Meet Rachael Loerwald | Brand and Web Designer

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

Hi Rachael, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I am not a risk taker — but I do trust my instincts.

Starting your own business is risky, there is no way around that. You can save money, have a solid business plan, surround yourself with people who love and support you and it can still fail — which is so scary! It’s also thrilling. I still remember the feeling of completing my first brand and website design as a “freelance” designer. I felt like I was finally doing something I loved, something I was really good at, and something that was a sustainable career option.

In order to feel like I’m in charge of my career, I plan, strategize, and manifest my dreams and goals. I’m always looking into the future and learning new skills (and life lessons) that will take me there.

One of the best things you can do for yourself in business (and in life) is to set goals. Set quick achievable monthly goals, and big scary quarterly or annual goals. Check in with yourself regularly and see if you’re still on track to meet your goals. If you’re crushing it, maybe it’s time to hire help so you can take on even more projects, if you’re struggling to meet your goals, take a step back and find out why.

Journaling is also a great way to deal with “risky” situations. Write down answers to the questions like:
“what is the fear around this risk?”
“what happens if I succeed?”
“what happens if I don’t succeed?”
“what is the limiting belief I’m telling myself about this risk”
“how can I rewrite that story?”

The moral of the story? Trust your instincts, set your goals, check in with yourself, plan for success.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I design branding, websites, and product packaging for e-commerce businesses.

I specialize in businesses who sell products or services and need strategic branding (logos, typography, color palette, photography direction, etc.) to connect with their ideal customers, e-commerce websites to easily sell their products, and beautiful packaging design that sets their products apart from their competition.

I’ve had over a decade of professional design experience working for companies who value branding and understand the power it has to make real connections with consumers. Everything from your logo, color palette, typography, and tone of voice plays a role in how you want people to view your business and it’s so exciting to see new and established businesses embrace strategic branding and the changes it can make to your business.

My favorite projects are when I get the opportunity to completely design (or redesign) a brand — everything from their logo, website, photography, product packaging, social media assets, and more! It’s an incredible feeling to be able to take a client’s dreams and turn it into reality by listening to their goals and translating them into a visual and tangible brand experience.

This wasn’t a skill I learned overnight though and it’s taken me years of design and marketing experience to be able to give my clients exactly what they need. My process has evolved over the years through the help of clients, mentors, and coaches and it’s still evolving today as I learn more from every project and client that I work with.

A lesson I’ve learned along the way is that you can’t do everything — and you shouldn’t! That is the quickest way to burnout and to lose the passion you have for the business you started. While I handle the creative direction and design work for my business, I lean on the help of other experts in web development, copywriting, photography, social media, and more to make sure my clients get the best outcome possible while I put out the best creative work possible.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband has been my biggest support and I 100% would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for him believing in my talent and encouraging me to pursue my dreams of having my own branding and web design studio. Without sounding too cheesy, he really is my rock and I couldn’t have done any of this without his love and support.

Chelsee Adams has also been a pillar of support for me and my business. When I was laid off from my Art Director role in 2020 she was one of the first people to suggest I start my own business and even helped me get my first few clients. Now, she’s still my go-to for advice and encouragement and we even collaborate on some projects together.

I also want to thank Amber Venz Box for all of the amazing design opportunities she’s given me throughout the years. Whether designing branding for LTK, The Local Chapter, or the nail app Cherry, she unknowingly pointed me in the career path I’m on now and I’m forever grateful for it. She is also such an incredible entrepreneur and her balance between work is life is truly something to admire. As a mom myself, I love seeing how other moms balance their careers and their families.

I also have so many friends who have shared my work, sent me encouraging messages, and are always in my corner and that kind of support is something I don’t take for granted.

Website: https://studio-foray.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio.foray/

Image Credits
Paige Newton