Freelancing has taught me to properly manage time and stay organized. Running a freelance business as a side hustle requires dedication, loyalty and some stamina as I'm responsible for not only performing the design work, but also being my own accountant, marketer, client relation specialist, and more. I love the flexibility it gives me but deadlines are always met. I love being able to help out smaller, local businesses that are just getting their feet off the ground.

I've worn many hats while working at AHA! Creative and I couldn't ask for a more enjoyable job. I love the team I work with and the clients that we get. We've gotten to work with a lot of smaller businesses in the CDA and Spokane area, and it's a privilege to help bring their vision and goals to fruition; helping them establish their brands identity and how to successfully market that identity. Aside from designing, I also provide customer service and assistance to any walk-ins or clients picking up orders. I deliver orders to customers, pay bills, manage task lists/schedules/deadlines, ensure our office is tidy and we have the supplies we need, order print and apparel projects and inventory and organize them upon arrival, invoicing and collecting payment, and so much more.

Being a barista was a great opportunity to learn something new, in a new industry. It's much more than just making a cup of coffee. As a barista, I memorized many drink recipes and the drinks of our loyal customers. I got to meet and connect with some really great people. I got to be creative when coming up with new drinks or when catering a drink to customers' preferences. I monitored supplies and called in daily orders for food and pastry needs and restocked supplies throughout my shifts. I learned to work very quickly and efficiently, as this drive through coffee stand has a tendency to get really busy. Since most of our shifts were alone, my multi-tasking skills improved immensely, as I needed to make multiple drinks for orders, along with preparing food and cashing them out. On opening shifts, I made sure I was always on-time to get the stand open and ready to serve. Closing shifts were equally as important as I had to properly close the till, restock supplies and clean the machines and all the workspaces.

During my time at StandOut! I worked closely with the project manager to ensure we were always organized and on schedule with all of our design projects. I also gained a working knowledge about setting up and preparing files for print material. Other duties I had while working at StandOut included meeting and communicating effectively via phone calls and email with clients, working in a team environment, maintaining brand identity across multiple forms of print collateral and much more.

Bed Bath & Beyond's number one priority is customer service and safety. Some days were spent behind the register answering phones, assisting customers, cashiering, gift wrapping and ensuring every customer that came into the store had a pleasurable shopping experience. Other days were spent under the "Inventory Control" title which included printing and updating signs throughout the store, working through weekly lists of products that required price changes and ensuring our physical inventory matched the digital records. I was also trained to be a bridal consultant, which means I got to sit with newly engaged couples and chat about their wedding details. I would input their information into the system and assist them throughout the store to provide knowledge on products they could register for.

For the fall semester of my senior year, I designed editorial spreads for Blot, a quarterly publication produced by the University of Idaho. My job was, not only to design spreads for the stories written, but to ensure they were cohesive with the overall style and theme throughout the entire publication. You can view the magazine on their website at blotmagazine.com