Lauren West
Lauren West
Designer/Holistic Lifestyle Coach - Founder of West & Well
Chicago, IL
www.westandwell.com
instagram @west_and_well
pinterest
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I am a graphic designer who specializes in branding and website design.”
I love working with female entrepreneurs and heart-based creatives. I’m all about living your best life on all levels and living a holistic lifestyle that incorporates a healthy work life balance. I bring joy and authenticity to each project that I work on!
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
I have worked in agency and in-house settings as a graphic, presentation, and product designer. I have experience creating marketing materials, social graphics, email newsletters, logos, brand identities, websites, and offer UX/UI services to improve and optimize websites.
Before I went back to school for Graphic Design, I got my B.A. in English Creative Writing from DePaul University. I also am a certified Holistic Wellness Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.
I have worked hard, planned strategically, and manifested my way to where I am today. I put in the time and energy to get to a place where I recently quit my 9-5 to pursue building my own design studio and holistic life and business coaching brand.
FOR OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR FIELD, WHAT DO THEY USUALLY LACK?
Oh man, I don’t want to speak for other people in my field, but I feel like what really makes me stand out is my breadth of experience, my personality, and aesthetic. Since I have had experience in sales, social media, writing, design, and wellness, I offer a unique blend of creativity and a holistic perspective on design.
I see how the pieces of a brand and business fit together, affect each other, and work together. I don’t just focus on the piece of the puzzle but rather the whole puzzle itself. Additionally, I also consider beyond the “what” and want to make sure we nail down the “why”.
I also really, really love my clients and want the best for them. It’s about them, not about me. I feel like with other designers, they might push their personal agenda onto a project, but I don’t do this. I also don’t stop working until they’re in love with the final product! We also usually become friends which is a great fringe benefit! I like to have fun with what I’m doing and want to make the design process as enjoyable as possible for my clients!
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
Right now I’m working on branding identities, logos, websites, and an e-commerce shop for female entrepreneurs. I’m working with a few badass ladies who are building their businesses so they can leave their 9-5 gigs. I’m also working with a few rockstar goddesses who are social media stars and inspiring branding and business coaches. I love this kind of work and these kinds of ladies!
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
My personal style is minimal, modern, and chic. I really enjoy working on projects that have this aesthetic, but I also really enjoy working on projects that are different from this style. My work for Lulafit, Haley Neve, Colour Me Trixie, and Primrose Jewelry really speak to this.
If we want to talk decks and websites, my work for The Onion and Susan G. Komen speak to this approach as well.
I also really like working with styles that are outside of my personal taste. I am working with a branding coach and writer who is all about creating a vintage logo with a modern touch. I’m also working with a lady who is starting an e-commerce store and wants her branding to include earthy textures and antlers. I love it!
Because I really listen to what my clients are saying and have a strong intuition, I am able to hone in and feel what they’re saying, so I nail it on the first round.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
I want to work with heart-based female entrepreneurs and businesses. I work with a variety of ladies who are in fashion, travel, writing, music, fitness, and coaching industries.
If I had to choose one industry, I would have to say that wellness is really my passion! I would love to work with entrepreneurs in yoga, acupuncture, essential oils, meditation, reiki, spirituality, and anything in the woo woo realm. I am obsessed with the That’s So Retrograde Podcast!
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
I am having a hard time finding time to invest into my business. I need to automate my systems, write blog posts, and create a newsletter. These things keep landing at the bottom of my To Do List, because I am spending all of my time on client work and trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
I would probably hire someone to make me a smoothie bowl, clean my apartment, organize my closets, create my automated systems, organize my calendar, and do my SEO/social media planning.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
In college, I would have told myself to love yourself more and value your time more. I used to be a perfectionist and was highly critical of myself. That type of attitude really chips away at your self-esteem and will lead you straight to burn out land. That type of energy is also carried into your personal relationships and isn’t productive or nurturing for growth.
I also wish I would have told myself to value my time more. I never asked for a raise or tried to negotiate my pay early on in my career, and I think undervaluing your time and talents is a real travesty. I would have told myself that there are so many other jobs and opportunities out there that you don’t have to take the first one that’s offered to you.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
I would want to talk to an expert about faith and trust. I think that most experts or highly successful people have taken big risks in their lives or at least walked to the beat of their own drum. At some point, they diverged from the herd.
I would like to know what it was that made them go their own way and how they sustained their faith and trust in themselves and also the universe. I’d like to glean insight on how they make their big decisions, how they know when to take risks, and how they keep improving themselves and rising.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
I am looking for opportunities to create branding identities, marketing materials, social media graphics, and websites. I really love building from the ground up but can also easily jump onto projects where the branding has already been established.
I am also looking to serve anyone or business who is looking to incorporate a holistic lifestyle or ethos into their personal or professional lifestyle and setting. I think it’s key to examine one’s life on physical, emotional/mental, and spiritual levels in relation to themselves, their relationships, and career or business.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
I love good stuff and good people! My ideal client would be in the wellness industry whether it’s food, beauty, or service based. I would love to create clean, modern, and beautiful branding for the millennial woman. Some brands I am currently digging are Outside Voices, Moon Juice, and RMS beauty.
WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?
$40-50/hr
Retainer: ~$350 a month
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
You can email me at laurenwestdesigns@gmail.com. Feel free to send an overview of the work you’re looking to have done and some background information on what you and your business are all about. Hilarious gifs are always appreciated!
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Pinterest is cool, Dreaming is even better, Keep your hands active.
This member profile was originally published in November 2017.