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Introducing Heather Carson, Founder and Owner of Memo Graphic Design

May 20, 2010

We are pleased to introduce the multi-talented Heather Carson of Memo Graphic Design! Connect with Heather on twitter and view her incredibly cool graphic and interior designs on memographicdesign.com. Enjoy the interview!

Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah

Current Residence: Salt Lake City, Utah

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Design

Professional Background: After graduation I worked in a few design departments before taking off on my own. We have moved around a lot with my husbands school and employment. Creating my own design studio has allowed me to keep working in design wherever we land.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: A singer. I was convinced I was the next Reba :)

What you are: A designer.

Brief Summary of your Start Up: I am a freelance graphic designer. I work with clients to create visual memos- the small things that represent your brand to your clients such as logos and branding, packaging, ads, etc. These small things remind people of the longer message of what your business can offer them. I love being a designer because I get to share a little bit in the vision of other entrepreneurs and I love that.

Besides working as a graphic designer, I have been involved with a few other startups of my own. I opened an online home store with my sister in law, have helped my husband open a title agency, a law firm, and we are in various stages of a few other projects. It always starts with the idea that won’t let go. And before you know it, you have a business on your hands.

Company Website? http://www.memographicdesign.com

How long have you been in business? I”ve been a designer for 15 years.  However, I also have a family and some of those years were design project heavy and some were design project light. Most of my children are in school now and I have a few more hours in the day to devote to client work.

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? First would have to be my parents. Both creative people who encouraged me to try new things. My father works in media and would bring home cool press kits for me. My mom was always drawing, painting, & practicing calligraphy.

Then maybe my first boss out of college who showed me that design was more than just knowing how to work some software.

Now my mentors would be the other designers that I meet through design events, blogs, on twitter… I’ve had some great conversations with other designers that inspire me to be better.

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? Startup Princess of course :)

Current Business Challenge? Time management & ever changing technology that keeps me on my toes.

What are you doing about it? Trying to find methods to keep me balanced and attending continuing education courses to keep up with the changing tech.

Favorite motivational quote: Oh, that’s a hard one I LOVE QUOTES… if you read my other blog http://www.themodernhive.com, you know that :)

This is not really a quote, but more of a mantra for me- I love the saying “Live your beautiful situation“ It means to take what you have been given, find the beauty in it, and live your life the very best you can no matter the circumstance.

Family? I have six kids. Three girls and three boys including a set of triplets.  My oldest is 12 and my youngest is three.

If so, how do you balance family and business? I have studio time when my kids are in school. I set up a production schedule for myself and try to stick with it.

Favorite book? I love reading. I will read a book in one sitting so I have to be careful about starting new books. When I read, everything else goes out the window.

I did just finish a book called Glimmer by Warren Berger about design and being a design minded person. It was an amazing book. A great read and motivating to think outside the box. I’d recommend it for anyone starting up a business or wanting a nudge out of a creative rut.

What do you do to relax? Read, craft, crochet, go thrifting

What do you want to change most about your world? Can we have more hours in the day? Or the ability to stop time for a bit, catch up, then restart the clock? That’d be cool.

What are you most proud of? Well, besides my family- I’d say the ability to roll with the punches.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses? Start right : Don’t just start a business, create a brand. Get the best branding you can afford, look professional and put together in all elements where your clients interact with you.

Start small: Pay as you go, find the easiest methods to implement your ideas, take advantage of processes already out there. Don’t pretend you are a big corporation if it’s just you.

Start smart : Do your research. Take time to learn about your market, your business model, the legal issues of starting a business. Learn about marketing- traditional and new social media, have a plan & goals and benchmarks to hit, be adaptable and able to grow.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? My Mac + My Adobe Creative Suite + My Wacom Tablet

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? Well, since I love vintage, thrifting, and finding new uses for old things, I’d have so say something maybe that wouldn’t be a precious stone to anyone else but me. Maybe some vintage buttons or found objects?



Written by Crystal · Filed Under Interviews 

Utah SLC Startup Princess Chapter Event June 25th “Dressing Your Business For Success”

June 5, 2009

“Dressing your Business for Success: Does your Business have the Right Look?” is the theme for our upcoming event for the SLC Startup Princess chapter which will be held on Thursday, June 25th from 6:30 – 9 pm, $15 at the Wells Fargo Center 299 S. Main Street, 15th floor at Richards, Brandt, Miller, Nelson Law Firm in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.

Come learn about logo design and branding; tips on photographing products and what makes a good photo; some must know info on how to sales copy, write a bio/press kit, how to find your voice and much more. And of course, there will be tasty refreshments served along with plenty of time to network with other Startup Princesses.

A little about our speakers: Heather Carson of Heather’s Memo is a talented graphic designer known for her unique and eye catching designs that are simple, notable, and deliver your brand message. She specializes in creating logos and identity packages that will be sure to boost your business. She is also a busy wife and mother of 6 (including triplets)!

Quinn Curtis, owner of Created By Mom and Lime Light Photography, is a wife and happy mommy to her three darlings. Quinn has done work for local favorites such as Raw Melissa, Dough Girl & Cupcake Chic.  Quinn’s work has been published in Salt Lake Business Magazine and will soon be in the next issue of Wasatch Woman Magazine.

Emily Hill is co-owner of georgie tees, a company known for its unique line of infant and maternity t-shirts. Along with creating freshly baked designs for georgie tees, Emily is a contributing editor for Boutique Café, Polliwogged, SassyScoops.com and is one of the newest bloggers for Rocky Mountain Moms Blog, a sister site of Silicon Valley Moms Blog. Emily currently lives in Sandy, Utah with her husband and four children.
Don’t miss this great event. We’ll see you there!

To attend, please RSVP via twitter to @createdbymom Quinn Curtis who is our secretary or @myjoyquest Tara McCausland who is the Startup Princess Chp President. You can bring a check the night of the event or pay by Paypal to Kelly<at> Startup Princess.com $15

Written by startupprincess · Filed Under News, Opportunities 

  Startup Princess is an international network committed to empowering Women Entrepreneurs by offering resources for women in business to support, mentor, collaborate, learn from, and inspire one another. In 2006, after struggling to raise funding for an initial startup business venture, Kelly King Anderson recognized an important market niche existed for reliable resources educating women desiring to start and grow successful businesses, thus Startup Princess was developed.

Successful women entrepreneurs understand that for every business venture, they are in charge of creating, organizing, developing, managing, and assuming all the risks associated with their enterprise. That can seem quite intimidating but as other women business owners will tell you, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it! Success is within your grasp and Startup Princess is here to help.

First, join as a member of Startup Princess and start building a solid foundation. Membership entitles you to a listing in the Startup Princess Online Directory where we list women owned businesses. You’ll also access exclusive content like articles, videos, and audio straight from your email inbox. Coupled with feature interviews, discounts on events, networking connections, and press opportunities, your Startup Princess membership will give any woman entrepreneur a great start for her business!

Then, take advantage of Touchpoint, our annual business conference for women entrepreneurs. Practical planning meets sky-high inspiration at this high-impact event for women business owners to network and develop their approach to business with wisdom and creative direction from other women entrepreneurs across the country.

Need a little help taking your business to the next step? Wish you had a fairy godmother like Cinderella offering you a helping hand? Now you can! Startup Princess is the home of Fairy Godmother Consulting, volunteer mentors sharing tips and insights to bless the lives of other women entrepreneurs.

Startup Princess can offer many benefits to women in business from future women business owners to successful women entrepreneurs. Please call or fill out our contact form with questions, concerns, or general interest and let us help you by giving you full access to everything Startup Princess has to offer!