The Design Business Show 034: Making Money as a Wedding Invitation Designer with Kimberly Folkes

Kimberly Folkes is a graphic designer, DIY crafter, paper lover, wife and Mom of 2 little boys. She graduated in 2012 from Georgia State University with a degree in Fine Arts focusing on Graphic Design.

She started Bliss Creative Atlanta while working as a Graphic Designer in Buckhead, Atlanta. After 7 years of working full-time as a designer and printer she took her business full-time. In July 2017, she moved to Tampa – but the name of Bliss Creative Atlanta stayed the same because that is where is all began & who knows…they may be back!

Her passion for design is driven directly from her clients and the ability to help them realize that their own creative imaginations can come to life within her work. She likes to look at every design project as a new brand, whether it’s a wedding, stationery or business branding itself. All of her designs are 100% custom, and include a one-on-one experience with each client to better meet their needs. Her business is built solely around her love of design, custom stationery and branding.

You can check out her most recent designs and current projects on Instagram @blisscreativeatl & on her website!

Here’s what we cover:

How she got her first job running the show in the copy and print center at Office Depot
What she learned about printing while working at this job while in college
The type of work she did during her first graphic design job and why she fell in love with printing, invites and stationery
Her thoughts on the print industry and the direction it’s headed
How she started her business and where she got her first clients
What it was like to start her business in Atlanta and move to a different state
How her different groups of friends helps her get referrals
Why getting her name out there has helped her
How presenting her work using professional photos has helped her get more clients
How using styled wedding photo shoots has helped her get her name out there and how other designers can do this
Her strategy for getting her wedding clients to get styled shots of their wedding invites
How to use styled shoots to help boost your social credibility
How Kimberly got asked to provide wedding invitations for styled shoots and how other designers can do the same thing
Why it really just comes down to building relationships to help you build your business
Why learning typography in design school helped her get her start with wedding invitation designs
Why everything she does is original and why she recommends designers keep their originality if they want to be a wedding invitation designer
Why she won’t ever design a wedding invitation twice
Why using tutorials online showing her how to use design programs and perfect her typography skills
How she designs her wedding invitations and why she specializes only in typography
Why she always refers out illustration work if it’s needed for a project
Why we both agree that it’s okay to own where your strengths are (and what they aren’t) as designer
How designers can price their wedding invitation services and how Kimberly does it
How working full-time and working at night after her kids went to bed made her fall out of love with all of it
The truth about what entrepreneur life is like – and that sometimes it’s not all the hype people say it is
Why she prefers surrounding yourself with the right people
Why you’ve got to stop doing favors for people
Her tips for navigating work/life/kids and everything – and why she’s not doing anything when her kids are home
Why she’s obsessed with calendars, scheduling, planners, and Dubsado
How she uses Dubsado in her business
The branding projects she’s working on right now