Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariah Scott.
Hi Mariah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I always new I wanted to work with businesses in a creative capacity, and have time freedom for my future family – but I didn’t exactly know what that would look like! After school I worked so many different jobs for different types of companies at both full time and contract capacities – everything from doing design for marketing firms to designing icons for ovens at Whirlpool here in West Michigan. I think all of this variety gave me the insatiable want to hear and help tell the stories around me.
Using my design background and love for people, I began doing more and more brand work for small businesses. Branding is so much more than making cute and memorable logos. It is so much about telling the story of a business and connecting them with their ideal customers in a way that creates lasting relationships and empowers the business owner to embrace their own story.
I now get to work with some of the best people who are risk-takers, creatives and genuinely just good people with incredible stories to help build their businesses in a creative capacity. It’s no longer just branding, but coming alongside business owners with dreams to pursue and amazing stories to tell, to help build them up and encourage them to keep growing.
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?
It’s interesting thinking about what I do now through the lens of how I thought it would look when I started out. I think when I went to school there was still a perspective of “get a degree, find a good job at a company, and stay there until you retire,” which is really not many peoples’ reality anymore!
I had a big learning curve when it came to running a business, marketing a business and managing the finances of a business (even my small business with very low overhead). Because I come from a creative background, so many of these very practical skillsets were new to me.
I think there are so many benefits to being self-employed and being highly involved in a gig economy, but that also comes with a lot of risk and not a lot of safety net. There is a lot of responsibility that falls on you as a business owner or freelancer that, in a traditional job role, would likely be shared with others. I think this absolutely makes for a challenging journey and will continue to challenge me as I grow my business with my clients.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I primarily work as a brand designer and strategist, but have also moved into collecting more creative skillsets like illustration & murals (as well as general graphic design).
I think something that really makes my process and client relationships different is that I like to be INVOLVED, not just a spectator of your business and brand. I want to know the stories that built the business, I want to meet the family that runs the show, not just get brief emails that explain what you want in a logo.
This is special because it takes a lot of time and energy to get to know people, but I believe that having a good relationship foundation is the path to doing incredible work and creating the most successful brands. I believe in the businesses I work with and want to see them thrive, and I know that good design can be very impactful on the success of. a brand. I think there are many brand designers out there who can create beautiful, impactful work, but I don’t believe that many of them are deeply invested in the businesses they work with in a way that truly integrates the STORIES behind the brands.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is people. Full stop.
I think we can go about our lives running businesses, making money, creating beautiful things, and at the end of the day if we don’t care for one another none of that ultimately matters.
I have been formed very deeply as an adult by my faith in Jesus – and it totally shapes the way that I work with and interact with people. I think if we are doing business in a way that exploits or doesn’t truly serve people, then it’s not worth doing.
I think we can be creative about how we do business, what we make, and how we grow – but at the end of the day I truly hope that the way I go about these things always considers the empowerment, encouragement and equity of others.
Pricing:
- Branding – starting at $2,000
- Murals – starting at $25/sq ft
- Illustration – Custom pricing
- Design Retainers – starting at $500/month
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rosecolor.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosecolor.co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosecolorcreative
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rose-color-creative
