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

Hi Jody, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I think the most important factor behind my success & the success of my business is hard work, dedication, constantly learning new skills and adapting as things evolve. I also value my relationships with my clients and I always put their needs first. It’s so important for me to keep those relationships well after the projects are done because a big part of my business is referral based. I started my design consulting business in 2019 and since then I’ve refined my business offerings, strategy and process. I’ve consumed so much information and have taught myself new custom coding and website design techniques that enable me to provide quality services to my clients. When I’m feeling like I am in over my head I push myself that much further to improve my business and deliver quality work.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m the founder of Niche Design Consulting based in Ojai, Ca. I specialize in branding and website design for local businesses. Before starting Niche I was a head designer in the fashion industry in Los Angeles. During my fashion design career, I had the opportunity to partner with and design for some of the top retailers in the US such as Target, Forever 21 and Nordstrom. For over a decade, I’ve helped so many brands increase their revenue and consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation and style. After a successful career I decided to quit my job and travel a board to South America and Asia. Upon returning to the states I decided to use my experience to help local businesses achieve their branding goals. In 2019, I founded Niche Design Consulting, a boutique branding and website design agency. I spent hours designing my own website & strategized how I was going to sign new clients. At first I was so scared because I was new and didn’t have any revenue coming in. When I signed my first client I was so excited and was eager to get started but I quickly learned that having your own creative agency was way more than just designing pretty things. I had to take a crash course in business 101 and what I really needed to do was create an onboarding process that began with a proposal, then a contract, project scope and timeline. Once I figured those things out I could focus on the design part of my business.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was going to visit me in Ojai I would start by taking them to Beacon Coffee for a morning latte. Afterward we’d go for a nice hike either in the Meadow Preserve or up Shelf Rd. From there we’d get cleaned up and head into town for lunch at The Nest or Ojai Rotie. Then we’d hit up all the cute little boutiques in town… Canyon Supply, Kariella, DeKor, Fig, and In The Field and Bungalow just to name a few. Then we’d enjoy some wine and an afternoon snack at Tipple & Ramble. For dinner we’d go to either Osteria Monte Grappa.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shout out to my husband Randy Chapman who has believed in me from day one. Even before I owned my own business he was there rooting for me when I was a designer working in a very demanding fast paced environment in downtown LA. It was him cheering me on and giving me sound advice when I needed it the most!

Website: https://nichedesignconsulting.com/

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

Image Credits
I have the rights to all images provided

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