Meet Ella Bryant

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ella Bryant a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ella, thanks for sitting with us today to chat about topics that are relevant to so many. One of those topics is communication skills, because we live in an age where our ability to communicate effectively can be like a superpower. Can you share how you developed your ability to communicate well?

To me, communication is about so much more than the words we use (although those are certainly a big part of it!) The visuals we share with the world to represent ourselves and our businesses matter, how we approach conversations matters, who we make intentional connections with matters.

My ability to communicate effectively about what I do, who I serve and who I am grew alongside my ability to help others do the same. My brand design studio, Zona Creative Solutions, has grown with me from a small part time gig in college to my full time job today. I began with a rough idea of who I wanted to serve and what I was providing for them, and since then I’ve been able to develop a keener sense of brand awareness and messaging through my work, which has translated into a stronger understanding of what make my offerings unique in my own business.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I was trained as an artist at NYU, but during my time there I developed an interest in digital media which led me to getting a remote internship in Social Media Marketing. I feel very lucky that I took that opportunity when I did because it allowed me to continue working when the pandemic hit and I was forced to leave my serving job. Later that year, I began the freelance design and social media management practice that would one day become Zona Create Solutions.

Today, we focus on Brand Design and specialize in building brands for healers, service providers and spiritual entrepreneurs. We also offer web design and monthly digital marketing services. Recently, we launched Design Online, a one stop shop online course curriculum for small business owners looking to DIY their rebrand. My goal is always to be a resource for my small business community, and that includes supporting other business owners who aren’t ready to invest in a Brand Designer yet.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think curiosity, balance and scrappiness served me the best on my journey to entrepreneurship. Curiosity has kept me learning and allowed me to overcome the pridefulness that I think we all tend to experience from time to time when we are afraid of being perceived as a beginner. Honestly, this was something that definitely held be back in the beginning! If I could tell a new business owner anything, I would remind them that it’s never shameful to be a beginner. (I am still a beginner in more ways than one!)

I also think that prioritizing work life balance has allowed me to avoid burnout and keep progressing. However, I do that that a lot of the language we’ve used to encourage balance in the wake of the “hustle harder, be a girl boss, small business owners work 24/7” messaging of the last decade is a little pedantic and misleading. We need scrappiness and hard work to succeed, and it’s fun to prove to yourself that you can work hard and achieve your goals!

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Zona Creative Solutions is currently looking for a web designer to join us on a project basis! If you or someone you know might be a good fit, feel free to get in touch at ellahzona@gmail.com .

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zonacreativesolutions.org
• Instagram: @zonacreativesolutions, @ellazonaa
• Facebook: Ella Zona

Image Credits

Rebekah Sanchez