Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Folkes.
Hi Kimberly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always had a love for design but mainly typography, color theory and learning about how to design for print. I fell in love with printing when I was in college, I worked at Office Depot in the Copy & Print Center for four years and obtained a lot of knowledge. Although I learned a lot about the printing process while studying design at Georgia State University, at work I actually had my hands on the printing. I received training from Xerox technicians and was able to learn every machine and their capabilities. During my years there, I specialized in making marketing designs (flyers, business cards, banners…) but when I was hired as a designer at a very well-known gift & stationery store in Atlanta, GA, I then found the world of stationery and invitations. It was really fun designing for weddings, events and parties. I later was hired at a very high end stationery and gift store in Atlanta where I was able to learn more about traditional stationery about the different types of printing methods outside of just digital printing, such as: thermography, foil, letterpress & engraving. I began working more with adding in design embellishments like envelope liners, wax seals, paper layering and really learning how to make stationery “pop” and stand out amongst others. During this time of my years working as a graphic designer, I also graduated college with a bachelors degree in Art, started my family and my company (which was established in 2014.)
In 2017, my family and I moved to Tampa, FL and I took on my business full time. It was a journey! During the past year I changed my name from Bliss Creative Atlanta to Bliss Creative and my design business expanded from solely stationery and invitations to now also offering brand design services such as logos, websites and marketing material along with printing. Like Atlanta, the wedding industry is large in Florida which is amazing but also my ability to work nationwide whether it be for wedding and events or brand design, has allowed me to expand my business and offerings all over the US.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would have to say balancing motherhood, being a wife and a business owner is always a challenging part of my life. I am a very craft driven classroom mom, always wanting to try to cook a new meal or go on a family adventure, but also always feel like I need to be working on a design project. I had to learn to shut the computer down and make sure I set my own work hours as I would if I was working a “9-5″. Being a sole business owner can sometimes be challenging because I don’t have anyone to fall back on when myself or someone in my family falls sick, or if there is an emergency and I need to step away. Thankfully I always have amazing clients and I lucked out with a great virtual assistant who I hired last year. Learning how to not only balance it all but also accept help was a big challenge for me but I am always transparent and engaging with my clients and I believe I have gained a great amount of respect as a business owner for that.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I always like to tell people “I just make stuff look pretty!” Before I began brand design I would always look at any wedding or event as a brand. Your save the dates and invitation design all set the tone for the big day. Specializing in both design and printing was major for me to always study new trends and keep myself in the know. With today’s world of Pinterest and websites where you can easily design your own invitations, it can sometimes steer people away from wanting original or custom designs. Every invitation design I offer is custom made for each client. I work directly with each client going over details on their wedding or event to ensure that we execute those details within their designs. My studio has tons of samples and swatches so if there is ever a question I can easily send over a photo and give details on each item or meet with local clients. When I mock up each design and we begin the proofing process I am very detailed and will also make suggestion where needed all while fitting within or as close to a client’s budget. Knowing the printing industry allows me to also offer stationery styles to fit within different budgets and design styles.
As far as my brand design, I had to learn not every client is meant to be my client. I want to always be sure that what we are creating is original and not just the same love you can buy somewhere for a flash $50 sale. I have a lot of passion when it comes to branding because my clients put a lot of work and invest in making their companies stand out. I consult with each potential client and discuss their brand, vision, goals and overall project scheme. If I am a good fit, we typically begin with the logo design if needed and once that is complete we work on any brand material and/or the website design. A big part of my brand design is also printing marketing material and since I work with several printers I can also make suggestions where needed and work with different budgets. The best part of every project I design is that my clients can work with me and also receive printed orders within the comforts of their own home or office and can reach out to me anytime for additional orders or re-orders.
Often my wedding couples return for future life events whether it be a new baby or even a business, and my brand clients know they can always reach me for additional projects. I love the connections I have made and will continue to make, my clients putting their trust in me to design their visions is what means the most.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice is always to “Be Original.”
During my years at Georgia State and studying design in art school I was able to meet so many different people and witness their own way of design. None of us were ever the same and we were able to openly critique each other’s work and learn what inspired us to create each project.
When I am hired as a designer, of course I would love to see inspiration images or things that catch your eye, but I would never repeat another designer’s work.That is not what I am hired to do and that is not what designing is all about. You want your work to stand out and also your customer service.
My other suggestion to entrepreneurs who are just starting out is to learn the business side of things first and then begin branding.I find that many people do what I did and just jump into their branding not having a vision and need a logo “ASAP.” To me, it is not all about having a logo and face, there is so much more to it. It took a lot of self-studying, market research, business investments & licensing to ensure that I was running my business both legally and correctly. I strongly suggest a CRM such as Dubsado and creating a workflow if you are running a business with clients and utilizing contracts, invoices, scheduling. More information can be found here: https://www.blisscreativeatl.
Contact Info:
- Email: kimberly@blisscreativeatl.com
- Website: www.blisscreativeatl.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/blisscreativeatl
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/blisscreativeatl
- Other: www.instagram.com/designwithbliss
Image Credits
Ashley Victoria Photography, Landrum Photography, Laura Lo Photography, Rachelle Lynn Photography, Terrie Images, Jennifer Alyssa Photography, and Jessica Thomas Photography
