Jenn Gietzen is the creative mind behind Write On! Design, her personal brand, and NovaElle, a partnership created with her friend and professional photographer, Jane.
After graduating from the Art Institute of Atlanta in 2008, Jenn went straight into the corporate world where she did graphic design for about 4 years. She later switched careers into a recruiting role, and while she liked it, she realized it just wasn’t fulfilling in the way that she needed it to be and was actually considering alternatives when the company laid her off.
This shocking news was actually a blessing in disguise and just a few weeks later, she met Ginny Branch, a prop stylist and ended up learning under her for many months. By assisting Ginny on shoots, Jenn was introduced to the creative community in Atlanta.
She networked heavily and eventually started using her graphic design interests and hand-lettering skills to redesign websites and later started her own company, penning unique quotes on merchandise. She started selling through a few shops but that became difficult and not cost-effective considering the time it requires to produce unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. Now, her focus is on larger scale custom projects having recently done work for Home Depot and French Connection.
Jenn’s newest project, NovaElle, which she started with friend and photographer, Paige Jones is a charitable endeavor which partners with organizations world wide who aim to support women. Merchandise sold through Novaelle features Jenn’s artwork and proceeds benefit initiatives all over the world that empower women and teach them valuable skills to excel in life. Their mission is to support programs that promote education, development or safety. For example an upcoming donation will benefit an organization rescuing victims from sex trafficking in Nepal.
In this episode, Jenn and I have a heart-felt and honest conversation about moving forward even when you have no emotional support, and how the freedom to be creative and create her own circumstances propels her forward.
If you’re complacent and without fear, you’re not moving forward. Being BOLD is all about pushing through the fear even when you can’t predict the outcome!
Some questions I ask: What are the best ways for new artists to get their work out there and start earning an income? What does Jenn think is the best social media platform for her work and why? Does she have a system for organizing her social media posts so that she stays consistent? What is her grander vision for her personal brand, WriteOn Designs? What motivates Jenn to keep moving forward even when some days are a little frustrating? In This Episode, You Will Learn: Why it’s so important for artists to become familiar with their local community and ‘plug-in’ Why you should tell everyone about your biggest dreams for your business Tips and strategies on reaching out to charity organizations that you want to help What inspired Jenn and her business partner and friend, Paige, to create NovaElle Plus much more… Don’t stop here…Jenn’s Website, Write On! Design: www.jenngietzen.com
Jenn’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/JennGeitzen
Jenn’s Twitter: www.twitter.com/jenngietzen
NovaElle: www.novaelle.org
NovaElle’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/shopnovaelle
NovaElle’s Twitter: www.twitter.com/shopnovaelle
Additional Resources Mentioned:
EventBrite: www.eventbrite.com
