Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Cole.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Caitlin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up within a family of artists in Kansas City, Missouri I knew for as long as I can remember that creating was my passion. I started taking Graphic Design classes in high school and earned a scholarship to a vocational school which I attended for half the day during my Senior Year.
After obtaining a degree in graphic design and image technology from the University of Central Missouri (UCM), I relocated to downtown Chicago and launched Caitlin Cole Design in 2009. I started my company with myself as the sole employee and with word of mouth referrals.
One by one I booked more and more jobs but I had work to work nights as a waitress to pay the bills in the meantime. That meant long hours, lots of juggling and years of being a “starving artist” and following my true passion. For years I worked nights, weekends and holidays while building my design business with every extra minute I could find. This continued on until 2016 when I was finally busy enough with design work to quit waiting tables for good.
I hung up my serving apron and vowed to never look back. About six months later I was able to take on my first full-time employee and the business has continued to grow since then. I’m beyond grateful to be able to do what I love as a full-time career and it makes all of the years of hard work worth it now. My advice to others who are working night and day to make their dream a reality is to never give up on what you love, the rest will follow.
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?
Working nights as a waitress while building my business was always a struggle.
Please tell us about Caitlin Cole Design.
My company specializes in traditional Graphic Design, large-scale hand-painted indoor and outdoor murals, hand painted signage, printed wall art, and custom printing. I am a multi-talented freelance artist as well as a professionally trained graphic designer.
What sets me apart is that my graphic design experience allows me to create mockups of large-scale projects beforehand so my clients can see exactly what the finished product will look like in their space. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of it.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Going to the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City to look at different art exhibits on a regular basis.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.caitlincoledesign.com
- Email: caitlin@caitlincoledesign.com
- Instagram: @ccdesignchicago
- Facebook: @CaitlinColeDesign
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