Daily Inspiration: Meet Lydia Ellison

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lydia Ellison.

Hi Lydia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in a small family business. My parents started their own party tent rental business. My parents, four siblings, and I spent summers together putting up party tents, tables, chairs, and inflatables for our customers. Our family business taught me the value of hard work, being a team player, having a good quality product and service, treating customers right, and always doing the noble thing. It also taught me that small business owners are some of the most passionate and innovative groups of people.

I graduated high school and then attended college to pursue a degree in Marketing. I graduated and not sure what to do next, I started working with my brother who moved back to our hometown to start his law firm. I worked 5.5 years for him in which I learned how to run a business, bookkeeping, scheduling, talking with clients, etc. From there, I got a job at a business college in the Alumni Department. Here I got to do a lot of event planning, social media management, meeting and building relationships with alumni, and expanding my marketing skills.

From there, it was time to move on and I wanted to move to West Michigan – Grand Rapids specifically. I started looking for jobs and found one at a poultry ranch in Saranac. This is where I met my boss and future mentor. During my time at the poultry ranch, I got the opportunity to work on so many cool and unique projects. A few highlights were that we created a branded board game, a company inspired coloring book, designed an egg carton, designed and wrapped 4 – 52′ semi trailers in vinyl, designed and wrapped 5 – mini trailers, built the company store with merchandise, managed a team, etc. I also did the typical marketing department duties including social media management, building the brand and reputation, develop brand positioning and messaging, and worked with other departments for their needs.

One day, my boss came in and told me he was taking a new opportunity and was leaving. I was completely devastated and thought it was the worst day of my professional career – hindsight it wasn’t. It is the best thing that could have happened.

A few months later, he approached me and asked if I wanted to do some graphic design work on the side for his new company. At the time, I had the feeling it was time to also move on to a new adventure. We talked and I asked him “what if I quit here and go off on my own?” We worked out a business agreement and 6 months after he left, I also left. Six weeks later, I started Noble Creative and he was my client.

Noble Creative was started with the desire to help other small business owners who want high-quality design without having to hire a full-time graphic designer/marketer. Because of my upbringing, I am passionate about helping and working with other small businesses to help build their brand and story. Because all small businesses are unique with their own set of challenges, it’s fun for me to learn more about them and help come up with real solutions. Noble Creative brings flexibility, offering tailored solutions that suit the unique needs and budget constraints of small businesses.

Noble Creative also offers creative workshops. They are aimed at providing fun, creative experiences for all ages and skill level. We partner with other small businesses who offer a unique craft to bring creativity to our workshops. Collaborating with other local small businesses not only creates a sense of community and connection but also opens the door for cross-promotion, increased exposure, and a wider audience for all small businesses involved.

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?
There is no smooth road in entrepreneurship. There is always going to be a challenge. Whether it is not enough money, time, resources, clients, etc. I learned throughout my upbringing and career, that if you get up everyday and do something everyday regardless if it is small or large, you will eventually see the results.

A big struggle for me right away was going from having multiple projects at once (which I love) to nothing. All of a sudden, I had all this time on my hands and no where to put it. I was going a little crazy. But I knew it would pass and it did by finding and creating opportunities for projects.

Another obstacle that I am having right now is that working with small businesses means I am working with small budgets. These small businesses need marketing and graphic design services and they know it but the owner may be hesitant to make that leap. I talk with them to show them the value of marketing, graphic design, and branding solutions. I also educate them on doing it project by project so we can get these items done on a more intentional way. Marketing is like a long-time relationship and it is not achieved overnight. You need to be consistent and show up everyday.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Noble Creative specializes in marketing, graphic design and branding services. My expertise spans across logo design to cohesive branding to social media management and anything creative in between. If there is a unique project you are trying to create, I am the person to chat with to make it happen. I am known for having the ability to take a project from conception to execution. I find the way to make it happen. I am also known for creating and educating others on why colors, fonts, and design matters. By investing in good design, it can take your business or project to the next level. I like the quote “good design is good for business.”

One project I am most proud of since starting Noble Creative, is that I won an ADDY Award for a logo design I created for another small business in my area. An ADDY is the largest and most representative award ceremony in the advertising industry. Winning this award within the first year of my business was such an honor. This gave me the validation that I could be a creative with my own business working for other small businesses and bringing their brand to life but being recognized on a big scale.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
The biggest resource to me currently is other small business owners – especially other small creative businesses. I always feel very inspired after speaking with them. There’s something special about that mutual understanding and shared hustle that comes from talking to other creatives who are building their own thing from the ground up. They push me to be better at my craft and offerings.

Pricing:

• We bring flexibility, offering tailored solutions that suit the unique needs and budget constraints of small businesses.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://noble-creative.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noble_creativellc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noblecreativellcle/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-ellison-8a150724