Business Journal: a place to celebrate wins & reflect - 28th Edition

April’s highlights included launching a new candy collection, celebrating six years in business, enjoying our neighborhood and preparing to move apartments.

The Big Wins

• Launched a candy-inspired collection in Lick airport shops. A long-time goal of getting our souvenirs into airport gift shops is becoming a reality as we shipped an initial order of custom-designed candy stickers and magnets to the Marshall Retail Group this month. Read more in our recent blog post.

• Celebrated SIX years in business! I pitched Lettering Works as a business while I was a senior at Bradley University and won $10,000 in startup funding from Bradley’s Student Entrepreneurship Competition. I am so grateful for everyone who has supported and encouraged me along this entrepreneurial journey over these past six years. I celebrated by offering these anniversary mystery packs.

General Updates + Accomplishments:

• Participated in a pop up at Madewell on Southport to celebrate the launch of the Madewell Hometown Heroes program. As well as sent new Chicago sticker packs to Good Things Vending for inclusion in their artist vending machine at the Chicago Cultural Center and supplied greeting cards and postcards to Dom’s Kitchen & Market.

• Contributed to my first business retirement account. I recently learned about SEP IRAs and the tax benefits of saving in this way as a small business owner. Better late than never, right?

• Enjoyed Avondale favorites all month long. Some of our favorite spots include Sleeping Village, Staropolska, Pisolino, La Nonna, DMen Tap, Chief O’Neill’s, Taqueria Mazamitla, and Brew Brew as well as some newer neighborhood additions including Central Park Bar and Mother’s Ruin. Read more about my favorite 20+ spots in this Avondale Neighborhood Guide I developed after living in Avondale for three years.

• Registered for the Airport Minority Advisory Council Conference in Chicago. AMAC will host its 37th Annual AMAC Airport Business Diversity Conference: Redefining Aviation Opportunities Together from June 20–23, 2022 in Chicago, IL. Interested in attending? Learn more here. I’ve been involved in the organization since last June and am part of the Emerging Leaders committee.

• Spent a weekend exploring some of Chicago’s museums including the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Field, Adler Planetarium, and the Art Institute. It’s always fun to see my products in the Field Museum’s gift shop! Did you know that if you are a Chicago resident that your alderman may have a museum pass you can check out to go for free with up to three guests?

• Granted certification as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) under the State of Illinois Business Enterprise Program (BEP) for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities. While this certification does not guarantee that I will receive a state contract, I hope it opens up new opportunities.

• Prepped for moving to a new apartment in Logan Square. Moving is no small feat! The time-consuming process led me to unintentionally take off a bit more time than I expected (and have less to report overall this month). I did have the opportunity to work with my client Mission 2 Organize and they helped make packing a breeze. Now that I’m on the other side of the move, I’m ready to take on new work, so get in touch if you’d like to chat about working together.

• Worked on some new LGBTQ and Chicago designs! I realized in reflecting on the first quarter of 2022 that I didn’t create any personal work, so I made this a top priority for April and made some great progress. I’m excited to share more soon.

April truly feels like a blur with so much time dedicated to the move and enjoying our favorite neighborhood spots. I’m excited for this new chapter in Chicago and to be fully settled in the new place soon.

In other exciting upcoming news… Self-Made Artist Academy will be returning for a summer cohort! You can learn more about the program and apply for our scholarship here. Class will start on June 1st. This is a self-paced program for artists looking to grow from aspiring to established in business. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for being here, for supporting me, and for following along with my journey over these past six years.

PS - Have a project you’d like to chat about? Grab your free 20-minute project consultation + ensure your project gets on my calendar in 2022. Bring on all the logos, branded merchandise, + brand identity projects… let’s make some beautiful + impactful things together.