Nicole White walked away twice from a stable career and a steady paycheck for a chance at going all-in on design. More than a decade after that second attempt, she’s taking stock of the highs and lows of creative entrepreneurship and the sometimes bumpy road to success.
When Nicole White left her first career in journalism to go all-in on design, she ran straight into a scenario even more frightening than hurricane-chasing and crime reporting—starting a small business at the beginning of the recession. She took whatever odd jobs she could get as she recovered financially from the risk, before taking the leap a second time. Nearly a decade later, she’s sharing a few lessons from the other side, including the balance between brand-building and daily operations, how a good accountant can clear the way for great design, and why owning up to your mistakes can strengthen your client relationships—and your firm’s integrity.