We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Musser a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Michael, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

Going from a side hobby to a full-time job supporting a family of four has taken time and sacrifice. Designing wedding invitations started as something I did for friends while working full-time in a marketing department. At the time, I was living in Los Angeles. Although we loved being there, it wasn’t financially sustainable long-term.

My wife and I made the decision to move closer to family in Pennsylvania. After I was unable to secure another full-time design job, I decided to focus more seriously on freelance work. Progress was extremely slow, especially since we were in a rural part of the country where demand for my services was harder to find. Although I was making the equivalent of part-time income, my wife remained the primary earner for our growing family.

After our second child was born, she wanted to scale back from working full-time—which meant it became more important than ever for me to grow the business. Fast forward seven years, and we made the decision to move again—this time to Houston. It was an immense sacrifice, but there, my business thrived and was warmly welcomed by the industry. I networked easily, and my business doubled in the first year.

Since then, it has continued to grow—little by little every year—because of the hard sacrifices we made along the way.

Michael, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I received a BFA with an emphasis in graphic design and have known since sixth grade that I wanted to combine art and computers. I’ve always loved seeing the creative process go from head to paper to printed piece, and that continues to be the most rewarding part of my job.

Although I started out in a marketing department doing print design, more and more friends began asking me to design their wedding invitations. As I did, word spread, and I realized how much I enjoyed this very niche aspect of design. Helping couples brand their wedding day through print design became a way to personalize and elevate the guest experience.

The process often spans a year and begins with a save-the-date, followed by the invitation, and then all the pieces guests might see throughout the wedding weekend—menus, programs, signage, napkins, seating displays, gifts, and more. In this digital age, I truly see the value in creating printed pieces and crafting these tangible experiences for couples and their guests.

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

Hands down, it’s wedding planners. While I do have plenty of clients who find me organically or through word of mouth, having a handful of trusted wedding planners has been an effortless way to keep business coming in. They know my process and reputation, which makes their job easier, too, when they suggest me to their clients for stationery design. It’s a win-win on both sides.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I’ve put very minimal funding into my business, which I think is a different approach than some might expect. While I may have grown faster with more investment, I’ve found that building slowly and with less financial risk has helped me grow sustainably. To this day, I still work out of a spare bedroom to save on rent, utilities, and commuting costs. While some may view this as less professional, it’s actually been key in allowing me to focus on the quality of my work rather than overhead expenses.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anticipateinvitations.com
• Instagram: anticipateinvitations
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnticipateInvitations

Image Credits

Nate Messarra
Lightbulb League