Stories are one of the most powerful ways to learn because they allow us to understand at a deeper level. One of the most important things an business owner can do is help their clients win and so we wanted to create a space where the community can learn from each other’s experiences of how they’ve helped their clients succeed.

Anna Feeney

Absolutely! My first wedding of the year was in March, and it turned out to be quite an unforgettable experience. The bride and groom were wonderful; there was some family drama, and unfortunately, the wedding coordinator called in sick that day. Seeing the bride stressed about timelines made me realize she shouldn’t have to worry on her wedding day. So, I decided to step in and help out. I took on the dual role of photographer and makeshift coordinator. It was a micro-wedding, which made it easier to manage the flow and wrangle everyone together. After the event, I was really worried that I hadn’t done enough or that I had messed up the timeline. But then the bride left a review that truly meant so much to me! She mentioned how wonderful everything was and specifically highlighted how I managed to capture sweet smiles from her baby girl. Her words, “she caught EVERY SINGLE SPECIAL moment,” made me feel so, so accomplished in my mission. Read more>>

Erika Grob

“I can’t thank you enough for helping me bring this aspect of my life back.” – Rosie D. I had a client, Rosie, who reached out because she was in a pretty desperate place. Despite her best efforts, she’d had multiple plants bite the dust since she moved into her new apartment. She was convinced it was all her fault and that she simply couldn’t live with plants anymore because she couldn’t keep them alive. We made an appointment so that I could assess her remaining, struggling plants and see/feel the growing conditions for myself. Right away I could tell where the disconnect was happening–and it was a mistake anyone could have made! She thought she had been over-watering her plants, but in fact, she had been severely under-watering them. Her apartment stayed very hot because it received direct sunlight throughout the day, which caused her plants to be chronically dry. After a heavy soak, her plants improved dramatically. Read more>>

Bradley Kirschbaum

Joe Wirtheim is a great client of ours who has been able to leverage our superior printing capabilities into a brand that has exploded from it’s humble beginnings. It’s critical to understand that in printing and manufacturing, there are a lot of ways to create a product. At StevensIS we continuously focus on staying up to date with the latest materials and substrates, and we invest in the most capable printers on the market. This is why Joe found great solutions for his ideas at our shop. About a decade ago, Joe was playing with concepts and was struggling to grow out of the side hustle stage. Between posters and signs, Joe had artistic concepts for products that would become his ‘Victory Garden of Tomorrow’ brand. While Joe gets all the credit for accelerating his brand from a fledgling idea into what it is today, we’re proud to say that our focus on craftsmanship and providing high quality outputs for the end user is what brought Joe to us as other producers failed to live up to his brand’s needs. Our superior weather resistant materials, as well as our eco friendly options and production methods, helped Joe catapult his brand. Multiple facets of Joe’s product line are a result of our capabilities at StevensIS, and we’re proud to be his dedicated manufacturer. Joe has gone from a small voice in the Portland area, to being found in gardening stores throughout the United States, as well as on major consumer sites like Amazon.com Read more>>

Briaa

I started working with a client, a veteran, who was struggling to organize parts of her home and refresh the energy in her space after years of feeling stagnant due to PTSD. For a while, I had been deep cleaning her home, and each time we would talk about “that “one” closet.” I’d ask, “Are you ready to tackle that beast today?” and each time, she’d decline—until one day, she decided she was ready. As we started, I saw a look of defeat and overwhelm come over her. We paused, sitting in that moment, and I reminded her, “We’re in this together, and I’m here. I won’t leave until you feel we’ve completed.” We committed to conquering that closet as a team. In the end, we cleared out 10 bags of clothing, which we donated to women in need, reshifting the energy in her space and preparing her home for an upcoming listing. It was an emotional day, filled with both grief and relief, as she let go of the chains that had bound her to an old identity. Her testimonial is attached below. Read more>>

Ebonee Bailey

The Pink Show is a music platform that was developed to be representational of women of the music industry. Originally started as a subsidiary platform under a creative agency that I once worked for, The Pink Show was rebranded into its own platform to give audiences the experience of seeing women creatives and music artists being put first. The Pink Show is very meaningful that creatives not just in Atlanta but in various U.S. areas, artists are already seeing the star quality that platform brings and are already reaching out to be apart of the platform. This is a huge testament to support since we’ve only launched in September. Read more>>

Abby Heirtzler

Most businesses understand professional photography is important, but many don’t understand the true value and impact it has on building a brand. How it enables effective communication and relationship building with clients, customers, and community, allowing a business to influence the actions of its consumers. And how it has a direct impact on a businesses revenue and growth. I work with businesses of all sizes – personal brands, small to mid size businesses, as well as corporate 100 businesses when it comes to creating visual assets. I watch the impact photography has on these businesses, but there is one I am particularly excited about. I specialize in branding photography for all industries, as well as interior design and architectural photography. The combination of these niches allowed me to transform one of my interior design clients businesses. Over the course of a year, we had 7 interiors photoshoots to capture her design skills at some of her best completed projects. We also had 2 branding photoshoots to create imagery and content that reflects the heart and spirit of her business. Throughout the year, we had several planning calls to discuss the strategy of what type of photos to create for her business, photos that would build a cohesive brand, showcase her unique skillset, and ultimately drive her ideal clients to inquire and work with her. Read more>>

Stephanie Scher

I’ll never forget when a client initially reached out to me entirely out of the blue, thanks to a referral. We hadn’t met before, and she sounded frazzled on the phone. She explained she was in the middle of building a house and was at a loss with the cabinet designs produced by a cabinet company. She couldn’t stand the drawings she received from that designer and wanted to know if I could redesign everything. The house was already framed, yet several spaces needed to be planned. We were working with tight timing. Read more>>

Elodie Hatfield

Chords Music School provides weekly music experiences where toddlers to teens form bands, learn how to play instruments and write & practice songs in preparation for our biannual concerts. Our concerts are held at Portland area concert venues where family, friends and other Chords Music School bands join to root the bands on! In many cases, this is the student’s first time performing as a musician in front of a live audience. Each week, our teachers guide band members on learning new chords on a variety of instruments, making lyrical decisions and preparing for their performances. Throughout the course of the class, their confidence grows, and the understandably daunting and intimidating task of performing on stage turns into a fun and exciting experience. In June of 2024 during our Chords Music School Summer Concert, a seven year old student performing in the band The Electric Lions hit his final notes on the piano, raised his hands in the air and yelled “I did it!” as the crowd erupted. Read more>>

Dylan Sanglay

Appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken. Risk taking has always been a huge part of my journey. I took the risk of starting my own business when I was 17 years old. That’s when I started my resell business, DSigner. I started the business by buying & selling thrifted clothing. Then, I started getting into games, collectibles, sneakers, sports cards, and many more. With that said, I’ve gained a lot of knowledge throughout the years and now I can buy & sell everything. Now, I know how to check market value for all items, negotiate, and close deals daily. Read more>>