We were lucky to catch up with Karla Peters recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Karla, really appreciate your meeting with us today to talk about some particularly personal topics. It means a lot because so many in the community are going through circumstances where your insights and experience and lessons might help, so thank you so much in advance for sharing. The first question we have is about divorce and how you overcame divorce and didn’t allow the trauma of divorce to derail your vision for your life and career.
I’m not sure that “overcoming” is the right word. Perhaps, “going through it” instead? Going through a divorce is like anything else in life: one step at a time. At the end of my marriage, it felt like my brain was moving at light speed just trying to stay sane, figure out how to fix it, and avoid the incredibly uncomfortable feelings of coming to terms with the end.
When I finally was out of that house and that life, I realized I had no idea how to move one step at a time. I didn’t know that drinking enough water could be a metric for success, for example. It was like my life was in slow motion after running at full speed just to keep my marriage alive.
But letting it die was the right choice. We both needed something new to be born out of it, and though I am still very much in the messy middle of healing, even a year later, I can feel the new things beginning to take root. Slowing down and moving day by day, hour by hour, even moment by moment, was the gift I didn’t know I needed.
Also Trader Joe’s fried rice and mint chocolate chip gelato; highly recommend for post-divorce “overcoming”.
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 run a creative branding studio called The Inspired Foundry focused on supporting emerging entrepreneurs in their early stages of growth with strategic brand identities. But really, I am a creative collaborator and a visionary, hell bent on artistic alignment and beauty in everything I do. In my other life, I’m a musician (violinist with The OK Factor), and it’s not a surprise to me that music and design have become the two great creative loves of my life.
The Inspired Foundry is designed to help creatives refine their vision, build with intention, and evolve with clarity. I support entrepreneurs and visionaries alike—offering tools, structure, and encouragement for those creating something meaningful. I thrive on inspiration and perspective, helping my people see themselves and their vision with more clarity and confidence.
As of late, I’ve been refining the philosophy I live and work by, and I’d love to share it here:
<i>A creative business isn’t built on inspiration alone.
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It needs architecture and infrastructure to take shape. Vision without action stays an idea. Action without vision stays chaotic. But when the two work together—when structure supports creativity—that’s when things start to click.
At The Inspired Foundry, I believe three things more than anything:
1. <i>Clarity builds momentum</i>. Because when you know where you’re going, it’s easier to move forward.
2. <i>Structure fuels creativity.</i> Because the right framework doesn’t box you in—it gives you something solid to build on.
3. <i>Refinement over reinvention.</i> Because growth rarely means starting over. More often, it’s about evolving what’s already there.
Branding is aesthetics, but it’s also function. It should anchor you, not overwhelm you. It should move with you, not against you. Your brand should be an engine for action, not a never-ending project that keeps you stuck. And if it feels like it’s working against you, the issue isn’t your visuals—it’s the foundation underneath them.
That’s why I run this studio by thinking <i>tiny</i>. Thinking tiny is thinking strategically. Not small, but focused. Not less, but distilled. A Tiny Brand™ isn’t about cutting corners—it’s about cutting through the noise. Clarity. Simplicity. The right pieces, structured with intention, so your brand supports you at every stage of growth.
And the good news? You don’t have to build from scratch. Creativity thrives within constraints. The best ideas aren’t the biggest or the flashiest—they’re the ones that move you forward. Momentum over perfection, elegance over excess.
That’s what I’m building at The Inspired Foundry—structured, beautiful spaces where inspired ideas become something <i>real</i>. Where artistry meets industry. Where intuition shapes strategy. Where your vision finds its form.
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My signature offer is a Tiny Brand™, a curated brand identity that helps entrepreneurs move faster with clarity and confidence, but without the designer price tag. I’ve also turned the framework for Tiny Brands™ into a certification for designers looking for a structured and scalable way to grow their design business without turning away lower-budget clients.
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?
First and foremost, a blind stubborn belief in what you do. Without my blinders on, I’d be a generic designer for small businesses and a mediocre violinist. But with a true almost detrimental focus, I’ve built two successful creative careers for myself doing what I love to do.
Second, I’d say being unafraid to be who you are and simply show up that way is an underrated skill. Marketing in this day and age isn’t just about authenticity; marketing is about humanity. We need to see more people running businesses like people. I am the same person online as I am in real life, and I have to believe that my audience cares more about engaging with me because of who I am as a person than the latest cute thing I designed. Designers are a dime a dozen; genuinely good, kind, and compassionate people aren’t as common. I strive to be one of them.
Lastly, the beginner’s mindset has served me well. Exploration of hand-lettering led me to design, which led me to branding, which led me to coaching creatives on the entire experience of their creative work and showing up as a brand. Each step along the way had me feeling like a beginner again, but those iterations of my career have deepened my experience, what I’m able to offer my clients, and my own growth as a human.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
I’m in a season of really slow growth. So slow, it feels completely stagnant. But if I’m honest, I spent half of 2024 saying I wanted to go all in on moving towards brand coaching and high-level visionary thinking, but 100% of my work was design-related. I have a feeling that, aside from an unstable economy, I’m being pushed into a new season rather unceremoniously. Trial by fire, if you will. No design clients? Maybe it’s finally time to stop offering design work, and send out the invitation to be the visionary partner I see myself as.
In the meantime, I’m spending my days being a beginner at new marketing strategies like ads, writing this interview, and cold outreach. I’m writing more long-form content to serve as pillars for my website, which I’m also in process on updating to reflect this new vision.
It’s a slow season for clients, but I’m trying to make it a worthwhile season for the future.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theinspiredfoundry.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/theinspiredfoundry
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdcolahan/
- Other: For music, visit theokfactor.com or @theokfactor on social media.
