We’re looking forward to introducing you to Alyssa Franco. Check out our conversation below.
Alyssa, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
My first 90 minutes are honestly my little ritual. I always start with my Nespresso — non-negotiable. Once I’ve got my coffee, Rosie (my favorite furry coworker) and I have a quick cuddle session before I dive in. I like to ease into the day by checking my schedule, answering priority emails, and reviewing client content or projects for the day. I’m definitely a ‘set the vibe’ person, so I usually put on a playlist, light a candle, and make sure my space feels good. It’s a mix of calm, caffeine, and getting my creative brain warmed up before I hit the ground running.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Alyssa Franco, the founder of The Digital Touch — a creative agency based here in Charleston, SC that blends strategy, storytelling, and design to help small businesses shine online. I got my start in real estate administration, and what began as a little ‘side hustle’ of making graphics and managing social media quickly turned into a full-time business that I absolutely love.
Today, I work with incredible local brands, magazines, and real estate professionals to bring their online presence to life through web design, branding, social media, and email marketing. What makes The Digital Touch special is the mix of creativity and strategy — everything I design has a purpose, and every project feels personal. My clients are truly like my business besties.
Right now, I’m focused on expanding my web design services, refining brand experiences, and continuing to help Charleston-area businesses tell their stories in a way that feels authentic, beautiful, and impactful. It’s been the most rewarding journey, and I’m so grateful I get to do what I love every day.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was that girl who was always driven — the one color-coding her planner, setting goals, and doing everything ‘right.’ I grew up being told to get good grades, land the stable corporate job, climb the ladder, and break the glass ceiling… but no one ever mentioned I could build the whole dream myself.
I’ve always had a creative side, but I tucked it away because the world made ‘practical’ feel safer. So I focused on school, the checklist, the career path that promised stability — not realizing I could actually blend the organized, goal-getter part of me with the creative girl who loved designing and making things beautiful.
It took me a while to realize I didn’t have to choose between passion and practicality. Becoming an entrepreneur was the moment it clicked: I could create a life that felt like me — not the version the world scripted.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I’d tell her, ‘You have no idea how capable you are. All those little creative projects you do for fun? They’re not silly — they’re hints of the business you’re going to build one day. Don’t ignore them just because they don’t fit the “safe” or “practical” path everyone talks about.
You don’t have to wait for permission to pursue what lights you up. You don’t have to follow the traditional ladder or choose security over passion. You’re allowed to create your own version of success — and you will.
There will be moments where you doubt yourself, moments where you feel like you’re starting over, moments where you wonder if you’re dreaming too big. But that drive you’ve always had? That’s going to carry you through every one of those moments.
Be kinder to yourself, trust your instincts, and don’t be afraid to take that leap when it shows up. You become an entrepreneur not because you had it all figured out, but because you finally listened to that little voice inside you saying, ‘This is what you’re meant for.’ And that voice was right.’
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Honestly? Yes and no. The public version of me is definitely me — the friendly, creative, upbeat girl who loves what she does. That part is real. But it’s also the polished version… the one who shows up for clients, for social media, for my business with confidence and clarity.
Behind the scenes, I’m just as messy, human, and figuring-it-out-as-I-go as everyone else. I still have days where I doubt myself, days where I need a pep talk, and days where I’m working in sweats with a Nespresso in hand and Rosie on my lap.
I think the realest version of me is a mix of both: the girl who loves building her business and showing up online, and the girl who’s still growing, learning, and trying her best. The public version isn’t fake — it’s just the part of me that’s ready for the world to see. And the private version is the one who keeps me grounded enough to show up at all.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What false labels are you still carrying?
The false label I still carry is the idea that because my path looks different from everyone around me, it must not be the ‘right’ one. I’m the only one in my core childhood friend group who built a business, so sometimes it feels like I’m living in a completely different world. They have the more traditional careers — steady jobs, clear ladders to climb, predictable next steps — and meanwhile I’m over here building something that doesn’t come with a handbook.
And even though I love what I do and I’m so proud of the life I’ve created, there are moments where I catch myself questioning it:
Am I behind? Should I be doing what everyone else is doing? Is my path too risky?
Those doubts come from that old belief that success has to follow a traditional roadmap. But the truth is, just because my journey looks different doesn’t make it any less valid — or any less successful. I’m learning to let go of that label and trust that forging my own lane is not only ‘right’… it’s exactly where I’m meant to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thedigitaltouchchs.com
- Instagram: @thedigitaltouchchs
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-franco-854780272/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090977167785
Image Credits
@nicole_feher_photography
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