Each workplace I have worked as a Graphic Designer at, I have been truly grateful for. Definitely each have come with their challenges, but with that they have all come with their opportunities. Opportunities for me to learn and grow, largely due to the massive variety of people that I have worked with and alongside. Starting off my design career in a small design & signage studio was a game changer for me. I was only 20, but it was here that I learnt the production side, something I feel is equally as important as knowing the design side. You can be the best designer in the world but if someone wants to turn your design into a wrap for a jumbo jet and it comes out sh*thouse because you don’t know how to set it up for print… there is no point.
Nic just go out on your own…
From there I moved on to being an inhouse designer for 3 different business spanning over more than a decade. Again, each presenting their own challenges but each coming with their massive opportunities.
Throughout my career as a Graphic Designer I have always freelanced on the side – people often said to me ‘Nic… why don’t you just go out and work for yourself’. My response was that I would always just laugh it off and say ‘yeh maybe one day’. Part of it was self-doubt, part of it was that I liked having a stable income but one of the biggest parts of it was that I knew that if I went out on my own – I wouldn’t be working alongside some of the most amazing people that I was continuing to learn and grow from.
New challenges and path
But after my second bub, I took the plunge. I told the Adelaide Football Club that I wasn’t coming back as the Head Graphic Designer and I was pushing on full steam ahead with my business. And I am grateful to say it was one of the best decisions for me and my family.
For my family, giving me the opportunity to be with my boys, drop them to school and kindy, be involved in their lives more and seeing them thrive and grow themselves.
For me, it has challenged me to grow, learn and take on projects that to be honest would’ve scared the crap out of me 3 years ago, and that I would’ve probably just said I can’t do this – it is too hard. Being my own boss and working solo has pushed me more than I ever thought it would. I find because Lime Pixel is me and I am so bloody proud of what I have worked for, if a challenge comes up, I don’t shy away from it. I can honestly say in my 9 to 5 job I would have.
I feel like there are a lot of content going around of ‘be your own boss’, ‘break the 9 to 5 cycle’ and ‘working from home is so much better than in the office’. They all have valid points but I really wanted to shed light on the other sides of these point.
‘Be your own boss’
Do I like being my own boss? 100%, I love being my own boss. But with that comes the challenges of taking on a lot more responsibility than I ever did as an employee at a company. But because of that it has made me continue to learn and grow. Having to be all over finances, accounting, admin, client comms, production comms, marketing for website and socials and then ahhh… yes actually do what my business does – Graphic Design for all my clients. I have taken on many short courses over the last few years that have helped me immensely within my business but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t pull learnings and experiences that I had in my previous roles as a Graphic Designer employed at my previous places of work.
‘Break the 9 to 5 cycle’
Having the flexibility of not being in this cycle has been great, but again it has come with challenges and learnings. I could quite easily work from 7am in the morning til 9pm at night, but there goes my work life balance – something that we are all trying to master. What I have learnt in my own business is that boundaries are so important, not only just with clients but with myself as well.
‘Working from home is so much better than in the office’
well yes and no. I love working in my own space, having it set up how I want it. But do I want to work in my home office everyday solo? NOPE! But you know what – because I have worked in so many great office jobs, I am now fortunate enough to work with some of these amazing people in their own businesses or in their new workplaces. I get to go out and meet with them, collaborate with them and continue to learn and grow and have a bloody good time while I do it..
So now when I look back at those times that people said to me Nic… why don’t you just go out and work for yourself’. I am glad I worked in each and every workplace and office I did before jumping into my own business. Working with people with different strengths to me and learning from them – now taking all of that and applying to me and my business. It made me the person and the Designer that I am today.
100% there have been many speed bumps along the way and I know there will be many more, that is OK – success is not a straight forward and easy process, anyone that says it is… is full of SH*T!
