Life and Work with Sydney Smith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Smith.

Sydney, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
It all started with a nagging feeling that I could do more with my brain and time than build someone else’s dream that I didn’t fully resonate with. I was working for a tech startup and was lacking fulfillment and wanted to make sure that when I was 60 and looking back on my career, that I would be able to say that I made a positive impact with my work. So, I started working on a company with a friend that gave me a creative outlet. Through this experience, I learned branding and website design. When I left my full-time job, the goal was to build this business and help other people create websites on the side. However, sometimes life guides you down a different path than you envisioned. The design business started to take off so I leaned in and went full time with website design and branding. I have been full time with this business for the past two years and I absolutely love getting to work with small businesses and entrepreneurs to help them align with their audience in an authentic way. Entrepreneurship is an ever evolving path, but I’ve learned to stay open to opportunities and listen to what works and what fulfills you at the end of the day.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t think any journey of starting your own business can ever be smooth. You can only do things along the way to figure out how to prepare yourself for the turns ahead and stay open and driven as you navigate them. Honestly, the biggest struggle I have dealt with along the way has come from my own self doubt and limiting beliefs. My advice would be to believe in yourself and your value from the start and trust the path. Put the work into the business and into yourself so that you can show up with grit and integrity through it all. Outside of that, network, network, network. Denver is an incredible city filled with immensely driven and intelligent people, delve into this community as early as you can and use all of the incredible resources that are available to you.

Please tell us about Olivewing Designs.
I specialize in branding and website design for genuine small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to align themselves with their ideal clients. I love working with these companies to delve into their why, their vision and figure out how to use strategy and design to turn it into a brand that will connect and resonate with the people they want to work with. I am most proud of the relationships I build with clients. I get to know each client so that the aesthetics of their brand don’t just look pretty, but truly embody the emotion, why and personality behind their business. This sets me apart because each finished project has so much strategy and vision behind it to make sure the first impression any future client has with their business is one that blows them away.

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Yes, I come from a family of business owners. So, growing up, I was able to see the hard work, freedom and fulfillment that can come from building something from the ground up that is all yours. This inspired me to want to pursue this lifestyle and showed me the ups and downs that come with it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.olivewingdesigns.com
• Email: sydney@olivewingdesigns.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivewingdesigns/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olivewingdesigns

Image Credit:
Graydon Claflin – headshot, Sydney Smith – all graphics

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.