Growing a Studio with Michelle Jolliffe Saper

Michelle Jolliffe Saper is the co-founder of Present Studio, a Los Angeles based branding and e-commerce design firm. You may recognize their work on Gilly Flowers, Friends and Family Bakery, Sunny Fine Foods, and Saba Jam. As Lead Web Developer, Michelle’s eye for detail in Shopify projects plays a huge part in crafting brand strategies & identities. We’ll discuss her background and journey to building and growing a thoughtful design studio.

Timestamps:

00:02:53 Transition to web development

00:05:34 Building strong partnerships with e-commerce businesses

00:08:14 Establishing boundaries in freelancing

00:10:42 Building meaningful client relationships

00:13:18 Setting professional boundaries in freelance work

00:15:49 Navigating client partnerships and confidence

00:18:21 Leading with generosity in business

00:20:53 Building a referral-based business model

00:23:35 Building a brand through personal values

00:26:27 How to start freelancing as a Shopify developer

00:31:35 Understanding value-based pricing in web design

00:35:01 The importance of increasing rates and growing your team

00:37:01 Strategies for freelancers to increase pricing

00:39:33 Effective strategies for writing business proposals

00:42:00 Choosing the right tools for proposals and projects

00:45:11 Starting a business: The importance of networking

00:47:31 Experiencing different roles in a studio

00:52:42 Tips for reducing eye strain with blue light glasses

00:55:41 Challenges in web accessibility laws

00:57:39 Building a developer community