Meet Natalia Gaitan | Graphic Designer & Branding Expert

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalia Gaitan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalia, what inspires you?
I am inspired by other women. I am inspired by hardworking women building their businesses from scratch, being a boss at home and at work. Women are the ultimate multitaskers. We have so much on our plate, so much pressure to be a good wife, a good mother, good at our jobs, and to go above and beyond to take care of those around us. Makes you wonder who is there to take care of us and support our dreams.

Women pursuing their dreams and turning hobbies into businesses are my ultimate inspiration and the reason Power Up Brand and Design was born. Using my design experience and background to support female-owned businesses is my own dream come true. Connecting with bad-ass hard-working women is my passion and helping them design their dream brand is my calling. It’s more than just drawing a pretty logo, it’s the possibility of making their brand come to life and transform their ideas into a reality. Graphic Design and Branding are my superpowers and it is my mission to use those powers to take female-owned businesses to the next level.

I am also inspired by my husband, the ultimate entrepreneur in my book, he is a fantastic example to follow and my best business advisor. He is bold in his business decisions and dedicated when creating his own company culture.

Last but not least I am inspired by my daughters. The two amazing tiny humans that challenge me every day and that motivate me to keep going and pursue my dreams. As my daughters grow up as the children of a strong immigrant woman, it is my priority to inspire them to be whatever they want to be and create their own version of the American Dream. I empower them to invest in their community and use their talents to elevate the people around them. I empower them to look beyond the obstacles and create!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
You caught me right at one of the biggest and most important moments in my career. The pandemic came to change our lives and for me and my family, it has meant a complete 360.

I went to design school in Colombia and came to the states to pursue a career in design in 2012. Fresh off the plane it was a very big challenge to find opportunities and companies that would give me a chance as an immigrant in the design industry. I had been working as a graphic designer as a freelancer for a couple of years but when I moved to the US, I had my heart set on being a fashion designer.

I was persistent enough to find a way and learned fast and after many interviews, I was able to land my first job as an Assistant Apparel Designer at The TJX Companies (T.J.Maxx and Marshalls) in Massachusetts and from there things took off and later on I moved to Texas to work as an Apparel Designer for JCPenney. As I worked in corporate I kept taking Web and Graphic design courses online and working as a graphic designer on freelance projects. Overall designing and creating is my calling so every chance I get to create, I am all in.

Then 2020 hit and I got furloughed from my corporate job and the truth is that, like most, I was lost! I lost sight of my purpose in life and what really made me happy. I couldn’t believe that the corporate job I had worked so hard to get was on the line and might never be the same again. I was still working on different freelance projects but I need a mission. So after long days staring and the computer screen, connecting and interacting with other women like me, and watching them struggle to start their business something hit me and my husband came along and looked at me and said ” why are you not helping these women… refocus your freelance projects and help these women build their brands!” and that’s when I remembered why I married him lol

I immediately reached out to my community on Facebook and offered my graphic and web design services on a couple of local DFW mom groups and in less than an hour I had my first local clients. So many people pivoted their whole career during quarantine and they were starting their own business. They needed a logo, a website, or a business card and I was there for it. After that, the clients never stopped reaching out and suddenly I was called back from furlough and had to go back to my 9 to 5 and I had to make a choice. By then I was starting to build that community of mompreneurs and I could not let it go (just like Elsa) haha. I had found my purpose and it felt so right!

I kept doing both! Fashion Design by day and Graphic Design by night. I have never worked so hard in my life! I worked 9 am to 5 pm and 9 pm to 2 am while also keeping the tiny humans alive and the house from falling apart and also trying to keep our family safe during the pandemic for 10 months. My new passion became my new purpose and that is how I decided to resign from my corporate job and take the leap! Now I am very proud to say that as of June 2021 I will be working full time on Power Up Brand and Design, supporting Bad-Ass women design their dream brand. I turned my side hustle into a legit biz! and I am here to help you do the same.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh man, so many good places! I personally have fallen in love with North DFW. When I moved to Plano/Frisco in 2015 it did not look like what it does right now. Things have changed so fast and furious and it is amazing being part of a community that is growing so quickly.

If I had a friend over here is what we MUST do but mostly eat:
– Breakfast at Aussie Grind ( OMG their macchiato is my weakness!)
– BBQ for sure… it’s hard but my favorite it’s still Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum
– Walk around Legacy West
– Happy Hour at Legacy Hall, need me some burgers from The Butcher’s Son and treats from The Mallow Box.
– Churros from Bulla Gastrobar
– If they had kiddos, Hope park in Frisco is a must and Playstreet Museum.
– Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen from Marufuku Ramen
– Pastries from 85C cafe

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My biggest shout-out is to my B.A.M.S! My Bad-Ass Moms! Power Up Brand + Design was born to support female-owned businesses and these women ended up being my biggest supporters. The local DFW “moms” Facebook groups have transformed into the ultimate referral platform. I have met so many amazing women, each one with a unique story to tell and we are slowly building a community of B.A.M.S. These women have transformed the way we do business. Behind are the days of competing with each other, now we are enjoying watching each other blossom and succeed. Sending each other referrals, buying from each other, spreading the word about our fellow mompreneurs, and cheering each other on our way up! These women have made such an impact in my life that I created a blog called B.A.M.S. ( Bad-Ass Mom Stories) where I feature a Bad-Ass Mom and their business.

Website: www.powerup-bd.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/powerupbd

Facebook: www.facebook.com/powerupbranddesign

Image Credits
Photography: Leah Hardy Photography https://leahhardyphotography.weebly.com/