We'd love to learn about your business and what you do. Can you share more?
My first creative business pursuit was an event stationery design company I started with a partner in 2011; after many lessons learned, we decided to end that business and chapter together. I decided to go solo in 2016 and combine my design degree, master’s in human services, innate skills, and many years of experience in executive support to start building brands for small business owners. I work with expertise-based businesses, usually solopreneurs or those with a small team looking to elevate, refine, and leverage their personal brand in building their business.
I offer brand design/strategy at various levels, marketing material design, positioning sprints, and consulting. I love the ability to help business owners distill their genius and actualize it in a comprehensive brand that reflects them and their work and calls in their perfect-fit clients. My work allows me to combine my love of people, my creative skills, and my strategic insight in a way that leaves an impact far beyond myself.
Achieving a balance between personal life and business demands is a hot topic. What strategies have you found effective for maintaining harmony in your life?
Self-awareness and grace are foremost; after that, I’m honest with my husband and family about my needs in my business and working together to compromise on how I can still be present. Also, I share an ongoing hobby (bowling) with my husband, which serves double duty in allowing me quality time and giving me a hard stop to my day (league in the evenings) and a break from work. For many, I suggest finding something outside of business and family obligations. Its such a necessary piece to allow for some personal time and a breather outside of all the work.
I also give myself permission to craft my own narrative and standard, and I lean into what I need and what works best for my family and my business. That will look different for everyone, and trying not to live up to the standards and expectations of others is freeing and necessary.
How do you leverage community and collaboration in your business strategy? We're keen to explore how female entrepreneurs are strengthening ties and creating synergies with other businesses and community members.
The core of my business and personal growth is the community and relationships I foster. I do so because I’m human-centric, and it’s a foundational tenet in my business. Also, I used those relationships to not only serve others but also to build a wider network. I’m a big advocate of the golden business principle of word of mouth — every avenue we institute now is built upon that. Additionally, trust is huge, and that starts with simple 1:1 connections. Lastly, finding others building similar businesses, wanting to have large impacts, seeking to shift narratives, and breaking down barriers and generational cycles is fulfilling. I can help lend my talents to that cause in a way impossible without that community. I’m also a better person because of the community around me.
Failure is often seen as a taboo subject, but it can be a powerful teacher. Could you share an experience where you faced failure and how you turned it into a learning opportunity?
I don’t know if I can recount just one experience, as my life has been a series of failures, and I believe I’m better because of them. However, one pivotal experience that shaped who I am today began during my undergraduate art program. My advisor told me, as I was entering my junior year (and after failing a core 3-D design course) that I was not fit to be a designer and wouldn’t succeed in the field because I designed too slowly. She suggested that I rethink my plans.
At that moment, I already felt like a failure due to the course, and now I was hit with the double whammy of being told how incapable I was and that my goals weren’t feasible. I initially felt incredibly defeated, but I had great support around me, and with my own stubbornness, I pushed through and completed the program.
To be honest, her feedback stuck with me for far too long, but it also served as an internal motivation to not forget my dreams. What I have today is built upon that failure. It taught me to value myself and to create my own standards. I learned that every path isn’t linear; many times, you have to forge your own. Most importantly, I realized not to let anyone dim my light, even if they can’t see its potential—because often, that light may shine brighter than anything they have ever encountered.
Every entrepreneur faces hurdles along the way. Can you talk about a significant obstacle you've overcome and what you learned from it?
I believe a prevalent obstacle I've faced has been a lack of resources. I started my first business in a one-bedroom apartment while working a government job that barely covered my bills. From the beginning, I’ve had to be scrappy and tenacious. Although building my business from almost nothing has been challenging—juggling a regular job alongside it for years—it has also made me very discerning about my purchases and how I spend my time.
I've had to be creative, step out of my comfort zone, and learn what truly matters in this process. Overall, progress is a journey. Sometimes it’s facilitated by having the right resources (financial support, a strong network, etc.), but ultimately, it is a personal journey. We all encounter walls along the way, and it’s finding ways to navigate around or through those obstacles that makes a significant difference.
What advice or tips would you have for other female founders starting their businesses?
If you can keep a job while building your business, it can provide the financial stability that significantly impacts your decisions and investments. Additionally, finding a supportive community is invaluable for guidance and encouragement. Be prepared to step outside your comfort zone, as building a brand or business will challenge you and is one of the hardest things you'll ever do. Finally, embrace the idea of thinking outside the box and forging your own path; true success often lies in being different, rather than conforming to the ordinary.
Find Terrica on Instagram at @terricastrozierdesign and Facebook at Terrica Strozier
Headshot photos by Alexandra Toy
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