We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lauren Zandy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lauren, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
Born and raised in the Midwest in the Southside suburbs of Chicago, a strong work ethic was ingrained in me since as far back as I can remember. I watched as my parents worked their fingers to the bone to give us everything we could have ever needed. Things weren’t always handed to my sister and I on a silver platter. I am so grateful for that upbringing because it plays a strong role in my journey. We come from hardy roots starting from way back and we get things done. I carry my work ethic with me from literally doing laundry, cooking dinner, at the workplace and everything and everywhere in between. I just flat out like things done and done the best to my ability.
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?
What I do when I’m not tending to my children is designing. I love focusing on flyers, logos, branding, notecards and jewelry making. I enjoy a challenge and no project is too professional or too silly. My sense of humor knows no bounds and my focus on giving a task the proper attention is shown in the details.
I feel what is most special about me personally as a designer is that I truly have a knack for nailing what a client’s interests are – this also applies to my gift giving skills. I’m a great listener. I love seeing a client or person’s reactions to what I have created for them and having their needs met. (I will chalk that up to being an Italian woman/mother) It touches my heart to showcase their specialities or interests and nothing beats a warm smile.
I want people to reach out to me. I feel I am easy to be around and this is a no-judgement zone. I try to carry those qualities in everything I do. Whether my designs are peaceful and whimsical, clean and simple, bold and loud, I enjoy it all. I can’t just focus on one area, I won’t be fulfilled that way. We only live once, let’s add all our interests and attributes to one big delicious platter!
What’s new aside from my fairly recent cooking newsletter is this interview! I can’t wait to share with my family and friends.
If you want to take a peek at the old and new: www.zandydesigns.com
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?
You have to have a sense of humor! It’s so much easier to move on, restart and embrace a mistake with this quality. You know the saying, “Things have become laughable at this point.” ?? Well, it’s exactly that. It’s just how I roll. Laughter is the best medicine. Through that you realize the mistakes you make are part of the journey and the mistakes are where the growing comes from.
Pay attention to the details because really, it *IS* all in the details. The details are what makes things so unique. You can do this by listening, deep breathing and focusing to get in a good head space. At times my obsessiveness with certain things I’m doing are to a fault, but I believe it’s a finer quality I have to produce the best possible outcome and product I can for my clients. Something I learned that goes with this quality, which I would label as ‘brutal self-honesty’, is asking myself one simple question before I hit the send button which is, “Would I approve/purchase this if it were for myself?”
Communication is key. When meeting with a client, bring a notepad. Take all the notes! Have them describe in any and all the ways they can what they are looking for. Sometimes they might not fully know because they don’t have an artistic bone in their body and are really looking for your help in every possible way. Ask them simple questions such as: What colors would you like? Are you opposed to certain fonts? Do you prefer a clean or busy design? Anything to make the project easier that won’t waste anyone’s time. These easy questions are just a jumpstart to what follows and help the juices to flow. If they ask for your honest opinion while designing and something looks bad in your eyes, be honest, you’re the designer. Be clear with your pay rate. If something feels off, ask for a percentage up front. I have learned that the hard way and wish I would have learned some of these earlier on.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me is what they didn’t do for me…and I certainly don’t mean that in the way it sounds. I have had people in my life tell me they admire how I was raised. My parents lead by example. I love them so much for that. I have always done my best to earn my keep. I enjoyed going to work with my extremely hard working dad during school breaks and learning what he does and earning some extra cash. He has taught me so much and I am pretty handy around the garage, repairing, building etc. He has played a huge role with following my creative dreams. My mom is the queen of getting it done! I swear her and I can conquer the world whenever we’re together. She has such grace and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS told me to make sure I can take care of myself no matter what. I took that to heart. She’s my best friend. I’m a lucky kiddo.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://zandydesigns.com
- Instagram: @latalianz @zandydesigns
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laz26/
- Other: https://lzandydesigns.etsy.com
Image Credits
My lovely husband, Tim Gideon.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
