Meet Lydia Venjohn

We were lucky to catch up with Lydia Venjohn recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lydia, 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?

For starters, I’m a first born child! I think there’s a certain amount of responsibility and drive one inherits once a younger sibling enters the family. You seek out ways to get approval from your parents, going above and beyond, striving for success, becoming more competitive to out-do siblings. I think that’s definitely where some of my work ethic stemmed from.

The other part of it, looking back at my childhood, was how my parents raised me. They trained me to be intrinsically motivated, which means I was motivated to do something because of an internal desire to accomplish it, rather than seeking out an external reward for doing it. I worked hard in school because I saw the value of learning the content and applying it to my life; I wasn’t as motivated by a good report card, let’s face it grades don’t really matter anyway! My parents set a good example for me by working hard in their lives to be successful and always encouraged me to follow my passions. I remember them telling me, “You can do anything you set your mind to, Lydia”. What this meant to me was, the only thing between where I am now and where I want to go is a lot of hard work and determination. But I can do it. I am capable of doing hard things! The key is to persevere, even when things get tough.

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?

Hello! My name is Lydia, I am a Minnesota native who loves DIY projects and spending time outdoors. Growing up, I enjoyed all aspects of art, including drawing, painting, crafting and photography. This led me to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design. I learned to harness the power of Adobe programs to make my art come to life digitally. A few years after I graduated, I started my own business called Venlo Studio. We help small to medium sized businesses with visual branding in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area. I love that this job lets me connect with new people over a great cup of coffee and discover the amazing work they do!

Venlo Studio was created out of my passion to help small businesses succeed. As a photographer with a graphic design degree, I quickly realized through helping businesses with branding, many lacked high quality photos of their products/services, photos of their location and thoughtful images of behind-the-scenes moments. I love to capture the essence of a brand through my camera lens and use those photographs to tell the brand’s story in an authentic and meaningful way. Then, with these new on-brand images, I design custom digital graphics and print materials for my clients, to give them a full revamp in their branding.

I have recently enjoyed working with local product-based businesses. We have been able to help these types of businesses elevate their websites with new E-commerce photos, lifestyle imagery, package design, and promotional catalogs. We have worked with clients that sell handmade candles, yearly planners, granola and maple syrup.

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?

I’ve been running my own business for about two years now. While there’s still much to learn and plenty of room for growth, one factor that has significantly contributed to my business’s success is in-person networking. As a creative service provider, the key for me lies in connecting with the right people—other business owners who can benefit from my services or refer my offerings to their networks. Conversely, you never know who you might meet that can help fill a need in your own business, perhaps someone you can hire to improve your processes or add value. Networking is like a web: the more you engage in it, the more it grows and connects you with the right people. Investing time upfront in networking is worthwhile because the connections you make never expire; they only multiply.

Another essential skill for starting a business is learning how to market your services on social media. I spend a lot of time building strategies, writing keyword-filled captions, and scheduling posts across four different social channels. This has been an excellent way to connect with other business owners, promote my work to a wider audience, and find clients.

Lastly, I would advise aspiring entrepreneurs to cultivate a hunger for learning. I constantly seek knowledge, taking advantage of every opportunity. While driving, I listen to podcasts where business owners discuss the backend of their processes. On weekends, I read books about email marketing and work on improving my copywriting skills, as this was not my strong suit initially.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

I would highly recommend the book “Two Weeks Notice” by Amy Porterfield for those wanting to start a business. It gave me the courage I needed to leave my 9-5 and pursue my dreams of self-employment. Amy gives you practical tips on starting a business you love and walks you through how to make the jump. Her plan of action actually moved the needle forward in transitioning my side hustle to a real business. I feel very grateful to have this resource at my fingertips!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.venlostudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venlostudio/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/venlo-studio

Image Credits

Venlo Studio