Meet Sara DeNorch: Graphic Designer & Creative Director

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

Hi Sara, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My parents have always been entrepreneurs, so I grew up with seeing the freedom starting your own business could offer an individual. That never comes without sacrifice, but building a life MY way with something I loved seemed like an absolute dream come true. I’ve started multiple businesses in the past, made good investments and bad, but understanding that it takes a few tries until you actually find something that sticks and keeps you passionate kept me motivated. I’m a total night person, so a regular 9-5 job was never on the table for me as something I felt I could excel at, which is what made the risk of starting my business a much more valuable option for me. There was a defining moment that finally pushed me to the edge of leaving my well paying job to finally devoting my full time to my own business. Over quarantine, my Dad was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. Not only was I not able to work my hospitality job, but I was hit with the reality that time really is limited. I needed to focus on making ends meet in a way that allowed me to spend time with my Dad, and finally make my dreams happen. My Dad reminded me “You can only give 100% of yourself to one thing at a time. So what is worth 100% of you? Your dreams or being an outstanding employee?” And with that, I jumped into my dreams, focused on my family and my business, and never looked back.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I had always been fascinated by graphic design from the moment I got a Neopets.com account (please tell me you remember that site). From making artwork in Paint using the little pet figures to learning to code a signature for the bottom of my forum posts, I explored every direction I could in the digital art realm at a very young age. I spent hours in front of the computer which I’m sure was quite concerning for my parents… but it kept me interested all the way into my college admission. I received an academic scholarship to attend ASU where I immediately and confidently chose “Graphic Design” as my major. At the time, I was building a business doing makeup artistry from my dorm room… which grew quickly to the point it required me to change my studio time-intensive Graphic Design major to something more flexible. This is when I chose to switch to Design Management and looking back now I’m SO glad I did. While I lost passion for my makeup artistry business along my college experience, I learned the quality and importance of good design and how to incorporate it into a business and what it took to run a business all by yourself without totally hating it after all the time you’ve spent. After four years of full-time design school, I was burnt out, just as any kid would be, so I turned away from art to build a life for myself in the nightlife industry. Best years of my life! But… even with all the time off, flexibility, and available income, I was never truly satisfied unless I was creating. I hit a wall after about 5 years that finally got me to open the dusty, outdated Photoshop program I still had installed on my computer from college. I made some logos for friends and played with new trends, directions, and ideas. From there, my passion was ignited again and reminded me I’ll never truly be satisfied in my life if I am not exploring my creativity. In my creative direction, I love to juxtapose the light and dark, the good and the evil, the yin and the yang. Through my professional ups and downs, I’ve learned that opposing sides can often change us the most. I like to express that you cannot have light without darknes, or good without evil. Something that may seem scary and different, could be something there to save you. The best people I’ve encountered, have a flawed side too. You can’t build a successful, thriving business without mistakes along the way.

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.
Let me start off by saying, I thrive at night both professionally and socially so this may be a little more of a lively answer. Being a creative, I love places that inspire me, whether that be decor, music, or a great social scene. For the day, I’d take friends to Bishop Arts District and visit my favorite coffee shop, Tribal All Day Cafe to get my “Brain Brew” coffee after saying hello to the SWEETEST staff ever. Then we’d spend the day strolling all the cute shops and stops Bishop Arts has to offer. I’d also suggest sitting outside with a brunch menu at The Beverly and talk for hours spilling the tea about our lives over some delicious french toast. Dallas has so many great mid-afternoon spots, but I’d save our appetite for dinner at Drake’s; a super stylish high-end dinner with the crowd to match. I’m a sucker for a night out so I’d pack all my friends dressed to the nines into an Uber and take them around town. Pre-party drink at Parliament, an intimate craft cocktail bar, and bounce around the hottest spots, my personal favorite Bottled Blonde. but Theory and Citizen would be on the itinerary as well. Otherwise, a calm afternoon at a the Virgin Hotel grabbing coffee, enjoying the decor and heading home for a cozy night in with my cat would sum up a night well spent in the city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
As previously stated, my family really is the powerhouse behind what I’ve been able to achieve professionally. Without rebuilding a relationship with God and my parents, I would have never had the courage to dive headfirst into my dreams and passions, Sometimes it takes the hardest parts of your life to make way for the best parts. It hasn’t been an easy road, but because of them I know its all worth it. The sky is the limit with my family behind me.

Website: www.moralsonmonday.com
Instagram: @thatonesara

Image Credits
All images I own the license to