We recently connected with Lexi Duron and have shared our conversation below.
Lexi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Is your team able to work remotely? If so, how have you made it work? What, if any, have been the pitfalls? What have been the non-obvious benefits?
Working remotely has been such a game changer for me, though I’ll admit it’s not always as glamorous as it sounds. You can certainly travel, explore new places, and still run a business, but sometimes the reality looks a little different. For example, when my husband had 10 days off after working 20 straight, we’d pack up and hit the road for some much needed adventure. I thought, “How great is this? I can work from anywhere!” But then I found myself in a National Park Visitor Center with zero WiFi and no cell service, trying to meet a deadline. So I had to get creative and found a lodge that WiFi to get done what needed to be done.
Traveling while working requires resilience and adaptability. You’ll face unexpected challenges, like when you have ask around for WiFi and then having a fire alarm go off when you finally do get connected (true story!), but each one is an opportunity to grow and learn. I’ve made remote-work work for my company by learning how to navigate switching time zones, preparing where I’m going to do what, having a backup plan (or two), and getting creative with where and when I’m working. There have been times where my car has felt like my second office!
More recently, remote work has taken on a whole new meaning for me as a Work From Home Mom. Blending my business while being a stay-at-home mom has definitely been challenging, but it’s also been one of the biggest blessings. The flexibility to work remotely means I don’t have to choose between growing my business and spending those precious moments with my baby. It’s been tough at times, but worth every bit of juggling! I’ve made this work by having dedicated times where I’m in business owner mode and then mom mode but also still allowing for the flexibility to reply to an email on the go if needed.
The key to making remote work successful is clear communication. It’s so important to establish one primary communication channel and stick to it. For all things team-wise, Slack has been a lifesaver, keeping everyone on the same page. And for my branding and web design clients, email works best. Without that clarity, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and lose track of things when messages are flying across different platforms.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m Lexi, the founder of Wildlee Creative – a branding and website design studio. I started this company as a side hustle and it has gone through several iterations before becoming what it is today. My journey to Wildlee Creative has been a winding one, shaped by years of experience as a Virtual Executive Assistant and a background in marketing and leadership roles. Along the way, I’ve honed my skills in graphic design, web development, and branding, to find my true calling in branding and web design that is fueled by a desire to blend beautiful aesthetics with strategic storytelling.
Inspired by nature and all that it offers, Wildlee Creative is more than just a business—it’s a reflection of my love for the wild and untamed. The name itself is a nod to my Puggle, my beloved wild child, and incorporates my own middle name, Lee, reflecting the personal touch I bring to every project.
At Wildlee Creative, I craft brands and websites that stand out in a crowded digital landscape by marrying strategic design with the wild beauty of nature and refined design. I love to blend nature’s inspiration with modern design and strategy.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
My journey to Wildlee Creative has been anything but linear—it’s been a winding, unexpected adventure. What started as a side hustle has evolved through several phases before becoming what it is today.
It all began when I started doing Social Media Management and Virtual Assistant work to supplement my income while working in marketing at a community college. The pay was so low I could barely make ends meet with all the student loans I had. I was applying to jobs left and right, going on interviews, but nothing was panning out. Eventually, I ended up working at a big-box retailer for slightly better pay, but it came at the cost of my weekends and holidays.
That first Thanksgiving, I was sitting alone in my apartment, getting ready for the overnight Black Friday shift, while my now-husband was traveling for work and my family was 1,000 miles away. It was one of those “this can’t be it” moments. I promised myself I’d find a way to build a career that gave me freedom—freedom to travel with my husband, to have more than just two days off together a month, and to never spend another holiday alone because of work.
A few months later, we moved to a new city for my husband’s job, and I was optimistic about finding a job there before we moved. But after countless interviews, even a full-day interview where they took me out to lunch (and still chose the other candidate!), things were looking bleak. And then COVID hit. The job market froze, and I was stuck.
That’s when a small opportunity opened up. One of the interviewers from my full-day interview reached out and asked if I could help with a side project. He needed a website, and I thought, “Why not?” I built his website, and something clicked. I realized this dream of owning my own business might not be so far-fetched after all.
So I took the plunge. I started with what I knew—social media and VA work—but soon I found my passion for branding and web design. Over time, I honed my skills in graphic design, web development, and storytelling. The more I worked, the more I felt drawn to helping businesses create beautiful, strategic brands that told their story authentically.
There have been several key milestones along the way—getting my first few clients (who weren’t family or friends!), taking on larger projects that pushed me out of my comfort zone, and, honestly, learning to set boundaries. That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned: setting clear, firm boundaries with clients. It’s easy to want to please everyone, but without boundaries, you can quickly burn out. And burnout doesn’t serve anyone, least of all your business.
So here I am today, running Wildlee Creative full-time, blending beautiful aesthetics with strategic storytelling for service-based businesses. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been worth it. And I’m thankful for every twist and turn that led me here.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the need to say “yes” to everything. When I first started my business, I felt like I had to take on every project that came my way. Whether it was in my wheelhouse or not, I’d catch myself saying, “Sure, I can do that!” It came from a mix of wanting to prove myself, build my business, and—let’s be real—fear of missing out on opportunities. And while this mindset can be helpful in the beginning, there comes a time when you have to stop saying yes to everything and know it’s okay to let go of clients who aren’t the right fit anymore. It might feel like a step backward, but really, it’s just making space to propel forward.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that saying yes to everything meant stretching myself too thin and taking on projects that didn’t align with my vision. I remember the late nights, juggling way too many projects, and stressing out any time I traveled and lost cell service. There was one long-term client in particular where, deep down, I knew the work wasn’t a great fit, but I said yes anyway, thinking I needed to keep building my clientele. Every time we had a meeting or I worked on their projects, I felt this weight of dread. It left me wondering why I ever agreed to it in the first place.
It took some time (and a lot of learning), but I eventually realized that saying yes to everything was doing more harm than good. It wasn’t about being busy—it was about being intentional with my time and energy. I learned that saying no to things that didn’t align with my goals opened up space for better opportunities—the ones that lit me up and kept me excited to do the work.
Unlearning that “yes” reflex is tough—and honestly, sometimes it feels like I’m still working on it! But it’s also one of the most freeing lessons in my business journey. Now, when I say yes, it’s with intention and confidence, knowing I can give my best to the things that matter most.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wildleecreative.com
- Instagram: @wildleecreative_
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexiduron/
