We recently connected with Laura Grace Sears and have shared our conversation below.
Laura Grace, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Have you ever panicked and felt overwhelmed trying to figure out what to major in, what kind of jobs to look for, and what you should do with your life? Great – me too. I don’t know many people who get to bypass that feeling.
When I was in college, I started out as an economics major because I liked my AP Econ class in high school and because I thought I should major in something smart and stable that could get me a job.
Katie Lynn and I both tried to do smart and reasonable things for a while. After all, we were straight-A students and perfectionist-people-pleasers.
I learned pretty quickly that doing something because I felt like I “should” do it wasn’t the best motivation. Sure, I did well in classes, but there weren’t any jobs or careers that piqued my interest even a little in that field. And I was feeling restless and far from content.
So, I started following my interests, my passions, and my earnest curiosity and focused on the things I found fun and easy. I followed those feelings all the way to a new major and a new school: Ga Tech’s Media major where I studied film and literature. And I dragged Katie Lynn with me. She stuck with Economics til the end but was always eyeing up my creative coursework and sometimes even finding her way into my classes.
By the time we both graduated, I had learned how to use cameras and KL was teaching herself how to design in Adobe Illustrator. Then, we were faced with more things we “should” do as graduates. Mainly, we were supposed to find decent jobs in our respective fields. And we did. But we didn’t like them at all and neither of us were motivated to stick around in those jobs for very long. Those feelings of restlessness crept back in. So, we both quit.
We graduated in December 2018 and by March of 2019 we had started a business together doing photography, videography, and design for local businesses. Of course, that business evolved into what is now Mushaboom Studio.
I think finding purpose is all about listening to your own personal motivations and passions and finding ways to use them in your career or your day-to-day. Finding purpose doesn’t have to be about finding some larger-than-life calling. It can be about doing work that you find easy, that you’re good at, or enjoy doing.
KL and I will both tell you to follow joy and ease and they will lead you to your purpose — which, by the way, is allowed to change and evolve.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
We are KL and LG, twin sisters and co-owners of the Atlanta-based creative agency, Mushaboom Studio. KL is your go-to for brand and web design, turning ideas into seamless online experiences. LG captures photography that effortlessly communicates what your business has to offer. Together, we craft cohesive brand systems that will grow with your business.
Our mission is to provide branding, photography, and web design services in a way that makes a complex process feel organized and fun. We use our combined skills to create cohesive brands that are visually delicious as well as flexible and functional for the businesses that will use them.
We mostly work with service-based businesses (but are expanding to Shopify soon) and we love creating strong brand foundations for businesses that are doing amazing things.
If you know your brand needs a refresh but don’t know where to start check out our Brand Audit. It’s one hour with friendly experts (us) where we identify the most impactful, cost-effective next steps for improving the power of your brand.
https://mushaboom.studio/brand-audit
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three skill sets that have been incredibly impactful for us are: 1.) Our ability to teach ourselves how to do things.
2.) Strong communication skills. Lots of clear communication is essential for managing clients, managing contractors, and working well as a team.
3.) The ability to distill ideas and words into cohesive visuals.
Here’s some advice on how to improve those skills for yourself:
1.) Practice teaching yourself a skill you’re interested. Use Youtube, Skillshare, an online course. Find the resources that will help you learn how to do something you want to do!
2.) I recommend listening to freelance podcasts like Per Our Last Email (we’re on an episode) and learn from other freelancer’s communication experiences. It will help you learn the ropes before you start communicating with real clients.
3.) There are so many ways to improve your ability to curate and create visuals, but I recommend trying to create visuals with a purpose. Whether you’re taking photos, putting together a website, creating a brand, designing a space, or picking out an outfit: try to come up with three descriptive words you’re going for. Try to choose a goal of what you want to express and then mood board before moving forward. Once you’ve curated or crafted the thing ask others what vibe or style comes across from what you’ve created and see if you achieved the goal you were going for! Check out our Mood Boarding Masterclass for more practical tips on how to do this! https://mushaboom.studio/mood-boarding-masterclass-sign-up
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
I want to recommend two books to any freelancers or budding entrepreneurs out there.
Freelance and Business and Stuff by Amy and Jenn Hood. I read this book cover-to-cover multiple times in the first year of our business. We used it to write our business plan and followed the instructions almost to a T. It’s written by two twin creatives that I really admire and I can say whole-heartedly that the advice in it is golden. It’s not on my shelf right now because I lent it to another creative who is loving it.
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. This bookkeeping and accounting system has helped remove so much stress and anxiety from my day-to-day as a business owner. Setting it up is a bit complicated, but maintaining this system is simple. It will make it so much easier for you to keep your business profitable, I promise! I own the book and the audiobook. Every other business owner that I know who uses this system swears by it. AND the financial planner that I use recommends it to all of her clients who run businesses!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mushaboom.studio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mushaboom.studio/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/35672344/admin/feed/posts/
Image Credits
All photos by Mushaboom Studio
