Meet Megan Boese of In The Pines Creative in Vail Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Boese.

Megan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Design as a career became a reality for me when I began to study Graphic Design in college. I studied at Eastern New Mexico University, a small but mighty university in the middle of practically nowhere. After my boyfriend Ben (now husband) and I graduated from ENMU, we immediately began to apply for jobs anywhere in the country that interested us. He landed a job first and, to my luck, it was in Colorado. I knew from the moment that I first visited Colorado a few years prior, that it was where I wanted to be. I began to narrow my own search and landed a job that happened to be in the same building as Ben’s job! However, we didn’t know this until the day I started.

My Colorado career path began as an administrative assistant for an orthopaedic research institute. Not exactly your typical start to designing for a living but this didn’t bother me. I knew that God had a plan for me and every stepping stone, from scrubbing toilets at a workout center for extra cash to organizing files and catering office lunches, was one step closer to where I wanted to be professionally. The wonderful team that I worked for recognized my talent as a designer and marketer, so I quickly got moved up to Marketing Coordinator. I worked diligently for the institute during the day and built up my freelance portfolio in the evenings and on weekends.

After doing this for a while, and after saving money by thrift store shopping and eating turkey dogs and mac-n-cheese for most of our dinners, Ben and I decided it was time for me to take my moonlighting freelance career to the next level. I quit my job at the institute and began designing full-time. I named my design agency In The Pines Creative, obviously stemming from my love and appreciation for the mountains. In The Pines Creative is about four years old now and specializes in brand identity and website development.

Has it been a smooth road?
Being a solopreneur obviously has its challenges. For example, the very day I quit my secure job at the institute to begin In The Pines Creative, our landlord came to us and said he was raising our rent and we could either pay or go. Of course, I went into a panic thinking, “What have I done?! How am I ever going to make enough money to support us!?” Being the calm and collected man he is, Ben reassured me that we would be fine and my cliental was already established enough to make it work. Because of his support and my past experiences of constantly being able to trust in God through multiple circumstances, I pursued my design path. And it was so worth it.

When I became a business owner, I was not only a brand designer but also project manager, consultant, marketer, accountant and admin. So learning how to juggle all of these aspects of owning an agency was a struggle and requires constant commitment and growth across each realm. As a creative, I’m not very strong with numbers so as In The Pines Creative grew, so did my need for efficient bookkeeping. I hired on my accountant a couple of years ago and she has been super helpful.

Growing your skills in an ever-changing field is also a challenge I have experienced. In the website portion of my business specifically, everything is constantly changing so I have to continue to learn new skills and teach myself new things so I can best serve my clients.

Something I am currently struggling with right now is advancement on my own brand and website! My clients are first priority so sadly, my own brand has gone by the wayside for the last year or so.

But struggles combined with diligence produce growth. So my advice would be to trust in yourself, don’t be afraid to get help and to admit your weaknesses and to always advance your artistry and abilities.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with In The Pines Creative – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I specialize in brand identity development. The main focus of In The Pines Creative is to brand, or re-brand, small to medium-sized businesses and other entrepreneurs. I also create websites for these clients that showcase their brand and their services. What is a good brand if it’s undiscoverable!? In The Pines Creative is known for the consistency it creates within a brand. My goal for my clients is to develop brand loyalty through creating a consistent look that screams, “I am good at what I do and am worth your time!” What I am most proud of as a company are my clients. I strive to work with people who care about their impact on the world and how their business or services will make a positive difference. My clients range from non-profits and churches working towards a good cause to solo service providers who want to improve the lives of their own customers.

I believe what sets In The Pines Creative apart from other design agencies is the fact that we not only provide a quality design but also value and strategy. In our brand development process, we have a discovery phase that includes brand research, a creative brief and mood board development before we ever take to the logo drawing board. We merely don’t just make a “pretty” logo, we set up a firm brand foundation and discover what makes our clients unique. Something else that sets In The Pines Creative apart, is the size. As a one-woman show, I understand small business challenges and make access to my services easy and customized to each client. I want my clients to consider me as part of their team.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I like best about Denver and its surrounding area, specifically the Vail Valley, is the amount of opportunity present for individuals like me who are wanting to work from home or work remotely and do what they love.

What I like least is the lack of vegan restaurants! Lots has changed since my turkey dog and mac-n-cheese dinner nights, including my realization of my impact on the environment and my own health.

Pricing:

• Brand Development – Starting at $5,000
• Website Development – Starting at $5,000
• Designer Day – Starting at $2,000
• Brand Support – $75/Hour
• Website Maintenance Retainer – Starting at $300/Month

Contact Info:

• Website: www.inthepinescreative.com
• Email: meg@inthepinescreative.com
• Instagram: @inthepinescreativellc
• Facebook: @inthepinescreativellc
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganbryantinthepines/

Image Credit:
Headshot – James Pearson
All other images are portfolio examples from In The Pines Creative.

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