Creative Chat With Stephanie Jenssen

Happy Fri-YAY loves! Today I am interviewing the fabulous Stephanie from Jenssens Designs & The Lovely Essentials 

Tell us a little about yourself, your business & why you started it! 

Hello! My name is Stephanie Jenssen, and I am a writer and graphic designer. I got into my business after realizing that I could charge people for my designs! Kidding haha, but when I realized that I could turn my designs into an income for myself I became much more serious. I am now developing a DIY design program, for bloggers and small business owners. I want to help people learn to make their branding as beautiful as possible, as well as have the tools and know how to update it themselves whenever they like! 

What made you jump into the world of graphic design? 

Graphic design was actually my focus in senior high! I had to choose an art strand, and because I was already in drama club I went for my next interest. I've never been to talented with traditional art (sketching, painting, etc), but I feel very comfortable designing on a computer! 

What is your favorite aspect of this type of work? 

Definitely working so closely with my clients. I love it when they see the final draft of the design and they just light up, it's wonderful. 

What inspires & motivates you? 

Everything around me is inspiring! I truly find everything inspiring, it might be a little weird now that I think of it! My family and friends are great motivators, but the thing that truly motivates me is the word "no". When people tell me that I can't do something or I can't achieve something, it sparks a flame. I believe that anything is possible if you have the confidence and drive to achieve it. 

What has been one of your struggles within your biz that you overcame? 

My biggest struggle was finding my target audience! It took me such a long time to figure out, and it was sitting right under my nose. 

What has been your biggest accomplishment thus far in your journey?

My biggest accomplishment so far has been the fact that I'm running my own business. I don't know if you've seen it, Tangled? I see a bit of myself in Rapunzel. When I was younger I would keep to myself and was home-schooled, so I would do it all. Ballet, cooking, design, writing, singing, etc. If I couldn't do something at the time, I'd log it and keep it as a goal. Running my own business was the biggest goal, so I'm pretty happy that I've accomplished that! The next one (that I'm tackling currently!), is writing a book. 

If you could offer some advice to females wanting to start their own businesses what would it be? 

Don't give up! People will tell you that you can't, or that you're ideas won't generate a profit. As long as you can envision it, you can achieve it. I believe in you, 100%! 

Anything else you would like to add?  

My book "Selfish Help" is being released for pre-order (in eBook format) January 21st!

Don't forget to follow her on her social medias!

Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

10 Design Projects To Delegate In Your Business

How much time are you spending creating designs for your business? Think about all the designs that go into a business...graphics, marketing posts, opt-ins, updates, edits, covers, etc. 

Tweet: How much time are your spending creating designs for your business #graphicdesign http://ctt.ec/dsfV7+

Graphics are one of the most important aspects to an online business. They represent your brand on social media, your newsletter, your website, your blog, your emails and they are the first thing that catches your audiences attention when coming into contact with your brand. You not only want to make them unique and visually appealing, but really have the vibe of your brand shine through! 

Projects To Delegate:

Logo + Brand Marks

Whether you are creating a new business, rebranding, or looking to update your current logo, delegating this project to a designer will not only allow you more time to yourself but will get the job done properly and professionally.

Illustrations

These illustrations can be anything from typography, to a colorful owl to an icon designed for your website! Illustrations are great for additions to your webpage, social media and stationary.

Blog Post Graphics

Blog post graphics are some of the most important graphics there are. These are the graphics that gets your audiences attention to come read the post on social media, Bloglovin' or on your website. You want these to be visually appealing and really speak to your blogs identity. 

Newsletter Graphics + Opt-Ins

Email marketing is gold for online businesses. This allows you to get word out about the different aspects of your biz to a ton of people in your target market. Opt-ins are also key for getting those emails, so you want to make sure your opt-in is as fabulous as what you are offering. 

Social Media Posts & Branding

When posting on social media you want to make sure you are putting your best foot forward. This is how many new visitors & clients will find your business so make sure it matches your branding and sets you apart from others.

Mood Boards

Whether you are rebranding, creating a new product/service or creating a marketing campaign, it is always helpful to create a mood board so you can really put your visions to paper (or a computer screen) and figure out what looks best together. 

Media Kits

Media kits are a must for businesses who work with other brands to showcase their work, their audience details and info regarding working with them. 

E-Book Covers

Lots of online businesses use e-books as an opt-in for their email list or sell e-books on their sites. This is a great way to showcase your knowledge and provide value to your audience.  

Worksheets

Custom worksheets are great to have to give to clients for homework. For example, for my monthly clients I give them custom worksheets for goal setting and marketing strategies. 

Website Updates

We all know our websites are a work in progress. They never feel quite complete and we are always updating graphics and widgets. Whether you are updating a slideshow, sidebar widget, logo, header or text a designer will be happy to make those changes for you. 

Take the stress off and make time for what you want to do in your business. Want your own personal design department to work on one of these projects? We are currently offering monthly graphic design services!