Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Leonor.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Brittany. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I feel like the dream to start my own company has always been inside me. Ever since I was little, I imagined my grown-up life to be out of the ordinary. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going for (I wanted to be everything from a photographer to a singer to a professional surfer), but I knew I wanted it to be different.
My freshman year at North Central College I took an Entrepreneurship class because I needed a half credit. At the time I was planning on transferring to art school when my professor gave me some good advice that I think every creative should hear. He said if you have talent, you have talent. Art school won’t teach you that. What you need to know is how to sell yourself and run a business. So, I took up an entrepreneurship degree and landed a great internship at a then, very small company. I learned so much about business, marketing, PR, sales and manufacturing. It’s also where I taught myself graphic design, to fill an internal need, and what sparked me to see a career switch in that. It was great experience and I loved the people, but knew it wasn’t where I would be forever.
A few years ago, the pull to branch out on my own and really focus on creative design work was at an all-time high. I knew I needed to quit my job and go for it, but it was probably the hardest decision of my life. No joke, it took me about 3 years to make my move. As a perfectionist, I was terrified of failure and my fear literally paralyzed me. After a lot of thinking, praying, tears and long talks with my husband Josh and my parents, I finally pulled the trigger. I talked to my bosses (who were incredibly supportive, and still are), set an end date and began the entrepreneurial journey. The name Sage Glow Studio came to me late one December night and I bought the domain on NYE 2015 while Josh and I were out to dinner at Mercadito.
My only regret? That I didn’t take the leap sooner.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Not at all! Everything is new and a bit (or very) scary when you set out to own your own business. One of the struggles that jumps out to me, is zeroing in on a focus. When I started out, I was heading in the direction of full-service graphic design (think sell sheets, catalogs, websites.). Oh, and since I had a camera, I did client photography and tried to slowly move into stock photos too. But you know what? I didn’t really like doing any of those things. And trying to make it all work and run in multiple directions was a huge struggle, but also a huge learning opportunity. When I made the decision to strictly do illustrations, things started to click.
Along those lines, something else I struggled with (and think a lot of creatives do too) was separating business and hobbies. I learned that just because I have a million interests, I don’t need to cram them all into my business. Services or products may expand in the future, but for now I’ve given myself permission to keep some things fun.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Sage Glow Studio story. Tell us more about the business.
Sage Glow Studio is a wellness illustration studio and lifestyle brand. I specialize in digital illustrations for companies in the wellness and natural beauty space, create art prints for my print shop and have a blog.
I think what sets me apart from others is the combination of wellness and art. There are a ton of illustrators in the fashion and traditional beauty world, but not many in the holistic world. I like taking a proven concept from one industry and applying it to something new.
My fierce support of my clients is something that both sets me apart and makes me proud. 99% of my clients are women who have incredible ideas and are all inspiring. I love building them up and giving them as much support as I can beyond just be providing illustrations. Whether it’s liking every one of their Instagram posts, featuring them on my blog, giving them marketing ideas or suggesting their products to my friends, I try to show up for them in as many ways as possible.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
To be totally honest, I don’t really believe in luck. I believe that both good and bad things happen in life and business – it’s all about how you respond to them and what you focus on. I do believe in prayer and blessings. I do believe in creating a good work, saying yes to as many opportunities that are in-line with your mission and putting yourself out there even if you’re scared. These things combined give you the opportunities that some consider luck. And if bad things do happen, I look at them as a part of life, see how they can help me grow and move on. I like to keep my energy focused on the positive!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.sageglowstudio.com/
- Email: brittany@sageglowstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sageglowstudio/
- Other: http://www.sageglowstudio.com/behind-the-glow
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