We were lucky to catch up with Faith Butler recently and have shared our conversation below.
Faith, thank you so much for joining us today and appreciate you talking about a sensitive topic. It’s unfortunately relevant to so many in the community as layoffs have been on the rise recently, and so we’d appreciate hearing your story and how you overcame being let go?
Getting fired for “insubordination” was very on brand for my Entrepreneurial/Creative spirit and one of the best redirections I’ve ever had in my entire life. With deep passion comes deep professional morale which can cause conflict with your executive team if your mission doesn’t align. If you know you know. I was always created to be self employed but I was too loyal and fear driven to make the first move. Being forced into a position where I had no choice lit a fire under me like never before. This was the driving factor for the success I have already created for myself. When you have no other option, you get it done. Getting really clear with myself regarding what I would never do again despite financial gain allowed me to create a business built on passion and what I love to do which made it easier to push towards success.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I own a Creative Agency which offers services specializing in Branding with a focus in Web Design. The art of branding is a huge passion of mine because I wholeheartedly believe in the ability to create your dream life as a business owner with the use of personal branding. My current niche is Creative Service Providers, particularly Photographers. This group of people is so incredible to work with. It is beyond rewarding to be able to assist someone in creating a brand that feels truly authentic to who they are as a person and put that into the workings of their business, such as a beautiful and strategic website. I have curated my business in a way that allows a quick turnaround time giving my clients the ability to see a return on their investment sooner rather than later. At the end of the day, it is so much more than the assets produced. I am so grateful to be able to experience this brave step towards professional success with each of my inspiring clients.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
My expertise lies in Marketing and Sales with Creative Design following second. My ability to relate to an audience and creatively, strategically and accurately articulate their desires/needs within my Marketing and Design projects has been the foundation of my professional success. Taking the time to hear, see, care and connect with the audience is the most important aspect of effective Marketing.
My current success within my Creative Agency is centered around my digitally creative talents. I have always had natural ability in this area, but trust- my first years as a Marketer do not have the cutest portfolio! I design primarily on Canva and let me tell you, it’s my best friend. I have created thousands of designs on this platform. Early in my career I made it a mission to hand create my designs and stray from templates whenever time allowed. This really pushed me to consistently try new things. My talent grows every day that I’m experimenting!
Creative roles are in the minority within the workforce. For us, this can create misunderstandings from colleagues and management within the productivity and finance oriented areas of a business. If you’re looking to grow in a creative position, it is incredibly important to be your own biggest advocate because it is inevitable to experience negative interactions which can interfere with your growth and production. While I was growing in my career and talents, I worked really hard to establish self respect and boundaries to protect my creative flow. If you’re a creative, you understand how important it is to honor your needs to meet the standards of corporate production- even as a solo provider.
To be successful in creative endeavors (or honestly, any) you need to be willing to really get to know yourself to determine how to best support your needs so that you can keep up with your own goals. Being creative isn’t easy, especially when you are doing it every day. Be willing to experiment, take time to connect with your audience and advocate for yourself.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I believe that everything happens for a reason and that our passions are divinely created. In my experience, we are meant to hone in on our strengths and harness them to the best of our ability. Now, I also believe that challenging yourself to try new avenues related to your strength is equally important. You never know what you might be good at if you don’t give a real effort.
I started my business three months ago with the idea that my service focus would be in Branding and Marketing as that is where my experience lied. Little did I know that my digital design ability would transition me into Web Design, a plan I didn’t have in mind. Prior to this, I had only barely dabbled in the outlet. I took a jump at education to learn this skill and it has been the most rewarding addition for my creative outlets and my financial growth. I feel that this has been the perfect culmination of my previous and newly found strengths to increase the overall impact that I am able to leave on each client.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.papillonblanccreative.com
- Instagram: @papillonblanc.creative @faithkelseyy
- Facebook: Papillon Blanc Creative
Image Credits
MF Pena Photography Moody Bleu Photography Monica Danielle Photography
