Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in freelancing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Gretchen Kamp, a branding specialist based in New York, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm a brand designer, and strategist helping established (mostly female) entrepreneurs craft and launch stunning brands—or elevate their current business—to inspire connection and sales.
Tell us about yourself
I started drawing and painting seriously in high school, although I didn't figure out that I wanted to be a designer until college. Graphic design was a practical career choice for someone who is visually creative. I didn't realize I would fall in love with it until my senior year at SDSU. I knew since college that I wanted to be self-employed, mainly for the freedom and lifestyle. This may sound corny, but it's the truth: my clients are what motivate me to do what I do each day. I love helping other young (mostly female millennial) entrepreneurs bring their visions to life through the branding work that I do. And receiving their reactions to the finished product is priceless—they are almost always very enthusiastic and emotional, which brings me great joy. It's also a good feeling knowing I am helping women in their journey to become business owners. Only good can come from more women being their own bosses.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Over the past 7 years since I started my business, I have designed over 100 brand identities and 70 websites for small business owners across 15 states.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
There are a lot of challenges, and self-employment is not for the risk-averse nor the faint of heart! Ongoing challenges I face are... consistently getting new clients, which is necessary because of the type of work I do. You can't brand and re-brand the same business over and over again; therefore, I always need new clients in rotation. Keeping up with ever-changing marketing and social media platforms and trends and committing time to create content is a full-time job in and of itself. I have to do that in addition to serving clients in order to continuously get new ones. And no matter how well it's going overall, the ebbs and flows are inevitable. Depending on when you ask me, I could be FEELING really rich or really poor that month, lol. On a more serious note, not letting your sales or the busyness of your business affect your self-worth is an ongoing challenge.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
I wrote a detailed blog post on this, which you can read on this link.
- Identify your 'WHY.'
- Don't Wait for Perfection to Launch.
- Use Accounting Software (don't DIY this!).
- Keep Your Overhead Low.
- Save $ Before Your Quit Your Day Job (ideally enough to live off of for 6+ months).
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.gretchenkamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gretchenkampnyc/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenkampdesign/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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