Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lawanda Johnson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Lawanda , thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us about a time where you or your team really helped a customer get an amazing result?

There are so many! Customer service is so critical to my business. I have to gain the trust of all of my clients and form partnerships with them. Yes, I provide them with a service, but it goes beyond that. I am almost like a member of their team in a sense. I celebrate their wins and be there for them for their losses. I show up for their brand! But I digress.

To answer the question, I helped one of my clients with an official launch for her brand. This was fairly new in my career. She launched a business years previous with a brand management team and let’s just say, it did not go well. All of the money she invested just wasn’t worthwhile. So when it was time to do another soft launch, she contacted me through a referral. She was hesitant at first because I was “new” to the industry; however, those fears vanished after our first strategy call. The launch was successful, but that was not the highlight of the story. She thanked me for walking her through the process and taking care of her business with the utmost importance as if it were my own. First impressions are everything and I work hard to make good ones. Now as a result of that one connection, she has recommended me to her network and the majority of them are or have become my clients.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Lawanda J and I am the CEO of DESIGN BY LAWANDA J. I am a web and brand designer. I also provide social media management and consulting services for my business. I am based in Baltimore, Maryland and am blessed to have clients from all over. I offer branding, web design, and social media management services for small business owners and entrepreneurs. I love the work that I do.

I am introverted, but somehow I connect well with new people that I meet, especially my clients. I listen to their vision, concerns, and problems they face in their business and I offer them solutions and strategies to be successful and not burnout. Most of my clients wear all the hats and that can be so difficult. So it is important that I help them avoid that and work smarter and not harder. I’ve been there and know what my clients face when handling everything on their own.

Business did not start smoothly for me. There was a lot of imposter syndrome happening and I felt like I had not accomplished enough to land high-profile clients. But I didn’t let that stop me. I was initially a self-taught graphic designer. Thank you, Youtube University. Design was not the field I wanted to pursue. I stumbled into this career path. Initially, I wanted to be a young adult author. At the age of eight, I wrote my first creative story, and at sixteen, I completed my first novel. Writing was the best way to express myself because I was so shy and reserved at the time. Despite earning a Bachelor’s degree in English (Creative Writing), that career path fell flat.

I had a few writing and magazine internships, but I wasn’t hired by any of them. More and more I would get rejections from writing spaces. Since I was a child, this was the only path I knew. I was discouraged and felt like I wasn’t good at anything else. Then one day, I visited my undergrad college advisor just to catch up on things that were happening in my life. She told me I should go back to school. She suggested that I would excel in the Publications Design graduate program at the University of Baltimore. The program merged writing and design aspects. I was excited about it, but I wasn’t totally confident about the design part.

Since I received rejections from magazines, I created my own online music magazine called Limerence. In order to apply for the graduate program, I needed a design portfolio. So I created a print magazine (two editions) for my blog. I learned Adobe Creative Suite from Youtube and submitted my portfolio. I got in! Then from there, I gained the design skills to build confidence and started my freelance journey in 2013. It was a long journey. I earned my Master’s degree In Publications Design (Integrated Design) in 2018.

It is important to just stay motivated and sometimes let things come to you naturally. I am a big planner. At 18 years old, I had already mapped out my 10-year life plan. It’s funny how that went! I still have my 10-year plan in my closet and I giggle at what I wrote. But, I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason and that God places people in your life for a purpose. I am truly appreciative of my college advisor because she is the reason for this career path and the birth of my design business. Having a good support system is vital. I am grateful for mine.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media has greatly helped my business. That’s how I met all of my clients. I do not have the most followers, so I cannot speak on that. Plus, having a high follower count does not equate to clients or profits. However, the connections I made over social media shaped my business. 85% of my clients are referrals.

I would like to thank Jocelyn Noelle (The JAgency), Charles Gregory (We Talk Weekly/Image Consultant), and Tisha Crippen (Touch Management) and give them their flowers for taking a chance on me as a newly graduated designer. They believed in my talents even when I did not. And the three of them connected me to some wonderful clients with whom I am still in contact with. It just takes one person to see the vision, as well as the hard work and dedication that goes with it.

Make those connections. Social media is a networking gem. Use it wisely.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I gain new clients all from referrals. I am thankful for the partnerships I’ve made over the years. The work speaks for itself and it shows. Not only the work, but my personality, my brand loyalty and credibility are important too. I build trust with all of my clients because their business is like their baby–it has to be nurtured and properly taken care of.

My clients and I have an understanding and a good rapport. That is the thing I am most proud of. My clients feel seen and heard and most importantly, valued. I show them continuous support. My goal is longevity.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.designbylawandaj.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/designbylawandaj