The goal of Hardly Hustle is to provide inspiration, drive and motivation in a 10 minute read or less. What you see is what you get. This is hot off the press without an editing team. One of our goals that's near and dear to my heart is to get to the point where we can donate at least $25k worth of services a year to women-owned and minority-owned businesses. Cheffy Lewis is up.
Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Cheffy Lewis, and I design identities (of the... brand variety).
What did it take/how did you get started?
I started Devize Creative because I didn't feel like I could provide the level of value for my clients that matched my standards while I was freelancing. So my solution to that problem was to "go legit," as some might say, which led to me launching my solo branding agency.
What does the future look like for you and your business?
For Devize, the future looks good-busy. We just wrapped up a couple of big projects and are actively on the hunt for the next brand we get to help achieve their goals. One of our goals that's near and dear to my heart is to get to the point where we can donate at least $25k worth of services a year to women-owned and minority-owned businesses.
What drives / motivates you on a daily basis?
I'm a creative person, what drives me is getting to use my creativity and knowledge of design to solve problems. And there will always be a problem that needs solving somewhere so I imagine I'll have this drive until I'm kicking up daisies.
What advice would you give someone interested in doing what you do?
When you're starting out, it can be really difficult to have a real grasp on what it is you actually want to do. So try saying "yes" to as many projects as you can even if you don't necessarily know the best way to tackle it. It's a great way to both grow your skillset and to narrow down the projects you'd love to continue doing and those you'd never want to see again.
What has been the hardest part of your business journey?
For me, marketing has been the most challenging part of starting Devize. I'm an introvert, which is pretty common among us creatives, I've come to learn. And the marketing side of things feels so uncomfortable. It's like pulling teeth trying to get myself to do anything in that realm.
How have you managed burnout thus far?
When it comes to managing burnout, I try to spend time with the people I love. Being able to get that quality time in helps me to reset a bit. But the biggest issue is that it can also be hard for me to notice the burnout coming because I'm doing work I love. It's easy to get lost in a project without noticing any potential negative effects brewing from the long hours.
What are a few resources that you'd recommend?
For creatives starting their journey, a resource I can't recommend enough is thefutur.com. It's been an absolute game-changer for me being able to learn from this team. And Chris Do has put together a list of book recommendations that you can find here: https://thefutur.com/content/designer-book-recommendations.
The STATS
List the founders
Devon "Cheffy" Lewis
How many hours a week do you work on this hustle?
I'd say I spend anywhere between 16-22 hours working on the business.
# of Employees?
1
When did you start?
September 2022
How much did it cost to launch?
About $1200
What were your funding methods and ballpark amount raised?
I just paid out of pocket. No fundraising was needed.
Annual revenue?
$30,000-100,000
Projected revenue?
$36,000-80,000
What's the #1 thing you need right now?
More clients, and soon I'll probably need someone more skilled on the marketing side of things.
Social:
Personal LN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devon-lewis-977032139/