary because I wasn’t making much money but it was a total game changer that transformed my business & made me realize that making investments in your education as a creative is super important to growth.
From that point on I continued to raise my prices, seek out education, refine my process, and become a better designer. My average client project nowadays is around $10,000 and I get to teach other designers my same methods at The Brief Collective, my design community.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I got into design during High school & knew from that point on I would go to college to study graphic design. Once I got to college I soon realized that becoming a business owner was the right path for me and Kenzi Green Design was born.
I worked out of my dorm room until I graduated in 2019. I started out offering logo design, brochure design, and basically anything design related. Nowadays, my services are much more refined and I only offer the full brand & web design experience to my clients.
I primarily work with 6 & 7 figure female owned businesses to elevate their brand & help them stand out in the market. A lot of my clients find me through Instagram & TikTok.
I’m extremely proud of the fact I’ve been able to build a brand that not only attracts people interested in my. work but people who are interested in my personality. Many clients have shared with me that they hired me for both my personality & the work I do. It’s a great feeling to be able to work with clients that align with you on such a high level.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
A lot of people look at my social media and assume I have it “easy” because I’ve grown a decent sized following but it’s something that has taken me YEARS to achieve.
My first few years in business were very challenging as I watched other designers create design accounts & blow up practically overnight posting almost the exact same things I was posting about. At times I would feel defeated as I was working so hard to build my brand but not seeing those same results. That being said, I never gave up and once Instagram reels came out I had my first “big break” after years of posting almost EVERY single day.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
The Brief Collective, a design community & online school. This didn’t exist when I started my design journey & that’s why I helped create it. We, at The Brief Collective host bi-weekly design challenges & provide critiques in our Facebook group completely free of charge. This is something that helps designers build their portfolio & enhance their skill set as a designer. It also provides a place for design support & advice.
We even offer online design courses that cost a fraction of a college degree. We have courses for total beginners & more advanced designers ready to scale their design business. Our most advanced course teaches designers all the things I wish I had been taught during college.
Contact Info:
- Website: kenzigreendesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenzigreendesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KenziGreenDesign
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwHqV67gkJD8MSfI_OpnXlQ
- Other: https://thebriefcollective.com/course
Image Credits
Madalyn Yates Photography