Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackie Dahm.
Hi Jackie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
If you’d known me when I was a little girl, you probably would’ve found me surrounded by crayons, sketchbooks, and paint sets. Creativity was my language, even before I had words for it. But when it came time to choose a career, I also knew one thing for sure: I wasn’t willing to leave the Upper Peninsula. My heart has always been here with my family, my roots, and my high school sweetheart (who’s now my husband of 23 years). This place, with its slower pace, woods, and wide-open waters, is just woven into who I am.
So, I chose a path that felt safe and practical. I earned a degree in Computer Aided Design, hoping it might lead me into architecture, but instead, I ended up working for a company that served the Big Three automakers, designing assembly line tooling and eventually becoming a robotic programmer.
The work was steady and paid well, but it wasn’t exactly soul-filling. Everything shifted when I became a mom – the long hours and daycare drop-offs wore on me. My husband was on swing shift then, and between his hours and my 50+ hour weeks, there were stretches when we’d barely see each other. When our branch eventually shut down, it was both terrifying and liberating. We had just built our dream home and had a toddler, so the uncertainty was real – but it also gave me my first true chance to pause and ask what I wanted life to look like.
Slowing down and having more time together felt like a gift. So, we found ways to make it work – trimming expenses, selling a vehicle, and learning to live more simply. It stretched us at times, but what we gained mattered so much more. I was able to be home with my baby, and later, with our second son. That season of slowing down gave me space to catch my breath, to shift my perspective, and to begin imagining a life built on more than just deadlines and paychecks.
A couple of years into being home with my boys, I started to feel a nudge – the sense that while I loved my role as a mom, there was another part of me waiting to be expressed. Around that time, a dear friend asked if I could help with some Virtual Assistant work. I didn’t know it then, but that simple yes would change everything. I began with small projects, then moved into graphics and websites. With each new step, I felt my confidence grow and my creativity come alive again. That’s the real start of Sparrow & Spruce – not a perfectly drawn-up business plan, but a path that unfolded as I followed those nudges along the way.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My journey has felt less like a straight highway and more like a winding back road – the kind where you can’t always see what’s around the next corner. In those early years, I poured myself into online courses and trainings, YouTube Photoshop tutorials, and countless phone calls to my sister, who has a thriving corporate career in marketing and design. My laptop was filled with half-finished projects and designs I’d definitely smile (or cringe) at now.
But the hardest part wasn’t learning the software or design principles – it was facing self-doubt. I kept asking myself, Am I good enough? Who am I to call myself a designer? Add in two young boys who needed me, and there were plenty of days when quitting seemed like the easier choice.
Those struggles shaped me just as much as the wins. They taught me to slow down, to build in a way that actually fits my life, and to stop measuring myself against what everyone else was doing. They’re the reason Sparrow & Spruce looks the way it does today – not a business built on hustle, but one designed to serve with meaning and intention.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
On the surface, I create branding, websites, and visual storytelling. But really, my work is about connection. I specialize in working with life coaches, wellness entrepreneurs, holistic health practitioners, and creatives who are stepping into a new chapter of their work. Often, they’ve grown, shifted, or healed, and the way they show up in their business no longer fits. My role isn’t just about creating “pretty” visuals – it’s about holding up a mirror so they can see themselves clearly.
What makes my process unique is how collaborative it is. I don’t hand clients a trendy brand and send them on their way – I walk alongside them. We talk about their values, their vision, and the story they want to tell. Then I weave strategy with soul, so the end result not only looks beautiful, but feels true.
What I’m most proud of isn’t just the brands or websites themselves, but the way clients light up when they recognize themselves in the final design. When a client says, “This feels like me.” that’s the moment I know the work has done its job. It’s not just a polished website – it’s a reflection of their truth, ready to meet the world.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people are surprised to learn just how much of a small-town girl I really am. I live in the same tiny town where I grew up – the kind of place with one blinking caution light and the nearest Target nearly an hour away. I’ve never been drawn to fast-paced city life; my heart has always been here in the Upper Peninsula.
I’m introverted by nature, happiest in stillness – whether it’s walking our quiet country road, watching the seasons change, curled up with a book, or creating quietly in my own little bubble. That slower, quieter rhythm fuels my creativity. Even the way Sparrow & Spruce has grown reflects that pace. I’ve never relied on flashy marketing pushes or a constant online presence. Instead, my business has grown through client referrals – people sharing my name because they felt truly cared for and seen. That trust has been the greatest compliment, and it’s allowed me to build my dream business slowly and intentionally, in full alignment with who I am.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sparrowandspruce.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparrowandspruce
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sparrowandsprucedesigns
