Curious How Things Turn Out, Isn't It?

2009-06-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

Don't you find it interesting how we seem to push and push against life to make it what WE want, all the while God is patiently waiting for us to see that he has something better planned? I never knew I wanted to be a graphic designer. Probably because I never even knew it was an option for me.

I developed my first website about 10 years ago in Fairbanks, Alaska, while in the Air Force. It was exciting for me to be so creative within such an environment of right and wrong/black and white thinking. A breath of fresh air. I would also create weekly 5-15 minute training and informational presentations to update our fighter pilots, base top brass and other intelligence groups. There was a secret rule us presenters knew about. When presenting to fighter pilots, you had exactly a 2 minutes of attention before they would completely tune you out...you could see the glaze over happen right before your very eyes! I took this as a personal challenge to design unique ‘eye candy’ on my slides while enthusiastically talking about the important facts they needed to remember. This was my personal pseudo focus-group on my efforts to be creative and interesting.

In my spare time, in the darkness of the Alaskan 9 month winter, I taught myself more and more creative ways of working with design programs. I would manipulate pictures, create photo slide shows with music (before this was so widely used), create newsletters with articles about the latest happenings in the great white state and send them home to family. Hearing how excited my family was about what I would send was so gratifying. The gratification I get still spurs me on to impress them today.

I came home to Michigan and as in the Air Force, my corporate job deemed me the web master of our group’s site and creator of training presentations! After hours, I always volunteered to do flyers, invitations for weddings, baby announcements, graduation parties and the like. I was getting pretty confident with my eye for design.

My very first client was a friend who requested a website for her equestrian business. She challenged and empowered me to fill all of her marketing needs; flyers, brochures, business cards, signs, promoting, event coordination, etc. And it is with this opportunity that I gathered the confidence to create my own marketing business. Thank you to Kim.

I had already realized how fulfilling design work was and when the opportunity came for me to transition my career from a corporate environment to being an entrepreneur; I began a natural progression of developing my own one-woman design shop! Today, I am a Graphic Artist who helps small business owners and entrepreneurs attract their ideal client. My life was headed this way whether I recognized it or not. What an amazing opportunity. Truly blessed!

I am still working in uncharted areas (for me) and I am creating a network of people who can help me avoid the pitfalls they experienced. I get a little nervous now and then but find that networking fills my cup with the enthusiasm and encouragement. I am excited to take this opportunity where ever it may lead.

Here's to the pursuit of happiness!

Marketing By McKenna

Curious How Things Turn Out, Isn't It?