Episode 87: Confessions of a “Bad Business Owner”
From Dream Job to Freelancing
Joanna's journey started in the music industry, where she landed her dream job as a graphic and web designer at a record label in Nashville. However, she soon realized that the fast-paced environment wasn't for her. With strong support from her family, Joanna took the leap into freelancing much sooner than expected. She established her own business, focusing on branding and web design for creative entrepreneurs. Despite loving her clients and the work, she eventually found herself yearning for something more personal and fulfilling.
The Shift to Illustration
As Joanna's passion for illustration grew, she started a side project creating art prints, stickers, and greeting cards with a historical and educational twist. This passion project began to flourish, and Joanna found herself enjoying it more than her client work. Over time, she gradually shifted her focus from client projects to her product line.
The Myth of the Good Business Owner
In an Instagram post, Joanna declared herself a "bad business owner," sparking a wave of support from fellow creatives. This post highlighted the unrealistic standards many business owners set for themselves. Often comparing their behind-the-scenes struggles to the polished, online versions of others' successes. Joanna's honesty revealed a common thread among creative entrepreneurs: the pressure to excel in every aspect of business while maintaining authenticity. This conversation opens up about the myth of the perfect business owner and the challenges of wearing multiple hats in the creative industry.
Join us as we delve deeper into Joanna's journey, the realities of running a creative business, and the importance of authenticity and support within the creative community. Whether you're an artist, designer, or entrepreneur, there's something in Joanna's story that will resonate with you.
Joanna Dee is a designer and illustrator with a love of color and endless amounts of curiosity. She is the owner and artist at Joanna Dee Studio, a product line of illustrated goods created for history-lovers, bookworms, and just generally curious people. Admittedly (and proudly) she has always been a bit of a nerd. She was the kid who couldn’t leave the house without a book, declared she had a favorite author in the 2nd grade, and by the 5th grade wrote in her journal that her 50-year-old librarian was her very best friend. Learning was her first love and art was her second. Born into a family of creatives she was always making things. Her mom’s motto in life is, “Don’t buy that, we can make it.” From a young age, she collected paper samples and stationery products, and while most kids were doing literally anything else she was printing off fonts to see if she could replicate them by hand. Joanna’s business is a fusion of these two loves. Through illustration, she is celebrating her life-long obsession of learning.
For more about Joanna’s work or to get in touch, visit her website at joannadestudio.com or you can follow her creative journey on Instagram at @joannadee.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
This conversation illustrates the power of social media and how honest conversations about the pressures of entrepreneurship, especially in creative fields, can validate common experiences and foster a supportive community.
It’s important to define success on your own terms, recognizing that a "good business owner" is a relative term and is only what you define it as.
Acknowledging your toughest challenges and with all the hats you wear can help you to seek specific support or education to build confidence in those areas.
Your performance standards should be personal and adaptable, reflecting your individual capacity and real-life circumstances rather than rigid, external expectations which can lead to burnout.
Joanna suggests writing down accomplishments and positive feedback to remind oneself of past successes during moments of doubt. This practice can motivate continued growth without succumbing to harsh self-criticism.
