Lettering Works Business Journal - October in Review
October’s highlights included celebrating turning 28, adding some new retailers, and continuing work on some fun projects behind the scenes.
If you’re new here, welcome to my business journal. This twenty-second edition of the monthly business journal blog post celebrates the wins and serves as a space of reflection of this business journey, which has been such an important practice for me since January 2020.
Celebrating at Garfield Park Conservatory
Plant Sticker Display at Garfield Park Conservatory
Viviendo con Enfermedad Renal y Trasplante Logo Design for NKFI
Gift of Life Gala at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago
The Big Wins
I installed a new sticker display at Garfield Park Conservatory. The plant stickers have quickly become some of their best sellers in the gift shop and they’ve already reordered a few of the most popular designs. You can check out my Instagram reel here. If you’re on the northwest side of Chicago, you can also shop the plant sticker collection at Rooted, an independent plant shop in Avondale.
I created my first logo in Spanish for the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois! Viviendo con Enfermedad Renal y Trasplante is an incredible educational program for kidney patients and is offered in both Spanish and English. Fun fact: I have a degree in Spanish, so this was extra fun to work on. I also attended NKFI’s annual Gift of Life Gala, which raised nearly $200,000 for NKFI research initiatives.
Birthday dinner at Rose Mary
Presentation at WESOS Evanston
Virtual Presentation to Top Shelf Retail Cohort
Family boat time on Post Lake
Beautiful views on Post Lake
Exploring the Meow Wolf Exhibit
Sake flights with my brother in Denver
General Updates:
I read nine books: Bossypants, Eat Pray Love, Brave, Not Perfect, How to Be An Artist, Untamed, Essentialism, Salt Fat Heat Acid, Never Split the Difference, and Love Warrior.
I celebrated turning 28 surrounded by friends and feeling grateful that I am able to pursue my greatest passions of lettering, design, and building community full time as well as focus more on personal growth.
I took a long weekend trip to Post Lake, Wisconsin. The weekend getaway was complete with a beautiful lake view, sunset boat ride, multiple campfires, lots of cheese and great food, and some of my closest family members.
I launched two new Harriet Tubman designs via the Military Women’s Memorial’s gift shop (at Arlington National Cemetery). I look forward to expanding offerings in their gift shop next year during their busy season. I also created new Betty Friedan stickers in support of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra’s HerStory: A Musical Tribute to Betty Friedan.
I added other new retailers via Faire including Dots & Loops Inc., Gather & Collect, Pink Rooster Treasures, Headrush Salon, Strapping Store, Disability Horizons, All She Wrote, and Fleur Inc. As the holiday shopping season approaches, I’ve been more proactively looking for new retailers.
Know someone who could be a good fit? There’s a special offer now through the end of the year for anyone joining Faire to shop wholesale: $200 off and 1 year of free shipping! Using my direct link: letteringworks.faire.com gets you this offer and saves me the standard commission on orders through the platform.
I visited my brother in Colorado. Highlights of the trip included going to the Walk the Moon concert in Denver, checking out the Meow Wolf exhibit (highly recommend), trying an array of local craft beers and Colorado-style pizza.
I presented to the Women's Business Development Center’s Top Shelf Retail Cohort as a subject matter expert. I covered branding basics, shared a sample pitch deck, and pitch deck design tips. It was an honor to be asked to present, as I was a student in the last cohort. I also presented to the WESOS Evanston chapter on passion projects.
I presented Lettering Works to students from Columbia College Chicago Master of Arts Management Program. My business is one of four female-owned businesses that will participate as case study for their strategic planning course.
I delivered new stickers to the Chicago History Museum. More details to come regarding the nine custom designs that will be available in their gift shop soon.
In November, I am most looking forward to continuing to add new retailers and working on my ongoing design projects. I’m a little behind on my 2021 revenue goals, but I am committed to finishing out the year strong.
Thank you for being here, for supporting me, and for following along with this beautiful journey entrepreneurship has taken me on.
PS - Have a project you’d like to chat about? Book your 2021 project before the year ends. Bring on all the logos, branded merchandise, and brand identity projects… let’s make some beautiful and impactful things together.
The Chicago design and cycling communities lost an incredible lettering artist and human at the end of October. Adé Hogue was known for his outstanding technical abilities in all things lettering and design, infectious energy, and ability to bring people together. He will be sorely missed by all of those whose lives he touched. If you are not familiar with his work, take a moment to check it out here.
