Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmin Riser.
Hi Jasmin, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a semi-small military city called Lawton/Ft. Sill, OK where I lived from age 8 to 18 after moving from my hometown of Lake Providence, La. Of course, being a military child, you move from place to place so you don’t really have time to make friends and build relationships like that. When we settled in Oklahoma, finally our last stop, that’s where I was able to find myself and flourish.
I wasn’t the most popular but I had plenty of friends, I wasn’t the most active but I took part in plenty of activities just to participate, i.e.: sports, music, art. Did I enjoy sports, not even a little lol! But what I did discover was that I had a talent and it was creativity. I absolutely loved art! No matter what I was doing, I was drawing, I was sketching, I was coloring and I was GOOD at it. It was just something about color that I constantly got lost in and using my imagination to use color to create something.
My skills are not only God-given, but they are hereditary. There are artists in my family of all sorts, from fashion to painters, so it was inevitable that my future career would somehow involve art, and that I can’t complain about. Now, to get here was the journey. As a senior in high school, I wanted to be many things, but mainly two, either a chef or a cartoonist. I’m neither today. But I did go to art school. I graduated in 2015 from The Art Institute of Fort Worth with my BFA in Graphic Design. That accomplishment came with so many trials and tribulations, to the point where I honestly didn’t know if I’d actually accomplish it.
I went to two previous schools before AI. I attended TCC where my credits were almost pointless, and Westwood where all accreditation was lost and I was given the option to either finish what I had left or go to my dream school. The choice was easy, but the switch was not. Having to basically start over (pushed back my grad date by 2 years) after years of driving back and forth, night classes, and trying to keep a PT job, I was drained. But I had a goal and a dream, so I had to do it anyway. The PT job eventually let me go. Only for me to find myself soon after with child. Waking up early mornings for class with morning sickness almost took me OUT, but with a couple of plastic bags, crackers, and water on standby I made it. 2 years later, I graduated with her there to see me walk the stage. She basically graduated with me, and I was excited, proud of myself, and thankful to my support system and God himself for getting me through to the end.
Obviously, we all know what comes with graduation, CAREER JOBS SEARCH! While working for the portrait studio I was at up till graduation, I found a love for photography. So, I found myself at one point, being a photographer. I quickly learned, just because you can doesn’t mean you should. I was great at it, yes, but did I want to make a career out of it? Nope. Because at the end of the day all I wanted to do was design. So on to the job hunting, denied, denied, approved, interview here, interview there, temp job here, contract job there…the vicious cycle. I just wanted to design! So much so, that until I found my dream job, I took whatever work I could find, which was my last corporate job. A call center. That job is what let me know I was never meant to work for others because I was literally just another employee, I was boxed in, and at the end of every shift, I had to ask the Lord for strength to go back the next day. I honestly hated the job, loved most of the people, but then you have those that forget without you and the extra miles you go for that job, they’d have nothing. I couldn’t take it, crying at my desk, in the hall, in the bathrooms, on my breaks, angry, tired, just ready to go, praying for an opportunity to quit, anything to get me out of that toxic environment under management that could care less about when I had going on outside those walls. Have you ever applied for other jobs on the job? Yes, that was me. But I was also side hustling my graphic design job, Jazzy Creationz, to make extra income on the side. I couldn’t wait for the day to say, I work for me and only me, I make my own rules, set my own schedule and I love the people I work with because I relate with them more than I do these managers. I wanted to help people stuck in toxic environments, people that wanted more for themselves but were too afraid to show up because they were always told to be a certain way or act a certain way, people with dreams but no encouragement, people that cry because they want to help others so bad it hurts. I quickly learned that as much as I loved design, I loved helping people more. And if I could combine the 2 while creating an impact, then I’d found my purpose. That’s when I learned about Brand Strategy. It was the best of both of my passions. Design and help! It’s like, God if this is it, then so it is. And that is when J.Janae Design Co. LLC was born. I’m actually grateful for the pandemic because the pandemic made me an FT business owner, a wife, and a mother to two girls. Although it took my job, I asked God for a way out. I never specifically said how, but he made a way, and I am A-OK with that.
I would never tell someone to quit their job, especially if they aren’t ready. I didn’t quit my job; I wasn’t given a choice so I had to leap. But I will ask that you hold on just a little bit longer, pray and have faith that your time will come to be great, help others and share your God-given talents with the world. And when you are ready to leap, come on over to J. Janae Design Co, apply to work with me, and let’s tell your story, build you a strategy and create a beautiful brand!
You can find me at www.jjanaebranding.com, or over on IG @j_janaedesignco
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all! I won’t even lie. The entrepreneurship journey is hard. There will be lots of doubt, tears shed, there will be dark times, you will have slow days, weeks, months, and even years. Especially if you work a 9-5, have kids and a family. It takes time, commitment, and dedication. You will want to quit, give up, throw in the towel, cuss and scream, but wait. Just be patient and have faith, even just a little bit of faith can make a difference.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At J.Janae Design Co. I specialize in brand + strategy. I am a graphic designer that helps create strategies for successful use of one’s brand elements. I am known for my F.E.A.RLess Method which journeys my client through 4 stages: Foundation building, Elevation of their mindset, Alignment with their goals, and Removing self-doubt and fears for a confident, successful launch going forward.
Most people don’t consider the foundation before jumping straight to the visuals of their brand, because they care more about what their brand looks like, rather than making sure it makes clear what and who it is for.
I’m proud of the amount of people I have helped understand the importance of a strategy and how it can help them show up more confidently when they have a plan to take action, rather than just sitting back trying to figure out what steps to take next after receiving just the visuals.
What sets me apart is that I care about my clients as humans, and I want to make sure they are comfortable and confident FIRST. I don’t want another business owner, entrepreneur or female CEO to just do their best when what they have is more valuable than they could ever imagine, their authenticity.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success for me is the success of others. If a tear is shed because of an aha moment, or laughter and happiness is caused by clarity, then I have served my purpose. I just want to see other women win in their thing called entrepreneurship. Success is stepping away from toxic work environments and from toxic managers that don’t care about you as an individual with dreams. Success is showing up with your skills and God-given gifts, ready to share them with others. Success is being afraid of what’s next, but doing it and showing up anyway.
Pricing:
- Brand services start at $1100
- Brand Audits are $250
- Consultations are FREE
Contact Info:
- Email: info@jazzycreationz.net
- Website: jjanaebranding.com
- Instagram: @j_janaedesignco
- Facebook: @jjanaedesigncollc
Image Credits
Marrica Evans
