Meet Alicia Cairns

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Cairns.

Hi Alicia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I’ve always had a huge passion for art from a young age and envisioned myself being a fine artist. I slowly realized how challenging it may be to pursue a career in art, so I decided to go to college for the next best thing which was Graphic Design! I may not have thought that way based on my mindset now, as there are so many talented artists and painters out there growing successful businesses, but I’m definitely glad I chose the industry that I’m in as there is such a high demand for it!

I was actually born and raised in Ontario, Canada, and attended Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario. I was there for 3 years and then right out of school, I accepted a full-time job at an Advertising Agency just outside of Toronto. I worked there for almost 5 years and learned so much about branding/design from a team of talented creatives. I would always recommend working in the field for a few years before deciding to start a business of your own. You will gain so much knowledge and learn from people who have been in the industry for years!

At that point in my life, I started questioning a lot and wondering if I was doing what I truly loved. I hit a point after 5 years where I wasn’t happy at my job and started a side hustle just to try something different. I ended up leaving the Agency and took a 1-year contract as a graphic designer in my hometown. I thought by starting a new job it would change how I felt about my career, but it actually just made it worse.

After that year, I decided to stop designing all together and pursued my side hustle full time, which was selling health and wellness products with Arbonne. All and all it was a great experience. I grew a lot and pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. I got to travel and had a lot of free time, but after a couple of years, I started having an urge to design again. I felt like there was a part of me missing and it took some time to figure that out. You can definitely say that I was a little lost for a few years and I wasn’t sure what was next for my life.

I didn’t plan to ever start a design business of my own but it kind of fell into my lap. While I was running my side hustle, I started getting requests to do some design projects. From there people started referring me to their friends and family. I took this as a sign to start taking it seriously and did some research on how to start a business and charge appropriately. I have to say, I had no idea what I was doing in the beginning. I just took it one day at a time and basically trusted the process! I started with creating a brand and social media page, and then after a few months, I started building a website.

Fast forward a couple of years, and here I am now running my own design studio from my home, aka my RV, in Nashville, Tennessee. I moved to the U.S. almost three months ago now and so far I am loving it here! If you’re wondering why I moved to Nashville, it’s because my boyfriend is a country singer/songwriter, and it just made more sense for us to be here in music city. Luckily with what I do I can work from anywhere!

I have to say I have never been happier with where I am in my career! I have connected with so many new people and have built up a large clientele. It definitely didn’t happen overnight, and I had to make a few mistakes along the way, but it all came together in time. I always tell people who are thinking of starting a business to just go for it! Don’t allow the small things to stop you from starting. Just start and the pieces will slowly fall into place.

I realized in the end that it wasn’t the industry I wasn’t happy with, it was working 9 to 5 for someone else. Working on my own terms has made me fall in love with design all over again! I can now choose who I want to work with and create my own schedule. It’s crazy where life takes you sometimes, but I’m so glad everything happened the way it did.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think anyone running a business will always come across challenges at some point. For the most part, I feel like I have been very fortunate up to this point. I have amazing clients and I am so grateful for that. I would say most of my struggles came during my previous business venture, which taught me a lot heading into starting this business.

The biggest obstacle I have faced so far is having to let some clients go. This is never easy but it is so necessary, especially if the relationship gets toxic. I always lead with love but sometimes you have to make some hard decisions and this was probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do while running my design business.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in everything branding/design. I help my clients build their brand from the ground up, starting with a logo design and then any additional elements after that. I also offer printing services, which vary from client to client. Some examples may include brochures, business cards, flyers, signage, booklets, postcards, and so much more. On top of that, I also dabble in a bit of web design using a platform called Squarespace!

I don’t just design pretty things; I work with my clients to develop brands that are effective and will benefit their business in the long run. I treat every new job like it’s my own and I help guide my clients in the right direction with starting a business. I always say if I have figured things out for my own business, why not share, and make it easier on someone else. I like to go that extra mile even if it isn’t design-related!

I would say, I’m known for my branding, but I honestly love it all! Some people say you should have a niche, but I think if you’re passionate about what you’re doing then it doesn’t matter. You have to just do what works best for you and your business, regardless of what others in your industry are doing. Passion is what sets you apart. When people can see that you love what you do, they will want to work with you!

What’s next?
At this point in my career, I am just enjoying the ride. I like to focus on one day at a time because the future is never certain. I think it is important to have goals, but not get too caught up in them because things never really go as planned! This is something I’ve learned over the years.

I’d say my future plans are to continue to grow in my industry. Maybe take some courses to help stay on top of trends! I plan on making some updates to my business and putting some new systems in place to help speed up some of my processes, but everything takes time as client work is always my top priority!

I think in the future, I’d love to be able to say that I have clients in a variety of countries! Currently, I have worked with people all across Canada and in a few states so far.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.iamdesigns.ca
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamdesigns.ca/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamdesigns.ca/