Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rachel Dyk, Owner of Rachel Dyk Design, located in Trabuco Canyon, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Rachel Dyk Design is a surface pattern design studio based on the coast of California. I started my studio to bring my expertise and passion for creating organic and romantic patterns to brands and products I love. I sell my designs as fabric, wallpaper, and home products through my Society 6 and Spoonflower shops. I also collaborate with brands looking to add unique patterns to their products. Finally, I coach and support other creatives who want to learn more about surface pattern design and begin building a business in this space.
Tell us about yourself
My passion for patterns began as a girl while creating doll clothes from fabric scraps at my grandmother’s LA-based fashion design studio. I remember loving the process of finding and layering patterned fabrics to create a complete look. I took as many art classes as I could in school and ultimately earned a Studio Art BA from Scripps College. After graduating from college and working at a surface design firm for a few years, I was looking for work that would allow me greater flexibility and creativity. My search led me to learn Adobe Illustrator, and along the way, I rediscovered and fell in love with repetition and pattern. I love how I can draw one motif at a time and then weave the motifs together to create something new and exciting. Color, detail, and curation have always been my strengths, so moving into surface pattern design felt like a natural transition. Pattern design has never lost its spark for me! I hope to continue creating patterns and running my own business for many years!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
As small as this may seem, selling my first product with my design felt like a huge accomplishment! I’ve always had a passion for creativity, but after I graduated, it seemed like my only option was to settle with being around art rather than being the one to create it. After working as an Art Gallery Assistant and later as a Marketing Coordinator at a design firm, I wanted to find work that would allow me to create on my terms. Earning that first sale helped show me what was possible and led me down a path to turn my surface design hobby into a business.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things about being a creative business owner is that as your business grows, it can become more challenging to stay in touch with your creativity (the very thing that started the process). When pattern design was just a hobby, I would get lost in the process, devoting days to gathering inspiration, drawing, and building repeats in Adobe Illustrator. Now, as my business has grown, many noncreative tasks need my attention, and my schedule is not free as it used to be. To combat this, I’m intentional about visiting the places that inspire me and making space to create just for fun.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be willing to make strategic investments in your business! Whether you are taking an online course, buying a piece of equipment, or reading a book, investing in yourself can significantly impact your ability to make consistent progress. I’ve found embracing new information and technology has always been worth the time and cost involved.
- Build an email list before you think you need one - I have heard people talk about the value of email lists (in building connections and helping launch products/offerings) for years, but I never felt ready to start one. I just started gathering emails this year, and I wish I had started sooner!
- Seek out and foster community online! I would not be where I am in my business if it weren’t for the people around me. My community challenges and inspires me, and the feedback, accountability, and support I have received have been invaluable in my business!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.racheldykdesign.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/racheldykdesign/
Photography by Katherine Schwingel Photography LLC
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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