And So it begins...
I have been writing a journal since I was probably 7 - I think Vanessa, my sister, gave me my first one- but this is the first attempt in journaling online - isn't that what this really is...on online journal. I met with a client, and friend, on Tuesday morning at a coffee shop in Rochester and he suggested that this would be a great tool for my business. So here goes.
I guess it would help to give a little background as to what got me here...the short version - since I technically should be billing the time it is taking to do this.
I started out as an Advertising and Graphic Design major at University of Miami in 1995 - and I learned a lot in the 2 years there but knew it wasn't really the place for me so I left after Sophmore year and ventured out to see where the place for me would be. I interned that summer for a woman in Tampa who had her own graphic design firm - a goal of mine even then. She was a one woman show - working out of a shared office with a PR firm. I had a blast working for her that summer and learned more than I could have imagined. It was a great experience and definitely one that would set the tone for how I would make my career path. I left Tampa in August to go back to Baltimore - "home" - to then leave for a semester abroad studying in Florence. I was surrounded by art, culture and great food and after 6 months trying to still find my way - I went back home to figure it all out. I applied to different art schools - in Boston, Chicago, Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale - I visited them all and still had no clue what I wanted. But I finally made the decision to head back down to South Florida. I became a Graphic Design major at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and there I was surrounded by professors - one in particular who now runs the Design Department - that truly inspired me. She ran her own business and taught and her experience was the greatest textbook an aspiring entrepreneur could ask for. Even still - I didn't start my own business out of School. I started to work during my second semester as a Production Artist at an advertising agency. I was a novice to say the least but I had another great teacher - Mike Wysuph. Mike was the Quark guru - he ran a tight ship - I am not even sure he had that much faith in me when I started but he pushed and pushed and within a matter of months - I was cranking out ads as fast as he was and I knew the program like that back of my hand. Mike became a great friend of mine and he and Alizah made it worth going to work those 3 days a week. So when I was offered a full time job - I took it. I knew it would be a great launch to my career. So 5 years later, now as an Associate Creative Director, I was working on high profile clients and I, like Mike, was teaching the ins and outs of ad production and Quark to the newbies...But I knew that wouldn't be the extent of my graphic design career.
In June of 2002, I went on another soul searching trip. My sister Michelle and I traveled to Turkey for 3 weeks and it was a trip of a lifetime. I realized that there was more to living than working and more to working than just going through the motions. I needed more because I would not be happy if I spent my life working for someone else. So I came back and quit my job. Ok - so kids - don't try this at home. We were just going to war, I was driving a Lexus, living in an apartment, had student loans, and a nice little credit card payment from my trip - oh yeah and no clients. Hmmm...can you say CRAZY!
But I knew what I wanted and when I know what I want - I go after it. At least that was my rationale at 26. I had a friend that was a marketing director at a medical company - before I left my job she had contacted me to do some design work. I obviously was in touch with her pretty immediately and went on retainer with them. And so it began. Jenna Fava Design Company, LLC. Looking back, I don't know what I did - honestly - I just did it. I found a way to get clients - somehow it all just started coming together. I worked from my G4 in my little studio apartment and I made it work. And it worked well. I kept my lexus :-) and bought a condo 2 years later...and then everything changed again.
In 2004 I met the love of my life and moved to Rochester NY. Some would say I was crazy - not only was it a total climate change and my weekends on the beach were over - but my business was working well, a year prior I had been inducted into the Art Institute Wall of Fame, I had made a name for myself and - OH right - I just bought a condo -- but yeah I did the CRAZY thing again. I moved to Rochester and I knew I had to start over but at least this time, I had the clients in Florida to keep me going - have laptop will travel.
And so here I am.
Happily married (we got married in October), happily self-employed - and happily calling Rochester NY my home.
Ok. So maybe that wasn't the really short version - but isn't it important to know someone's past in order to understand who they are?
That will give you something to chew on. I have to go do some design work so I can bill out today...until next time....Ciao!
I guess it would help to give a little background as to what got me here...the short version - since I technically should be billing the time it is taking to do this.
I started out as an Advertising and Graphic Design major at University of Miami in 1995 - and I learned a lot in the 2 years there but knew it wasn't really the place for me so I left after Sophmore year and ventured out to see where the place for me would be. I interned that summer for a woman in Tampa who had her own graphic design firm - a goal of mine even then. She was a one woman show - working out of a shared office with a PR firm. I had a blast working for her that summer and learned more than I could have imagined. It was a great experience and definitely one that would set the tone for how I would make my career path. I left Tampa in August to go back to Baltimore - "home" - to then leave for a semester abroad studying in Florence. I was surrounded by art, culture and great food and after 6 months trying to still find my way - I went back home to figure it all out. I applied to different art schools - in Boston, Chicago, Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale - I visited them all and still had no clue what I wanted. But I finally made the decision to head back down to South Florida. I became a Graphic Design major at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and there I was surrounded by professors - one in particular who now runs the Design Department - that truly inspired me. She ran her own business and taught and her experience was the greatest textbook an aspiring entrepreneur could ask for. Even still - I didn't start my own business out of School. I started to work during my second semester as a Production Artist at an advertising agency. I was a novice to say the least but I had another great teacher - Mike Wysuph. Mike was the Quark guru - he ran a tight ship - I am not even sure he had that much faith in me when I started but he pushed and pushed and within a matter of months - I was cranking out ads as fast as he was and I knew the program like that back of my hand. Mike became a great friend of mine and he and Alizah made it worth going to work those 3 days a week. So when I was offered a full time job - I took it. I knew it would be a great launch to my career. So 5 years later, now as an Associate Creative Director, I was working on high profile clients and I, like Mike, was teaching the ins and outs of ad production and Quark to the newbies...But I knew that wouldn't be the extent of my graphic design career.
In June of 2002, I went on another soul searching trip. My sister Michelle and I traveled to Turkey for 3 weeks and it was a trip of a lifetime. I realized that there was more to living than working and more to working than just going through the motions. I needed more because I would not be happy if I spent my life working for someone else. So I came back and quit my job. Ok - so kids - don't try this at home. We were just going to war, I was driving a Lexus, living in an apartment, had student loans, and a nice little credit card payment from my trip - oh yeah and no clients. Hmmm...can you say CRAZY!
But I knew what I wanted and when I know what I want - I go after it. At least that was my rationale at 26. I had a friend that was a marketing director at a medical company - before I left my job she had contacted me to do some design work. I obviously was in touch with her pretty immediately and went on retainer with them. And so it began. Jenna Fava Design Company, LLC. Looking back, I don't know what I did - honestly - I just did it. I found a way to get clients - somehow it all just started coming together. I worked from my G4 in my little studio apartment and I made it work. And it worked well. I kept my lexus :-) and bought a condo 2 years later...and then everything changed again.
In 2004 I met the love of my life and moved to Rochester NY. Some would say I was crazy - not only was it a total climate change and my weekends on the beach were over - but my business was working well, a year prior I had been inducted into the Art Institute Wall of Fame, I had made a name for myself and - OH right - I just bought a condo -- but yeah I did the CRAZY thing again. I moved to Rochester and I knew I had to start over but at least this time, I had the clients in Florida to keep me going - have laptop will travel.
And so here I am.
Happily married (we got married in October), happily self-employed - and happily calling Rochester NY my home.
Ok. So maybe that wasn't the really short version - but isn't it important to know someone's past in order to understand who they are?
That will give you something to chew on. I have to go do some design work so I can bill out today...until next time....Ciao!
posted by Jenna Fava Design Co. at
10:02 AM
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