Interview with Ashlea

When faced with the task of starting your own business or a rebranding, the list of design details and content creation can grow longer by the minute. It can turn an exciting experience, daunting and overwhelming, making the first steps of creating your business aesthetic next to impossible.

Azalea Design Co. specializes in empowering the female business owner by beautifully curating brands with one-of-a-kind designs to set you apart from the rest.

I “virtually” sat down with owner, Ashlea Zietz, to learn more about her and her business. What makes her feel inspired, motivated and loving what she does. I also found out how she balances her business, her personal life while focusing on mental well-being.

“I’m an optimistic creative being who loves everything design and strives towards making everything in my life beautiful.

Let’s start off with telling us a little bit about yourself and Azalea Design Co.

Of course! So I’m Ashlea, I tend to describe myself as an ambitious, introverted and creative person. I’m obsessed with beautiful aesthetics and love being able to help other ambitious women create a life and business of their dreams. At Azalea, we specialise in branding and web design which we believe to be the foundation of every business. I have been running Azalea for almost three years now and working on client projects still brings me so much joy!

Why is it so important to find out what your brand aesthetic is for your business?

Your brand aesthetic isn’t just about how pretty your brand looks. It’s super important to focus on your brand values, your target audience and how you wish to communicate with them. From there a brand aesthetic and design strategy helps you to clearly present your business.

Curious about your brand aesthetic? Why not try our free quiz to find out and start implementing today?

What made you start Azalea Design Co.?

I was stuck in a dead-end job doing something so monotonous and unchallenging that I was desperately seeking something to settle my creative soul. I felt restless, uninspired and frustrated. Fatefully, I came across The Bucketlist Bombshells who were living the dream – travelling the world and running their own business. I thought, where do I sign up? I took the designer course and realised that graphic design was something I could do and do well! I have always been a visual creative and design comes naturally to me. It had almost felt like I had been preparing for entrepreneurship and graphic design my whole life. In July 2018, I left my full time employment and hit the ground running with Azalea.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? What is the best piece of advice you give a client?

The one piece of advice that has stuck with me is “don’t seek advice from someone who isn’t in the position you want to be in” For example, don’t ask for money advice if the person is in financial struggle. Don’t ask for relationship advice if the person is in a bad relationship. Don’t ask for business advice if the person has never owned a business. Because by doing this and taking this person’s advice, you are basically going to end up where they are. Taking the same steps will not give you a different outcome. Always find people you look up to and who are ‘walking the walk’ and take their advice! If they have done it, you can too!

I think the best advice I can give to a client is just to make sure that you follow your intuition and be authentic. Whether that be how you communicate with your audience or how your brand is designed. Make sure that it all feels good for you and that you are proud and passionate about every inch of your business.

“Azalea is for the goal setters, the dreamers and the overachievers.”

What has your experience been like as a woman in business? Any advice for women who are considering starting their own business?

I will always support and encourage ambitious women to start their own business if it is something they are passionate about. The amount of women owned businesses are growing, but it’s still under 40%. My advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs is to build a community of other like minded women and support each other. The journey can be tough but it is totally worth it, so believe in yourself and don’t give up.

Wanting to start your own business but don’t know where to start? Have a look at our free resources for entrepreneurs & startups!

Describe your business aesthetic in three words.

Feminine. Hopeful. Empowering.

In your blog post “5 ideas to finding balance between wellness and success as an entrepreneur” you talk about how the reader can make this possible. What are some things YOU do to find that work-life balance?

I am such an advocate for mental health & wellbeing and make it a priority in my life. I have found that the best way to find a perfect balance is by establishing working hours and down time for myself. Taking breaks during the day by going for a walk or doing a yoga session has really helped me and I usually tend to save all work for weekdays only.

Lastly, who/what is your biggest inspiration and why?

I feel like I should say something very profound, like, music is a huge inspiration for me. I am never designing in silence, that’s for sure! I love how you can emotionally connect with music in the same way you can connect with design. That, and Pinterest 😉

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