Meet Nicole Pellegrini: Designer & Copywriter

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

Hi Nicole, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I believe that some people are simply born with an entrepreneurial spirit, and I am one of those people. I’ve been dreaming of running my own business since before I ever entered the work force. There’s always been an appeal to it that I can’t quite explain. Whether it be a coffee shop or a design firm, I’ve always wanted to start my own business. To this day, I’m constantly coming up with new business ideas, even if I don’t end up pursuing them. I think that definitely comes with the territory of having a creative entrepreneurial mind. When I started my current business, I had just been let go from a job in fashion and took that as a sign to go out and try working for myself. I had tried running a small business in my early 20’s. That didn’t work out, so it was a scary step. But it truly felt like a “now or never” moment. This was my chance to take control of my life and take my career into my own hands. I was tired of working for companies and bosses that I didn’t resonate with, so I decided to take the plunge and become my own boss. At the time, I had just exited the fashion industry, so I started taking on freelance design projects while building an accessory shop on Etsy and starting a blog. It’s a lot, I know. But to me, it was more important at first to do the things I enjoyed doing and figure out the money part later. I soon learned it’s true what they say, “if you do what you love, the money will follow.”

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
There’s a lot of pressure in the professional world to focus on one trade or craft. Those of us who do a variety of things and offer a variety of services can often be looked down upon or not taken seriously. However, if you’re a multipassionate creative like myself, then you have a tough time doing just one thing without getting bored. One of the things I’m most proud of is my persistence in taking on the professional world as a multipassionate and refusing to box myself in. I thrive well in start-up or small business environments and wanted to make sure that in building my own business, I kept myself open to a variety of opportunities to keep myself engaged. Fast forward to now: I run my crystal Etsy shop where I sell handmade crystal accessories and home décor. I’ve also made it a pillar of my business to ensure that all crystals are ethically sourced and my packaging and shipping practices are as eco-friendly as possible. Since startup costs can add up quickly for a small business that sells physical products, I also got into digital marketing and copywriting. Currently, I am a social media marketing manager for several brands who are using their platform to make a positive difference in the world. Over the past year, my blogging and copywriting has also landed me in the world of branding which has been an incredibly exciting and rewarding career shift. Getting to where I am today has not been an easy task. I’m entering my third year as a small business owner and am only now taking on enough consistent work (consistent being the key) to fully support myself. Starting a business has its ebbs and flows no matter what industry you decide to go into. I’ve had to learn a lot of lessons the hard way. I’ve fired clients that intuitively I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to work with in the first place. My work-life balance flip-flopped for a while from times of taking on too much work to times where I haven’t had enough. I also had to learn my value and how to ask for my worth, which is something that definitely gets easier with time. I overcame these challenges by learning from my mistakes and refusing to quit on myself. And now, I’m doing work that I enjoy with clients that I enjoy working with. I’m publishing more frequently to my blog. As for my crystal shop, this past holiday season was my most profitable quarter since I opened. I’ve come a long way in two years, not only in business growth but personal growth as well. And looking back on my journey thus far, I wouldn’t change a thing.

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.
As someone who has lived in multiple areas of LA and loves to adventure around, I could probably recommend a place for each area. But I won’t. A couple of my go-to spots in the city to take visitors are Venice Beach Boardwalk and Griffith Park as they both offer a different aspect of the LA experience. Some of my favorite places to eat are Salsa and Beer and The Federal Bar in North Hollywood, Cole’s French Dip in DTLA, and where ever the closest taco truck is. Cole’s and The Federal are both great places to grab a drink as well, in addition to Las Perlas, Idle Hour, and The Dresden. Some other fun and interesting places worth mentioning are The Last Bookstore, Clifton’s Cafeteria, The Good Nite for karaoke and The Greek Theater. I really hope these places are able to survive the pandemic so that we can continue to enjoy them and show them off to out-of-towners for years to come. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I truly believe in the phrase “We rise by lifting others.” And with that being said, I absolutely wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for those who uplifted and supported me in my journey to running my business. The first person I have to give a Shoutout to is my friend and previous coworker, Deirdre. She was the one who encouraged me to start my blog, and without that I wouldn’t have gotten half of the work I have today. I would also like to dedicate this Shoutout to Danielle with Its Strategy and Gil with SuperBrand for both taking me under their wing at different points in my career and helping me hone my craft. And finally, Chris from We Are Giants also deserves a Shoutout as he has provided me with me support, encouragement, advice and work from time to time, during this whole process, as well as giving me the push to start my Etsy shop and even helping me with my first product shoot.

Website: https://www.candyrevolver.com/ & https://www.etsy.com/shop/pellegrinidesigns/
Instagram: @Candyrevolver & @Pellegrinidesigns
Linkedin: https://www.facebook.com/PellegriniDesigns