I think we can all agree that March has been an incredibly weird and long month. It’s become a time to abandon the hustle and adjust to a new normal. But as a small business owner, that doesn’t mean getting cozy, it actually means quite the opposite. It’s uncomfortable to have to have conversations around cancelled and postponed projects, wonder if your business is going to make it, and be challenged to develop new and relevant offerings.

I feel I am going to be okay and make it through this challenging time because I am used to the ebbs and flows of freelance design. My heart goes out to many other small businesses that I love and work with because their situation might not look as hopeful.

It’s hard to know what to say right now. There aren’t many words that can capture all of the mixed feelings swirling around within us. But with all that is going on, I think it is even more important to make a point of reflecting and celebrating the small wins. This third edition of the monthly business journal blog post is an intentional celebration of the wins and a space of reflection on this business journey with you all.

The Big Wins

• I launched my latest passion project - Cool Beans. The project takes a playful approach to raising awareness for kidney disease through a branded restaurant concept and renal-friendly menu design. March is National Kidney Month, so it seemed like the perfect time to share my story and passion.

• The enamel pins have arrived! A feeling of hope rushed over me when I held the four enamel pin designs in my hands for the first time. This moment had been a long time coming as the initial order was placed back in December, but was delayed due to the virus. I’m currently working out how to get the Field Museum’s pins to them as they are temporarily closed to the public.

General Updates:

• I launched a new collaboration sticker. Feminist author, Amelia Hruby, and I collaborated on a “Grow Slow” sticker, which is now available exclusively in both of our online shops. Amelia and Kaitlin of Windy City Thrifter just launched a new style challenge on Instagram that I created a graphic for as well.

• I connected with the National Kidney Foundation and local Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Walk volunteers. As a result of launching Cool Beans, I’ve been able to connect with leaders in the kidney disease awareness space and open up conversations of potential collaboration and partnership.

• I delivered products to two new retail locations. Lettering Works merchandise is now stocked at both Stumble & Relish and Sacred Art.

• I adjusted to working from home full-time. And collaborated with Daniel Hart to share a special blog post: 7 Tips on Remote Working.

• I was featured on The Glossary and Project 1612. Mandy of The Glossary interviewed me about my entrepreneurial journey and Cool Beans, you can read the interview here. Project 1612 is doing a wonderful job of highlighting artists via virtual studio visits during this time of social distancing. You can check out my studio visit here.

• I started two new branding projects. One project is for a favorite Peoria client, Marty Wombacher of Meanwhile Back and Peoria, and the second for another local artist in Central Illinois who is embracing branding herself as an artist.

• I collaborated with Crystal of Culinary Confidante to share a kidney-friendly tagine recipe. If you are looking for a healthy recipe to try at home, you can find the Vegetable Tagine recipe here. As part of our collaboration/trade, I created a new brand graphic for Crystal that she will be making into stickers and using to promote her business.

• I submitted my taxes. Well, my wonderful accountant Matt did. All small business owners can agree that this is a big relief and accomplishment, especially when it happens ahead of that deadline.

• I shared my insights about passion projects with my virtual mastermind group. My short answer to my “marketing strategy” for Lettering Works is almost always “passion projects.” When done strategically, they can do wonders for your business and keep you creatively fulfilled. And I don’t think they should be limited to “creative” businesses. If you’d like to chat about how you can leverage your own passion project to grow your business or personal brand, send me an email.

• I taught a Branding Workshop online. The Branding 101 Workshop was scheduled to take place at Ampersand Cowork in Logan Square on Monday, March 16th, but I had to pivot to an online option to ensure everyone could stay home safe. I think it went over really well for my first virtual workshop.

With so much uncertainty about what’s going to happen next in our world, it’s a bit hard to say what I am most excited about in April. I think we are all trying to take this one day at a time, and that’s okay. One future thing I know I am excited about is getting these enamel pins into the Field Museum.

As always, I am looking for new and exciting opportunities in the Chicago and Peoria areas and beyond. But I’m also trying to adapt my business to meet the unique needs of this time. I am offering special payment plans and bonus deliverables to make my services more accessible for anyone in need of custom design at this time. If you or someone you know would like to work on a project with me, send me a message via the website contact form.