Name: Jessica Stansberry
Business: Southtown Creative
Tell us about Southtown Creative?
In September 2011 I started my business, Southtown Creative, where I specialize in marketing, graphic design and web/blog design. Being from the South (and proud of it), I knew I wanted a name that reflected my background and creativity, so, Southtown Creative was born!
What inspired you to open your business?
I majored in Communication/Advertising in college and was introduced to Adobe Photoshop (and the entire Creative Suite) and I fell in love! While still in school (2006), I started designing websites for myself and print pieces (invitations, announcements, etc) for my friends and family. As soon as I graduated, I landed an “awesome” 9-5 job so I pushed design to the side but I knew all along that I was meant to be my own boss and that I was meant to do what I love and design! When I quit my job to stay at home with my baby in 2010 I picked up a few more freelance jobs here and there and even designed a book cover for a local publishing company and it reminded me that I was completely obsessed with design and I needed to stop dragging my feet and actually do it, start my business, get my name out there. In the meantime, I began a blog which started out as a creative blog, morphed into a mommy blog and now is back to a creative blog and I met so many wonderful fellow bloggers and I was re-designing my own blog, craving more design all the time. I decided to just go for it and chose to give away a FULL blog design and since that design was launched, I have NEVER looked back.
What has been your biggest unexpected challenge?
Balancing working from home and a toddler and trying to keep up all of my “housewife” duties.
How do you balance family/business?
That’s the hardest thing for me (see last question, lol). When I first started the business my son was about 13 months old and was going through an extremely clingy phase and literally thought the world was crashing down when I sat down at my computer desk so, needless to say, I did ALL of my working after bedtime and, unfortunately, my child is a night owl! I was keeping really horrible hours and was sometimes not going to bed until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and it had me thinking “how am I ever going to keep this up?”. My “word” for 2012 is “balance” for this very reason and I feel like I’m getting better at it. I have learned what works for me and my family and made a few changes in our routines to accommodate my working schedule. Don’t get me wrong, I still work super late hours and feel like I’m failing as a parent and wife sometimes but, for the most part, we’ve gotten a schedule that works for us. I guess that’s the key, schedules but I don’t think there’s one thing that works for everybody, it’s all about what works for you!
When you are really stressed, you are most likely to _____________________
Get a big ol’ glass of milk and LOTS of cookies and spend the night watching ANY kind of reality tv show.
A piece of advise for other Moms interested in opening a business
Pick something you love! I was afraid that I couldn’t make it and I was afraid of the unknown but I love design so much, I knew that I COULD make it because I’d be doing what I loved. I firmly believe that your business should be your other “child” and it should be something you couldn’t live without doing, otherwise, you’ll get burnt out. Another thing is to DO IT! Thinking about it and having ideas is one thing but actually executing those ideas and making a business from it is another and if you spend all of your time dreaming about it instead of going out and getting it done, you’ll never get anywhere. The two quotes I have hanging in my “office” are the best way I know to describe what I’m saying: “Do What You LOVE, LOVE What You Do” & “Dreams Don’t Work Unless You Do”!
Fun fact about you:
I joke and laugh when I’m uncomfortable or nervous. Seriously, during my c-section I was cracking jokes at the nurses and had the whole room laughing.
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