Hello friends!
After our month off of celebrating our staff we are back at it! See below a talented graphic designer and illustration artist named Kelsey. She is creative, one of a kind and probably one of the nicest people you will encounter. Below are our questions and her answers for this month’s Eddybrook Community Spotlight!
1. What is your name / name of company / position in the company?
Kelsey Tosca / Conquering Nomad / Freelance Graphic Designer & Illustrator
2. What services does your company provide for those who are unfamiliar?
Graphic Design: branding, informational documents, marketing etc.
Illustration: also a cross over into graphic design for branding, bust mostly custom work for tattoos, merch, and fine art
3. How long has your business been open?
3 years going solo
4. What got you started in this business?
I worked the 9 to 5 desk job for four years and hated it. There wasn't much wiggle room for creative freedom and I wanted to have more variety of projects. On a more personal level, what I loved most was helping create a tangible vision for someone's brand or idea they can look to. That wasn't possible working for one place with a lot of repeat projects.
5. What is the number one misconception about the field that you are in?
I could honestly write a book on this lol, freelancing has a slew of misconceptions. For now I'd say that it only takes a "few clicks and a cool font to make a logo." I really had someone tell me that once. Just because a person has the design programs on their computer doesn't make them a designer. There's an actual science and understanding of marketing that goes into design. You have to know trends, what's already been done, and constantly learning new techniques because people expect you to be a one stop shop a lot of time. Clients are paying for a designers expertise and hours of curated skills that got them to the place of creating quality work quickly. It's the years and hours of personal investment I believe most people don't take into consideration.
6. Let's say someone reading this is interested in starting their own business, what advice do you have?
Be all in. Do your homework. Learn how to budget your time and finances. There's so much to learn as you go, and because of that you should definitely seek a mentor or group of peers who have experience in the same field you can ask questions or get advice.
7. What 3 things does anyone starting off in this industry need to know?
What are the trends? What is your style or niche you most want to work with? What are your boundaries? I say the last is most important because people will try to underpay a lot. I can't tell you how many times I heard, "it'll be good experience!" Understanding the trends and niche will help create a solid idea of what your skills are worth and how they should evolve. You can't base what you do around what pays the most because you will be miserable and subject to trends more than paving way for your own.
8. What would you say is the #1 key to success in your business?
Adaptability. People are fickle. Trends shift rapidly. You can't get attached to an idea and take it personal when a client rejects it. In the end it's about THEIR vision, but at the same time they must also trust you.
9. Talk about the biggest failure you've ever experienced. What did you learn from it?
I did a huge event branding project for a well known company in the craft beer industry (out of anonymity I will not name) and I severely undersold my skills because I convinced myself the publicity would be worth it. In the end, not only did I lose money for my time, but I was never given the acknowledgement for my work and I had no contract to back up the original agreement. They now make a lot of money at my expense. What I learned was besides the obvious of covering your tail in a contract, is don't compromise my livelihood on a chance outcome. Know your worth, know your boundaries, and stick to them. It's ok to turn requests down and walk away.
10. What is your biggest customer success story? Why do you think if was a success?
I don't think I can choose any one story, but one thing they all share in common is a sense of community. In the Designer world, there's a sort of unspoken rule that if you know you're not able to fulfill a client's vision the way they want, you typically "pay it forward" in a way and recommend someone you know who can. In return, others tend to do the same and recommend you. I love that even though we're a competitive field we all look out for each other and it means more to us that a client feels respected as a person than getting money. The best thing for me is when clients keep coming back because we built a relationship that's on trust. That to me is the greatest success when you know you don't have to scrap for a paycheck and you connect with people.
11. What does a typical day in your week look like?
I have a very active Dalmatian so every morning at 7am we go for a nice 8 mile bike ride (yes, she runs right along and loves it). After that I block my hours into designated time slots for projects — which I can be juggling anywhere between three to six at a time and they can take up to two weeks to complete from initial conception, to revisions, and refining. I also work a part time job as a barista to help supplement income when it's slow between design requests. As I'm working on concepts, most of the time it's sketching out ideas and then trying to see how they transfer as digital designs — it's a lot of trial and error. Between all this I'm researching techniques, other brands, following up with clients, and getting feedback from fellow freelancers.
12. What keeps you going when things get tough in your business?
Coffee haha. Honestly though, sometimes I need to step away from a project and do something completely different. It's easy to want to force things to work, but as most creatives can probably attest that doesn't go well. I make it a point to set time aside to do projects I enjoy about stuff I like. Sometimes that's trying to create with a different medium besides pen on paper. Others it's taking a few minutes to sit and listen to music and let my mind run around for a while.
13. Do you have a favorite social media outlet?
Good ol Instagram (@conqueringnomad)
14. Do you give back to the community in anyway or volunteer somewhere? If so, where / what do you do?
At the moment no, but whenever I'm working remotely I'll look around and if I see someone who might be a bit down I'll draw something in my sketchbook and give it to them. I love watching their faces light up when they say, "you DREW this for ME?!" I think everyone deserves to know they're worth the time of being intentional.
15. Where is your favorite place to go in Columbus?
Any craft brewery! I know, could I be anymore hipster at this point?
16. What is your favorite movie?
Oooh ok that's nearly impossible lol, but I am a huge Star Wars geek. So out of all those I'd have to say A New Hope. It's just too classic and I would say an American right of passage.
17. What is your "pump up" song?
Lean On by Major Lazor
18. Which people or books have had the most influence on your growth and why?
Yet again SO hard! I read a book a month so this is incredibly difficult. This probably sounds cliché, but the Bible is the greatest influence. My faith is at the center of all I do and I draw on that a lot when I'm designing. Authors include: CS Lewis, Jen Wilkin, Brené Brown, and a mix of others.
19. What is your favorite go to restaurant? Why?
Harvest Moon in Canal Winchester. Because bison burgers.
20. What is your favorite hobby outside of work?
Hiking! Honestly anything outside. I can mosey around a trail for hours with my camera and it's pure bliss for me.
21. Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
Don't sell yourself short, and don't act desperate. Even if the market is saturated with people doing something you want to do, there's a place for you there. Each person offers a unique perspective and the world needs that. Most of all, be patient with yourself. It's going to feel like you're the only one floating around on a paper boat in a storm sometimes.
Be sure to check out Kelsey and follow her work on Instagram!