Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Lee.
Emily, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I never intended to become a web designer. It was a lucky happenstance that came out of a series of unexpected developments!
Actually, I wanted to be a painter ever since I was little. But when the digital age came along (along with Myspace, selfies, and photoshop), I ended up falling head over heels for photography and photo editing. I pursued it all the way through college and started a photography business under the name By Emily Jane! I learned all about marketing and sales through building this business (including as it happens, how to build an effective website).
Unfortunately, as time went on, I started suffering more from chronic pain and was struggling to get through photo sessions with clients. After a period of feeling really down about it, I finally picked myself back up and looked for another way of making a living creatively that could be even MORE flexible and allow me to prioritize my health.
That’s when I realized I could offer the website skills I had learned for myself to other business owners. I could do it on my own time and even from my own bed. The web design business grew from there, and I could have never imagined how much I’d love it!
What’s so cool is – I still get to make people feel confident and look amazing! But instead of highlighting their best features on camera, I do it through their websites.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been anything BUT a smooth road! Sometimes you don’t know where you’re gonna end up, but you have to be willing to go where the journey takes you.
And if there’s one thing, I’ve learned about growing a business, it’s that it’s never as easy as people make it sound. It typically takes a lot longer than you think to get to where you want to be, but you have to stick with it.
For example, I’ve changed my offerings more times than I can count, because you constantly have to test what works. It also took me a few years to gain the confidence to charge fairly for my services!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in strategic websites for wedding service providers and photographers. I feel most connected to these people based on my photography background, and it’s an industry I know the most about. I’ve also been a bride and I can’t tell you the amount of bad websites I came across that completely frustrated me or turned me off!
The way I love to design is with clarity. So many web designs right now are focused on throwing as much detail at the screen as possible – but I think this is a huge mistake. When a viewer is looking at a busy website design with lots of crazy animations, graphics filling up every corner of the page, and text going in all directions; it totally distracts from the message. We need to get the audience member to understand what you offer, why they should care, and how they can work with you immediately.
That’s why I love helping wedding vendors find ways to stand out through their design in a clean and focused way!
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
I would say I’ve been very lucky in a way that a lot of people aren’t. I have a very supportive family who I couldn’t have built my business without. I have a husband who was able to work a full-time job when I was just getting started building the business and not making much money. When we both fell on hard times due to our health, my family stepped in and gave us financial help so we could stay in our apartment. I totally recognize that not everyone has those privileges that have allowed me to become my own boss, and it’s something I try not to take for granted.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.byemilyjane.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byemilyjane/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byemilyjanefb
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@byemilyjane
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@byemilyjane
Image Credits
Emily Jane Lee
Harmland Visions
Catie Ronquillo
