Meet Ali Hicks-Wright of Amari Creative

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali Hicks-Wright.

Ali, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Amari Creative is the fulfillment of childhood explorations and my trademarked ink-stained hands. Lovingly known as “Art Girl”, my childhood was filled with hours of doodling, hand lettering, photography and discovery of different art forms.

My entrepreneurial upbringing taught me the inner-workings of running a business, and my architect father, and artist mother introduced me to design and aesthetics from an early age. They encouraged me to color outside of the lines and break a few rules once and a while – just for good measure…

While completing my double major in Business and Journalism, my vision boards led me to believe I would rock a pantsuit and pumps and climb the corporate ladder, but when it came time to graduate I turned down that dream job, for a much riskier, yet enticing offer – to work side-by-side with a local serial entrepreneur. It was during this time that I fell in love with working with small businesses. Within a year, at the age of 22, I had gathered the skills needed to launch my own small business, Amari Creative.

When founding Amari, I wanted to find a name that both reflected me personally, but also what I wanted to accomplish on behalf of my clientele. Amari Creative is a combination of my name, Ali Marie, and also a derivative of “Amaranthine” which means an “unfading or everlasting beauty”.

Now three years into business, the Amari Creative team works with passionate entrepreneurs from around the world to build everlasting brands through stunning design and engaging storytelling.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Every small business faces bumps in the road, and for me, the beginning stages of my business presented me with the most struggle. The realization that as a small business owner I’d also be the CEO, CFO and CMO had me terrified. Like many entrepreneurs, I’ve struggled with self-doubt and imposter syndrome, but I’ve learned to quiet that voice. The highs far outweigh the lows. Launching my website, signing my first client, and exceeding my goals were just a few of the highlights in that first year of business. Today, I get to work with clients in the early stages of their businesses to help empower them, excite them, and build confidence in their business; something I could never do had I not gone through it myself.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Amari Creative – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Behind the screens of Amari Creative…

Amari Creative is a Colorado-based brand strategy studio that works to build engaging and effective brands for ambitious entrepreneurs. At Amari Creative, we help you build a consistent brand story through developing your vision, voice, and visuals. The result is so much more than a beautiful logo or a pretty Instagram feed, it’s an everlasting brand.

To make this possible, we have built the dream duo: Brand Design + Brand Messaging.

I am a Brand Designer and the founder of Amari Creative. I’m especially passionate about working with new business owners to bring life to their business through beautiful design, so they can confidently share their ideas with the world. Illustrator is my jam and minimalist design is my kryptonite.

Rachel is our Copy & Content Creator. She has a way with words, an irresistible smile, and a big heart. She spends her days crafting the story of Amari Creative… From a witty Instagram post to an engaging newsletter, this girl is a talented writer. With Rachel on our team, writer’s block is a thing of the past. Seriously, this girl always has a good pun up her sleeve or an inspirational quote in her back pocket.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Though we can’t give away much detail just yet, we are working on a big launch within the business that will be a major gamechanger for new business owners looking to build an engaging and effective brand!

What’s your favorite memory from childhood?
As the daughter of an artist, I was fortunate to grow up in a home filled with endless craft supplies. From pottery, to painting, to photography, I spent my childhood creating. Spending time crafting with mom, making messes with friends, and getting lost in my creations are some of my favorite childhood memories. I feel so fortunate to have been able to transform my love for art and design into a fulfilling career.

What role has luck (good luck or bad luck) played in your life and business?
There are, of course, hard days as a business owner. Days where you feel like you keep getting “unlucky” and things just aren’t going your way. But in hindsight (which is always 20/20!) those things I perceived as “unlucky” at the time have steered me in the right direction – in fact, an even better direction than I could have possibly imagined!

 

I’ve had the opportunity to wholeheartedly pursue my goals and passions, something I attribute some amount of good luck to, but without a lot of hard work, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.amaricreative.com
• Email: ali@amaricreative.com

Image Credit:
John Bosley
Shaye Fitzgerald
Danielle Elkins
Tiffany Whitsitt

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