5 Reasons We Want to Stay and Work "Small"

I have worked with a few big organizations in my day and despite the (sometimes) bigger paycheck, I have found working with smaller organizations a lot more rewarding.

Talking Directly to the Decision Makers

One of my biggest gripes at larger organizations is ALL the people that have to see your work, suggest edits (and/or demand them), and the amount of feedback collected from key staff who, seemingly, don't even talk to each other about the designs. Feedback isn't the issue but the time it took for designs to make the rounds from immediate supervisor to their supervisor to their supervisor was insane. On top of that, more often than not, the feedback you got was usually contradictory and left me feeling absolutely directionless.

Working with small businesses, for me, ensured that I am always in direct communication with THE person who approves of designs before they go out into the world. This also means that THAT person would learn some design language that would help me communicate and, in turn, I would understand their brand better purely by communicating regularly with the person whose vision was driving the company.

Learning How Other Small Businesses Operate

You best believe I am taking mental if not physical notes whenever I met with other small busines owners. Any tidbit I could pick up about how they are operating and what systems are working well for them, I try to analyze and see if it would work for Rock & Roar Creative.

Not all things translate to my business but advice freely flows between myself and my clients.

No gatekeeping allowed!

Personally Helping Other Small Business Owners Reach Their Goals

Small businesses deserve amazing graphic design and illustration, too!

My TikTok For You Page at one point was flooded with boutique graphic design firms that charge $10,000 minumums - AS IF a small business owner has that much to spend on branding.

It becomes a question of equity for me. As a design person, if I see a bad logo, I don't buy that product - I know not ALL people act like that, but I know enough similar-minded folks to know that I want to see small businesses with small budgets have awesome branding as well. If a small business doesn't have the budget for a full blown branding package, I'll still do a logo for whatever they can afford because I don't think good design is only for the rich and already-successful.

AND BY THE WAY, some of the most profitable businesses still have crap logos. (I'm looking at you, GAP.) Money doesn't always buy great work.

Staying in Control
of My Time

Getting too big means I would just MANAGE people, instead of making art.

I have to keep very strict working hours, or else I would work 15 hours days. With a three year old, I am constantly battling to find and enforce some sort of Busines Owner / Artist / Wife / Mom balance. The ONLY reason I feel like understand this balance is because I set my own hours. I write my own to-do lists and I delegate what I don't have time for. I give myself 3 week-days off a month to not-do-a-damn-thing. Working for a large organization would not allow any of the TIME I currently take for myself.

Compensation is a beast for another conversation BUT, I will say I make more as a freelancer than I ever would as an in-house designer for any non-profit organization that I would choose to work full-time for.

As a mother of a 3 year old, TIME is just slightly more important than money at the moment.

Building Mutually Beneficial Co-Working Relationships

I have been fortunate to spend my years in the design world building a roster of clients who GET ME. Not only do we understand each other but our goals are similar, our audiences overlap, and our outlooks on work/life balance are always pretty aligned.

I get to work with friends whenever they and their organizations need design work.

I get to work with authors who are trying to tell their stories to their children and to the world.

I get to work with women in STEM who are teaching young girls and minorities how be critically-thinking problem-solvers.

I get to work with theaters and art galleries and spoken word organizations who are telling the human stories of their communities.

I doing so, I have found and solidified my tribe, my people, who continue to keep me on the path I have worked so hard to create.