Meet Diana Simpson | Brand & Shopify Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Diana Simpson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Diana, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I wanted to start my own business because I wanted time and freedom. I knew going back to my 9-5 after maternity leave would put me in a bind both time-wise and financially. I wasn’t making enough as a banker and the job was draining me due to the work environment. Funny enough, I went to college for business management but never finished my degree. Running a business has always been on my mind but I didn’t know what kind of business I wanted to run. I tried offering VA services which included social media management. I quickly realized I didn’t like doing social media engagement and I enjoyed the design process so much better. Then I stumbled on a course on how to create a WordPress website and fell in love with web design. My business has evolved over the years. From offering VA services to now only offering brand identity packages and Shopify design. Starting a business is never easy but the key is to just start. If you have the drive and determination, you can make it happen.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The word creative has been thrown around a lot but I felt like it didn’t apply to me. I never felt creative enough. I often thought I had to make something completely from scratch without inspiration from others so that was a big mindset hurdle I had to overcome. Being creative in my industry means thinking about what makes a brand unique and how can I help clients stand out. My mission is to bring their purpose and values to the front of everything. Design doesn’t start with how it looks but more so by asking the question: “What is the goal of this website and/or brand?”

Without a plan, your brand and website will be something pretty that doesn’t speak to your customers. We don’t want that so I always try to uncover the brand story. A good brand story will connect with your audience and start creating fans for your brand.

It has not been easy to learn and work on brand identities and Shopify stores. It has taken me lots of practice. Taking the time to learn more about certain aspects of Shopify has helped me design better stores. I am still learning and my thought is that I will keep learning to better serve my clients.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve never been to LA so I couldn’t refer friends to spots in that city but there are some great spots here in Georgia as well as Florida. One of the best spots I have visited in Florida is Rosemary Beach. I would take them to the beach and then to this little Italian place for food.

The environment in Rosemary Beach is so soothing that I would take them to visit the shops in town. There are some good coffee shops around the area.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without my husband’s support and the support of mentors who have guided me. When I felt like I couldn’t keep going with this whole business thing, my husband would be the first person to ask me: “Do you really want this business to succeed? Go for it!”

Mentors in the form of coaches have helped me get out of my way and put myself out there to meet new people and form partnerships. People like my Shopify coach, Chaitra have been super supportive in guiding me on what my next steps should be. Positioning myself as a designer even while believing that I didn’t have enough experience was hard but Chaitra pushed me to keep working on my mindset and business. I am not where I want to be but I continue working on my business day by day because of the support of these people.

Website: https://simpsonswebdesign.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simpsons_webdesign/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simpsonswebdesign

Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Simpsonswebdesign/

Image Credits
Trish Hardeman Photography – Personal photo of Diana