We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jennifer Testamarck. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jennifer below.
Jennifer, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from faith in a plan greater than my own comprehension. I have had many challenges in my life, accompanied by a multitude of blessings. Every time I am in a challenging season, it’s really hard to see the purpose behind all the pain and suffering. I stay resilient because time and time again once that challenging season has calmed down, it’s not that I fully understand it’s purpose, but I do see how strong and more fearless I become to take another step confidently in the person I know I am meant to be. I stay resilient because I believe I am not here on this earth for myself, but to the benefit of helping others along their journeys. Every lesson I learn, I want to pass it along to the next person who needs it.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My name is Jennifer Testamarck, I am a brand and website designer. I have been running my own solo practice for the past 9 years called MakeJoy Studio. I really enjoy helping other women and solopreneurs grow their business by helping them communicate what they do in a visual way that attracts more of the right clients.
Two years ago, while grieving the loss of my father to cancer, I was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer at age 35. My cancer is a very rare form called Paraganglioma that has metastasized throughout my body. A year after that diagnosis I was also diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer. I am in this season now of trying to find my voice around these tragedies in hope of inspiring others to keep going despite whatever challenges they are facing.
Besides some side effects of surgery and a few treatments, I have been blessed to wake up with no symptoms regardless of cancer existing throughout my body. After watching my dad suffer for two years with his cancer, I do not take my ability to wake up “feeling good” for granted.
A lot of this season of my life does not make sense to me yet, but my passion remains in helping others with their businesses. While maintaining my health is my number one priority, I simply show up for my business the best I can each day, for myself and others. Somedays that looks like a day connecting with my clients via video chat, sketching out design options, and somedays it looks like taking a really long nap, but I do my best and remove any guilt or thoughts of not being enough.
Brand and website design were a new phase of my career nearly a decade ago. I originally went to school to study interior design, and graduated with a degree in design management. I then found myself in the marketing department for some large architecture and engineering firms. Several years into that, I wanted to pivot from writing 50-page proposals that won million-dollar projects for those companies, and return to the creative side of marketing– graphic design. I went back to school and got my masters degree in graphic design where I learned to quickly communicate what people have to offer by successfully creating visual forms of communication. My passion grew for figuring out how to communicate what somebody does in a few words or images vs. those long format proposals I was used to creating in my past career.
Brand and website design allow me to help a small business owner express what they do succinctly and confidently. When their brand is clearly defined, they are able to share it more easily and grow their business with the right clients and customers. As I have grown my business, I become more passionate about helping others succeed and grow their business too. Entrepreneurship is not an easy path, but very rewarding, and I want to see more people follow their passion and obtain the benefits of entrepreneurship in their life.
One way I am trying to help more entrepreneurs this season is by offering a “website in a box” that is a premium high-quality design at a more affordable price point. I work directly with each person to select the right website template that will fit their brand best. This website is built with a beautiful design and a framework that makes producing the right content to communicate successfully with your clients. All of this is done for you in under 60 days.
My website design service is called the SiteStyler by MakeJoy Studio. One and three-page website design options that are responsive to different screen sizes, ensuring they look great on all devices. You can visit thesitestyler.com to learn more about it and get on the waitlist for Winter 2023.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Resilience is definitely a key quality that has made an impact on my journey. My journey with Stage IV Cancer and a creating a successful business is far from over. I am right in the middle of it, but the thing I can speak to is believing that when we fail, we can still move forward. Never quitting on your dream is the way I find my happiness during tragedy. The constant pursuit to do the best I can for today will make up for what I might lack tomorrow.
Another key to success in my journey is not doing it alone. In the 9 years, I have been running my own business, I have felt very alone and battled things I thought nobody around me would understand. My business grows and thrives when I surround myself with other entrepreneurs. It doesn’t matter if they are in a different industry, or making 10x more revenue than me, our struggles in business are the same, and we have the ability to encourage each other and help each other through the journey. Find a group where you feel inspired by others and make genuine connections with people, because they will be there for you when you feel rock bottom and drink champagne with you when you achieve success.
The other quality that is impactful to my journey is clarity. Defining what is important to me and prioritizing those things ensure that everyday I am working towards something that makes me happy. Our time is precious, and I want to spend my time doing more of what lights me up, and not just what people or the business demand of me. Clarity allows me to do more of what I enjoy most, which ultimately helps me make more money, and I can afford to pay others to help me do the necessary tasks that I would rather not spend my time on. Clarity can come from writing down goals and journaling to figure out why you love what you do. Once you have figured out the what and why, only then you should figure out the how.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client is someone who trusts me as their design and marketing expert. They let me do the work for them while they stay busy in their own genius zone. They know I am going to ask all the right questions to understand exactly what they want and desire for their business. I don’t just design pretty things, I really dive deep into your business and who you serve, so that I can design something that effectively speaks right to them, grabs their attention, and leads to clarity so they feel confident in making a purchase.
Contact Info:
- Website: thesiteystyler.com and makejoystudio.com
- Instagram: makejoystudio
Image Credits
Sarah Hoag Photography
