We recently connected with Leanna Viers and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Leanna, thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Naming my sign business was definitely one of the first big decisions I had to make as an entrepreneur. There are those rules that you want to follow, like, “make it simple”, “clarify your services”, and “keep it professional”.  So with those rules in mind, there are the obvious names like “Signs by Leanna” or “Altadena Signs”, but I was always impressed by folks who could come up with something punny or cheeky, and I didn’t want to have my name be specific to a region. With all of that in mind, I also thought, “How do I set myself apart and attract the kinds of businesses with whom I’d like to collaborate?” Well, knowing that the sign-painting industry has been male-dominated, I wanted to make it clear that I am a female-owned business. I was told that may deter some clients, but if that’s true, I don’t want that kind of client anyway. I also wanted my name to allude to my background and my history.. I thought,  “Well, my uncles back in Hawai’i would call all of us female cousins ‘honeygirl’.”   I always thought that was so endearing and so specific to growing up in Hawai’i.
And, here I am now as “Honeygirl Signs and Designs.”  I like that it clearly states that I craft signs, perform graphic design, and I run a female-owned business.  It also has a nice little nod to my childhood. Done!

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.

I am a graphic designer and sign painter based out of Altadena, CA. I specialize in custom designs and hand-painted signage for the greater Los Angeles area.  I started Honeygirl Signs and Designs in 2020 after a career as a research scientist in the San Francisco bay area that spanned 15 years.

I have always had a hankering for creative pursuits and had taken various art classes in my spare time, but I never felt confident enough to make the leap to a career as an artist full time.   But once my family made the move to Los Angeles for my husband’s career, I thought, “Here’s my chance.” So I started taking classes at  ArtCenter where I learned graphic design fundamentals, and I was lucky enough to get a freelance gig through one of my instructors. Then the pandemic hit, and our lives were put on hold. With a newborn and a toddler at home I couldn’t do anything but child care, and I felt like I was losing my mind, like I was losing my sense of self separate from my kids. All it took was a chat with my therapist, and for her to remind me that I had mentioned the sign graphics course offered by LATTC.  She encouraged me to give it a chance.  Serendipitously, they were starting online zoom classes to accommodate their students during the pandemic. I enrolled and got to learn the fundamentals of sign painting, and priceless tips and tricks from legendary Doc Guthrie and Carlos Aguilar. I will forever be grateful that they opened up their classroom to us during that time and that I got to learn from Doc before he retired. The timing was just perfect.

The one thing that I think was the best advice I learned from Doc was to just get the job, go out and get the gig, and that he and/or Carlos would be there to help once we got it. Knowing I had that kind of support in my back pocket inspired me to get my first gig after just a couple months of class. And up until today, I know that I just have to get the gig, and then we’ll figure it out.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a freelance artist is the entrepreneurial aspect. Everything from top to bottom of my business only works, only happens, if I make the effort. Coming from a corporate industry, there is a freedom that comes with being a cog on a wheel: You can pass off a lot of responsibility to your superiors and your coworkers. You’re not the sole decision-maker and the company’s success doesn’t fall on your shoulders. But at the same time, as a part of the larger organism, you’re always fighting for recognition and visibility.  You’re competing with your coworkers to get on that high-profile project, to get that good review, to get that raise, or title, or promotion.

As the principal artist and owner of my design business, I can walk down Mariposa Street or Lake Avenue in Altadena,  and know that I contacted that business owner to get that gig, I thought of that design, I made that sign and got paid.  All on my own. It is truly rewarding to see my effort, from beginning to end, pay off.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One big thing that I had to unlearn was that this is just a hobby! Having graduated with a degree in chemistry and spending 15 years of my life in the lab made it hard for my brain to accept that I’ve changed careers.  I would sometimes look at lab job postings and consider applying “just in case”.  That was my kind of sad security blanket.

Fast forward to the WGA and SAG strikes this summer, and suddenly my husband was out of work.  We were getting worried about money and I thought, “Well, one of us needs a ‘real’ job.” I applied for a lab position and revisited my  “just in case” security blanket and got an interview at a venerable pharmaceutical company. But at this point I had been out of the lab for 6 years. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t have all the answers to their very specific questions. But to be honest, I didn’t try very hard. My heart wasn’t in it.  I think the interviewers picked up on that. And lo and behold,  I didn’t get the job.

But it was a great moment. I had an epiphany: I’m not a lab scientist anymore. This isn’t just a hobby.  I am a graphic designer and sign painter full time, and I love it.

Contact Info:

• Website: leannaviers.myportfolio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeygirl_signs/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leanna-viers-010454168/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOawH4DAV1U&t=308s

Image Credits
Marcus Ubungen