Today we’d like to introduce you to Cara Capizzi.
Hi Cara , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
It really starts all the way back in high school for me. I loved my photography classes and the senior level classes included learning Adobe Photoshop. I considered photography as a career path, however I knew several professional photographers all of whom told me not to major in photography. I didn’t need the degree to pursue a professional career if that’s what I decided to do. Since I had played around in Photoshop, I decided to major in Graphic Design, but I really had no clue what it meant to be a designer. Spoiler alert: it’s NOT about playing around in photoshop!
I ended up not straying far from Baltimore and attended American University in DC, which had a small but rigorous graphic design program. When I graduated, a lot of job opportunities were at smaller studios. Now companies generally understand the importance of investing in design and in-house work has become an option, but that wasn’t the case when I entered the workforce. So all I saw around me were small design studios with less than a dozen people, maybe even just one or two. At the time, I didn’t like the idea of running my own business, it was overwhelming and intimidating, especially fresh out of school. I tucked that idea away and pursued traditional employment for about a decade. I worked at a couple of small studios and then shifted to an in-house team. It was this last position that became the launching pad to build both my desire and confidence to start my own business.
I had been slowly warming up to the idea of running my own business, I think experience and more exposure to other freelancers and creative business owners helped. One evening after work, I attended a design event where every person on the panel talked about hiring freelancers for single projects to not overload their in-house team—and those were the exact projects I wanted to do. It was that moment I decided to officially pursue self-employment. I walked into the office the next day and told my office mate, a year later I put in my notice and officially took the leap.
My business has slowly evolved over the 11 years (this May) since I launched by business full-time. When you start off, everyone tells you to figure out your niche, and I hesitated to do so, which I think is natural for many people starting their own professional services business. There’s the fear of missing out on work. But I would say you don’t need to rush into it, because that experience over time helps you figure it out. Which is exactly what happened to me. I had worked on a few conference branding projects and realized that I both enjoyed the work and was really good at it. It happened naturally and it became my specialty before I even realized it.
Self-employment has been once of the most fulfilling decisions I’ve made in my life. There are times it can be really hard and exhausting, but running my own business has allowed me to build my life intentionally rather than figuring it out around a traditional nine to five. There is truly nothing more empowering than the ability to say no to work that doesn’t serve me. And sometimes, the ability to say yes can lead to unexpected opportunities. I returned to American, this time as an adjunct professor, to teach a college course (one that I took as a student!) and volunteered through a USAID-funded program and where I offered my design services in the Dominican Republic for 2 weeks.
Travel has been a big part of my life since I was a child. Fortunately I can work from anywhere, I just need my computer and solid internet. There have been winters where I have pack up my computer and go work from warmer climates. A tradition I hope to restart. My business has also opened up opportunities to work with friends at their jobs, and even collaborate with some former high school classmates and teachers who I had lost touch with. One of my favorite stories related to this is a coffee table book of local Baltimore artist James (Jim) Voshell’s work. One of his former students, who was a teacher at my high school, was leading the charge and writing the content, he hired me to do the design. It was a multi-generation student-teacher collaboration. And in true Baltimore fashion, once we started the project it revealed multiple mutual connections between me and Jim.
Now that I’m in my second decade of self employment, I’m continuing to think about what I want my life to look like, both personally and professionally. The shifts in my business have been small along the way, I may not have even noticed them in the moment, but it’s a constant evolution and I’m excited to see where that path leads.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I feel very fortunate that my years in business have been relatively smooth. I was in a very good position personally and financially when I started my business which really made it easier to not stress about the uncertainty that comes with self employment. I spent a year planning to make the transition and finally did it when I could no longer have one foot in at my job and one easing into self employment. So that helped put me on a smooth road from the start.
I have surrounded myself with other freelancers and soloprenuers who collectively create a massive support system to not feel alone in this journey.Which is really important, it’s very easy to feel isolated when working for yourself, especially if you do it out of your home. It can be hard to find comfort in the uncertainty, even when historically it has always worked out, but I always keep in mind this advice I received: Enjoy the slow times knowing you’ll be busy again. I share this with people starting out all the time, I think it might have been the best advice I received.
My business has actually allowed me to handle some personal challenges that would have been much harder to deal with if I had to account for 40 hours a week and tracking time off. It’s very freeing to be able to take the time when you need it, and I can do that in part because of the network I have found who can step in to help. And also having the option to ramp up if needed it. I’m in complete control of my time and my income. I learned that it takes a major mindset shift going from traditional employment to self employment. No one tells you that your career is a lifestyle (whether it’s a nine to five, shift work at a hospital, or teaching) but it absolutely is. Once I figured that out, everything felt easier and more natural. It’s still a work in progress, but aren’t most big things in life?
There are day-to-day challenges of running a business for sure—breaking out of what is comfortable; willingness to make changes to move the business forward; saying no to a project when I have the time knowing in the long run not every project serves me or my business the way it should. Balancing running a business and doing the client work is always a challenge, but one of my community groups, Creatives Roundtable, is all about focusing on the business. I’m so grateful I found this community. Not only is it a great network, but many of us will find reasons to meet up in person, at a conference, when we are in each other’s city, etc. We just had retreat in Puerto Rico at the start of the year and there is no better way to start the year than some sunshine and focus time with likeminded creatives.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Capizzi Designs?
My business is Capizzi Designs—I specialize in event/conference branding and designing marketing materials. My clients tend to be associations, but I also work with non-profits and other businesses, my goals is to make their life easier and help their organization reach their audience through graphic design. And since I’ve spent my entire career in DC, I understand this market quite well: always having multiple top priorities, shifting deadlines, pivoting to the latest administration or policy change (which has really kept people on their toes for the last year). One benefit of design is that whoever I work for, I need to learn their subject and business and this was one of my many unexpected benefits of pursing design. I get to learn so much about other sectors through the clients I work with.
I once asked a longtime friend and client to describe me in three words and he responded, “a deadline crusher.” And I do love a deadline—it gets me motivated and keeps my momentum going. This naturally favors event work because one thing is for sure—the event date isn’t changing. I’m also super organized and detail-oriented, which means I can deliver excellent design while helping clients stay on schedule and avoid unnecessary road blocks or headaches. Sometimes it feels like my clients become my temporary best friend because we are working together so closely to reach the finish line! And then we get to do it all over again the next year.
As much as I thrive in the event space, I also enjoy mixing it up and do a lot of projects to support general marketing needs for organizations. I was trained in print design and love to do reports/publications, marketing collateral and brand development.
I’m proud of the relationships I’ve built over the years, the amount of clients that continuously work with me, and supporting organizations that do important work. One of my first projects before I launched full-time was a brochure for a youth-focused nonprofit based in Detroit. One project led to another and we’ve consistently worked together for the last 11 years. That consistency allowed me to slowly build their brand without them even asking and last year I redesigned their logo.
Since I work with larger organizations, I’m often working within their existing brand. Last year I did a massive overhaul of a toolkit focused on heart health for providers and patients. Working in an existing brand is always a fun challenge—figuring out how to keep it fresh and consistent is a fine balance.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I dont think luck has played much of a role for me, but good fortune definitely has. I have always had a good support system that created a solid foundation to pursue my path, whatever it may be. My immediate family members were all teachers, although my aunt always reminded me that I come from a family of entrepreneurs (my grandfather and uncle owned many businesses) so I think it was always presented as a career path without me actively recognizing it. I had the good fortune to attend a high school that had the resources that put graphic design on my radar; college professors who had EXTREMELY high standards which helped me develop my craft and understand the importance of a deadline; supportive colleagues, many of whom have become friends, and those friendships continue to nurture my professional life and goals. Cheerleaders in all aspects of my life— a friend who encouraged this path as a better way to live, the colleague whose first response when I put in my notice to quit so I could launch my business said “how can we support this transition?”, a mother who kindly reminded me that just because I leave traditional employment doesn’t mean that I can’t return if I need or choose to (thankfully I haven’t had to and hope not to!). So I’ve had lots of support along the way and encouraging nudges. I’m sure that some people have had good luck along the way, and if I continued to think about it, I might come up with an example. But ultimately, I think the “luck” is a result of doing the work, putting in the time, and showing up consistently.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://capizzidesigns.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caracapizzi/
