We were lucky to catch up with Tania Thomas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tania, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

TLC Mission: To Illuminate the vision you have for your business. By taking you through my signature TLC Process. Because your brand is an Extension of YOU

Color has always been something important to me from a very young age. it took me most of my lifetime to see how color relates to the world around me and is impactful. I had no idea it would be the foundation of how I took my skills and talent to make an impact on those around me.

One brand at a time I started to see there was a pattern there was the process of how I was making a difference in my friends’ businesses. Most of the time was in my head at first but as I slowly pulled it out I started to see the repetition. The journey I took with each friend and then with my clients was the same. I was looking at them illuminating them. I was illuminating the love they had for the area of expertise they had. I was designing and creating a visual extension of who they were and the personality of the business they loved to do. They had ideas and I had ideas. When we put them together, masterpieces were formed. Beautiful pieces of art that made them smile were coming to life. My mission is to do this each time with each client. To have them walk away being seen and their business vision illuminated.

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?

From a young age, I have always put things in rainbow order for example my personal collection of Muppet Baby books. I have always been creative. My favorite projects in school were creative book reports. I love color and making things look pretty.

My mom named me with the initials TLC. She is the only one that ever would call or yell out “Tania Linnea!” (Pronounced Tah n Yuh Lin nay) Sometimes it was just to be funny and sometimes I was in trouble. I am the only girl of 4. She wanted a little girl even before she met my father. She always said I was her dream come true.

TLC has always stood for Tender Loving Care. My mom always instilled this attribute in me, tenderly and lovingly caring for myself and others. “TLC” is and always will be a constant in my life along with my faith in our Creator. Jehovah is the original Designer that teaches us how to design through his creations.

My business is using my creative knowledge and designs thus Tania Linnea Creations, LLC. My Brand is based on that part of my story that makes me the happiest which was the 80s. It’s a time frame that is always referred to in all forms of design even in 2023.

Just like I designed my brand where I find inspiration and joy, I want to partner with entrepreneurs who are ready to strategically develop their branding. I want to work with those who also would rather not do the design piece for their marketing. It could be that they can do it on their own but could use someone to chat with about design 1 on 1 to finish a project they have doubts about. It could be that they need more time to focus on their own expertise. It could be that it takes too much time to execute their ideas. It could be they just want nothing to do with design and will gladly pass it to me to take it off their plate. I want to show my clients tender loving care in a professional partnership that can help them focus their time and energy on where they really want it to be.

I offer 3 packages:
1) Taking Care of Branding for those that are just starting out and don’t have a lot of places to market themselves.
2) Look Who’s Branded for those that are more established, like coaches, who have multiple irons in the fire on multiple platforms and are ready to have a consistent look they love and can show off..
and 3) Brand Anything. for those that have a full Brand Guide and need someone to handle their branded look on a consistent month-to-month basis.

As we work together, I draw out the unique persona of their business. I love love love designing and strategizing with my clients to collaboratively come up with concepts that appeal to their niched and targeted audience.

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

When I started my business, I didn’t trust myself. I didn’t believe those around me when they encouraged me or complimented me. I started a business as a means to make money from home due to my chronic illness and desire to homeschool my daughter. My goal was to find a way to make money that did not include speaking on the phone. I have had to do customer service jobs for so long. They had now affected my health. The anxiety I had at every beep was debilitating and I could no longer continue this as a form of work. This made me think that work had to be uncomfortable and stressful. Making money and liking your work could never go hand in hand for an average person like me.

Thankfully, in 2020, even though I was in the middle of the worse time in history, I was connecting with all the right women. I was supported and encouraged to grow. I had no idea what the goal was yet for my business. I just knew the women I was surrounded by kept cheering me on. Their words were so difficult to believe. “You’re amazing” ” I love your work” ” You’re so talented” Huh how could this be real? Yes, I did go to school for this but that was decades ago. Yes, I love making things prettier. but everyone can do what I do. These were the ways I didn’t trust myself. I didn’t believe the compliments.

One friend after another, after another, after, another. Can they all be “just being nice”? One day one of these amazing friends said to be in so many words. Stop trying to do everything else and do what you’re great at. She was one of the few I gained in 2020. It has been the hardest challenge of my life to give myself the title of Graphic Designer. let alone a Brand Strategist. However, I educated myself in this field. I research and study all I could to return to this industry. I was designing graphics and I have been developing strategies for brands. With this talent and these skills, I have worked for years in a variety of industries. It may have been just in observation, research, and the occasional doodles. It was just locked away waiting for me to see my superpowers for myself.

I finally allowed myself to deserve the right to be a Brand Strategist and a Graphic Designer.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Each friend and each client that I have worked with continually provides me joy when I pass by their marketing. The brilliance of their brand shines through. I have no regrets when I am scrolling and I see my work. It doesn’t even have to be my graphic designs. Just seeing the choices of colors they continue to use brightens my day. I know the purpose of each color and the way it makes me feel about their message. As they use my strategic branding for them in their business, they are impacting all their followers. That for me is the ripple effect I have always wanted to share with my love of color. I am essentially affecting thousands of lives every day with my talent and passion. This aspect will never fade and never get old. It will always be the most rewarding to me as an artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tanialinneacreations.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tanialinneacreations/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tanialinneacreations
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tania-linnea-creations-llc/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@tanialinneacreations

Image Credits
Photographer: Caitlyn Padmore