Life and Work with Delaina Doshi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Delaina Doshi.

Delaina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Sure! I truly believe I was born to be a creative entrepreneur – it just took me a while to figure that out!

I am from a small farming town in central Illinois and honestly never thought I would leave. I felt safe & content – most of my family is from central Illinois and staying seemed like a safe bet.

I went to college at U of I, pretty close to where I grew up, and ended up meeting my future husband there. He already had a job lined up in Chicago so I followed him to the city and took a leap of faith and to leave home and start my career. I expected to get married and immediately move closer to my hometown but instead Chicago became home and now I can’t imagine leaving. I have been full time in sales for the past 6 years with some kind of creative venture always on the side.

In 2016, I started teaching myself to letter with a book I received for Christmas. I spent a lot of that summer perfecting my craft. My first “lettering gig” was doing envelopes and place cards for a close friend a few months later. I showed photos to friends and posted some on my Instagram. After the encouragement I received I decided to go for it. I opened up an Etsy shop that winter and little by little started gaining more exposure and jobs from friends, family and strangers across the world!

In 2017, I registered as an official business and have been excited to see more and more growth in 2018 especially during wedding season!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Haha, no. I laugh because I think all too often we as entrepreneurs make it look too easy. Most days I’m not sure how I do it, but if you look at my Instagram it really looks like I have it all together.

I had a lot of really hard life events happen that coincided with opening Delaina J in 2016 – one of the hardest being that my best friend died by suicide. Lettering was a large part of how I healed and dealt with my grief in a really hard season. Each order or even simple doodle provided my mind and heart a piece of relief and I will forever be thankful for that.

Beyond that, simply learning how to run a business efficiently was so hard. As I mentioned, I think a lot of time entrepreneurs make it look easy online but in reality there’s so much more than just a pretty Instagram post. There’s tax paperwork and shipping and lots and lots of planning. Content creation, acquiring customers then actually doing the work and meeting deadlines. It’s hard – but so worth it.

To other young women starting your journey I would say, “learn to rest and not quit.” I can’t tell you how freeing it is to realize that your dream will always be there even if you need to take a break. And that beyond that – taking breaks can be really healthy! For me I have found that breaks are absolutely necessary to keep me going and keep me creative! As an example, this summer I’m taking a pretty large break from Instagram. I found myself scrolling a lot, constantly feeling like I needed to post and comparing myself to other calligraphers and entrepreneurs out there. I wanted to take a break so that not only could my mind have a bit of a vacation but also so that I wasn’t consuming so much content that my creativity was compromised.

I would also say find community over competition. I have found so much joy in my friendships with other calligraphers and creatives. There are so many groups to get involved with to meet people in person!

Please tell us about Delaina J Designs.
Of course! I specialize in wedding and special event signage + all of the small pieces that make your wedding or special event really stand out. Think welcome signs, escort cards, envelope lettering, chalk design and most recently silk ribbon!

As far as what I’m proud of – probably looking back and seeing how I’ve grown over the past two years! Just looking back on my Instagram feed is a huge accomplishment. I’m really proud of how I’ve improved.

I think I also stand out because I’m always open to try new things. I made it a goal to say yes to as many projects as I can to help me truly define my niche. This has led to some super fun jobs and being able to be published which I’m really proud of! I love that I can add something unique and special to each event I’m part of. I think there’s something really special about having pieces that were handwritten. With a lot of digital work now I think when something is written by hand the uniqueness and small imperfections make it absolutely beautiful.

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Definitely. My family has always been a huge source of inspiration for me. My grandpa started our family business without any kind of formal education. He worked really hard to build a business – a lot of it built on relationships with people making them lifelong customers and friends. He believed that it didn’t matter if a person was a janitor or CEO, they deserved the same kind of treatment. I love that and have adopted that in my own life. I think he would really be proud of that.

Also, my parents! No matter what goal I was set on at the moment – getting an A in algebra, the lead in the school musical, or starting a business they have always encouraged me to go for it. This helped me to dream big dreams and continue striving towards even bigger goals. My dad and I are super similar. He’s a teacher and football coach turned salesman and entrepreneur and growing up- and even to this day – I learn a lot from his example and advice. He doesn’t take no for an answer – he keeps trying and I’ve never seen him give up. He also doesn’t know a stranger. Learning from his example has giving me an unshakable persistence and the ability to grow a really strong network.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.delainaj.com
• Email: hello@delainaj.com
• Instagram: @delaina_j

Image Credit:
My photo: Credit Rachel Bires, My work photos: Credit Rachel Bires, Christy Tyler Photo, Brittany Marie Photography, Forever Incredible Photography, Maria Harte Photography

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