We were lucky to catch up with Shont’e Deramus recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shont’e, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

I’d like to believe that I’ve always had a niche for creating. I’d been taking different forms of art classes during school for years. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon digital design, which was known at the time as “Digital Imaging” that a fire was lit within me to explore this field. Years after taking those classes, I would continue to play around in Adobe suites- learning the ends and outs of photoshopping, cropping and editing till the final image I created was one that I felt proud of. I took these skills that I had been practicing and I began to create digital flyers, invitations, and more for friends, family members and mainly church events and functions.

I remember a day in February of 2019 sitting in my cubicle at the office of my on-campus job preparing for an upcoming event my student org was presenting. I was reading a post that my best friend shared on her Facebook page. The one thing that stood out to me from her status was her display of the joy of the Lord. After reading her post, I quickly commented, “Yes sister, that’s the glory glow!” From that moment, I got this bright idea to take that phrase and make it into a t-shirt design. I immediately sent the finished design over to my best friend and her response was that we should get the shirts printed for our upcoming event. I agreed and began the work of finding someone who could get the job done. The shirts turned out AMAZING! From this, I was asked to create other t-shirt designs for our student org. I even made sure that we had a vendor who could mass print the shirts and I took on the role of handling all the details for shirt orders for the remainder of my time there.

Now, let’s fast forward to the spring of that year- I’d continued to create designs for multiple individuals and organizations. As I was nearing graduation, my spiritual grandfather passed away suddenly and when I realized that he wouldn’t be at my ceremony, I got an idea to create a button pin with his picture and my nickname for him printed on it. I would wear this button on my graduation gown- that was my way of having him with me on my big day. I was so glad that I made that decision. Months later, as I was preparing to host and decorate my oldest sister’s bridal shower, I was encouraged by several individuals that I was sitting on a unique business. But I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pursue having my own business. I felt that I was both unqualified and unprepared to become a graphic designer/creative professionally. After prayer and meditation, I had to remind myself of the vast projects I’d been designing over the years. I also had to encourage myself that I could do this and continue to grow in my craft. I then decided to move forward with this idea. The first step was to think of a name and without hesitation, I knew that my business name was meant to be, The Glory Glow Designs. The next few months, I would spend praying over the brand layout, formulating my first logo, building social platforms and establishing the products we would be providing, which became the work I was doing all these years- flyers, invitations, shirt designs, and newly added button designs! Still slightly afraid of the unknown, I launched my business at my church with custom button pins made for my church family. And the rest is still being written…

Shont’e, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Shont’e Tyeshia Janae Deramus, I am 27 years old. I was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Illinois; I currently reside on the Westside of Chicago. I am a product of Chicago Public Schools and a graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Sociology. I am the CEO of The Glory Glow Co., but most importantly, I am a creative and a servant. I got into the graphic design industry during high school and continued professionally during and post college.

The services that we provide include designs for marketing products (t-shirts, cups/bottles, etc.), flyers, invitations, logos, business cards, custom buttons and obituaries. We also offer curating and planning of events. Our goal is to specialize in all things customized to the needs of our clients. We are unique in our innovative creativity in that we work hands on with clients to not only meet their needs, but to exceed their expectations from the beginning till the end of the project.

As a creative and business owner, I am very personable, and I enjoy the work that I do! Creating is not just a job for me, but it’s a part of my passion. Being able to see how something I’ve designed speaks to the vision of the recipient is what pushes me to keep going! I don’t design to be like others; while I am inspired by others, but I design the ideas and concepts that I believe God gives me. I feel that this is just one of the ways I can support and help my community at large.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing our clientele has been by word of mouth and consistency. In the past few years, I’ve lived in different areas in Illinois before returning to Chicago. When I traveled, I would always take business cards with me and when I would find myself in spaces to share my work, I would make sure to have a way to connect with potential clients and colleagues. Clients who’ve I had the privilege of working with over the years have communicated that they appreciate my willingness to be hands on and take constructive criticism when it relates to design revisions for projects. These clients have remained consistent in my ability to design their vision in a unique way. I’ve learned that when a client is well pleased with the services you provide, they are more enthused to share with others about your work; although there are some who just want to hog you all to themselves (in a good way!)

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn was that I can do it all alone. I’m not a loner, I enjoy being around others; especially because I grew up with siblings and cousins. But somehow whenever it came to work needing to be done, I had this strong mindset that I can get it done by myself rather than having to wait for someone else to do it. My life experiences have equipped me to be a well-rounded individual and when I became a business owner, I carried that mindset for at least the first year. As I began to expand the services my business would offer, I realized that I was being booked for custom button orders at a rapid speed. When I began to accept opportunities to be a vendor, I had to learn to lean on the support of close friends; these were individuals who believed in the vision of the brand, just as much as I do. Soon after, they became members of my executive board and I’ve learned to delegate tasks to each of them in their respective roles knowing that they can handle the assignments with ease and excellency.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: thegloryglowco
• Facebook: The Glory Glow Co
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
For the personal photo: 3rd Will Media