When I Grow Up: A Graphic Designer, An Entrepreneur, A Student

Hey guys! We've got a super interesting feature today. Sierra Elmore just finished up high school and is already well on her way to being a successful entrepreneur! 

As a child, I wanted to be a ______ when I grew up. Medical researcher/novelist/therapist/ fashion designer.

How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? My current career is pretty far from that!

What is your official job title? Graphic Designer/Entrepreneur/High School Senior

Ok, now what does that really mean? As a graphic designer I create playful and profitable PDFs through my graphic design studio 13 Elm Streets and a few other partnerships. As an entrepreneur: I work on marketing, branding, creating products, accounting, and creating content for my business! (And trust me, there’s soooo much more than that.) And as a high school senior I'm finishing up school, preparing to attend Arcadia University this fall.

What is a typical day like? 

8 AM: Wake up, eat breakfast, and spend some time with my cat. I map out my goals for the day and finalize my daily schedule.

9 AM-2 PM: School, with a lunch break in between.

2 PM: I jump straight into client work, which involves anything from setting up a new client to polishing up a final PDF design.

4 PM: I have an afternoon break, which includes a walk, catching up on my email and social media notifications, and running errands.

5 PM: Depending on the day, I’ll either work on more client work or my “business building work”.

7 PM: Dinnertime!

8-10 PM: I’m applying to a ton of college scholarships, so this time is set aside for that.

10 PM: I either work a bit more on my business or relax.

11 PM: Get ready for bed by going through my bedtime routine and doing a bit of yoga.

12 AM: Go to sleep!

How did you end up in this career? I bucked the traditional 9 to 5 system before I even started it. After my mom not-so-subtly hinted that I needed to get a job last year, I started my business (actually my third!).

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? Aside from some graphic and web design classes I’ve taken, I’m self-taught. I further my education through Skillshare, Adobe tutorials, and practice. I’ll be studying graphic design and psychology in the fall when I go to college.

What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? Desperation will NOT get you clients. You have to own what you do, be confident in yourself, and trust that you will get work.

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? I do have plans to become a young adult novelist down the line! I’ll also be studying psychology next year, so therapy could be something I end up doing. I see the future as a vast journey that I’ll figure out along the way.

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? You’ll never fully grow up, so just do what you love in this moment.

It's so inspiring to see someone Sierra's age already jumping into a career! If you'd like to follow along with Sierra on social media you can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest. And of course you could always hire her! Her website is www.13elmstreets.com. Thanks for being a part of the series, Sierra! 

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

Week's Links: Getting Down to Business

Hello Monday! 

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. It was gloriously sunny in Oklahoma, which was a nice change of pace from ALL THE RAIN we've been having. I had a huge list of things to do, but many of them were pushed back so I could enjoy the sun. I spent hours working on our flower bed and then our pool. The inside of our house still needs some love, but how can you work inside when the sun is out?! 

Of course, some of the things on the list had to get done. As I've mentioned previously, my little writing business is starting to grow. In fact, it's beginning to transition into something a little different these days. Lately I've been spending nearly every lunch break on the phone with clients or working on something for a client. While you would think I would be exhausted from it, it's actually been fun! 

Since my main focus is changing from writing and editing to more of content strategy I'll be rebranding and relaunching soon. While I work on that behind the scenes I'll still be working away for clients! Occasionally I'll be mentioning it here on the blog in case you or anyone you know would like to hire me. (You can find out how to do that here.) 

Obviously my free time has been decreasing as my workload increases, which means making some cuts. I'll still be posting here 3 times a week, but I have decided to make Sunday Sparkles a monthly newsletter instead of weekly. So next month expect one long and awesome edition! 

Now, let's get down to the business at hand: week's links!

I watched LOST here and there when it originally aired, but I binge watched the whole series a few years ago and loved it! This post about the 16 things you never noticed about the LOST pilot was awesome. 

Pets are awesome, but a pet duck that wait for its owner every day? So cute! (Plus it reminds me of Friends!) 

While I wouldn't say I relate to all 27 things that don't make sense to Type A people, but I relate to most of them! 

It sort of breaks my heart to watch this video of a rescued circus lion feeling grass for the first time, but it's worth it. 

Unlike the Type A post, I relate to every. Single. Thing. in this post about what overthinkers understand. 

And finally there's the website Does Your Resume Suck? I decided to break my resume writing services out from my other services, and here's what I came up with. It's a work in process, so I'd love feedback!

Have a wonderful Monday friends. Let's have a great week, shall we? 

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

Birkenstocks in Vegas

Many moons ago I read a blog post the Hollywood Housewife wrote about her Birkenstocks. Now the wonderful HH is not someone that struck me as a Birk person, so I was intrigued. She had the Gizeh style and she swore they were super comfy!

As I prepared for our Vegas Vacay, I decided I needed some comfy sandals. Old Navy flip flops are awesome for the lake, but this nearly 30 year-old needed to invest in some actual footwear. And when you're used to spending approximately $4 for sandals, Birks certainly are an investment!

So I went on search of a good deal. Amazon has some, but the prices vary by color and shoe size. My not-so-delicate size 9.5 feet did not fit in any of the sale sandals, so I moved on to Zappos. No deals there either. I decided to check out Nordstrom Rack (because you can order online now!) just in case they had any deals.

Cue harps and angels singing.

These gold Gizeh Birks were on sale! In my size! I ordered them right then and impatiently waited for them to arrive. Which they did, the night before I was leaving. I couldn't wait to wear them on the Strip!

And then I did. OUCH. Here's the thing people forget to tell you about Birks. They really have to be broken in. I sort of knew that, but since the shoes came in at the last minute I conveniently forgot. And I was in pain after walking a few miles up and down the strip in my Birks. Which isn't the way to start a weekend full of foot pain thanks to the dress code requirement of heels for most clubs! 

I didn't wear the Birkenstocks the rest of the weekend, but I decided to give them another go this week. And success! Maybe it was all the walking in Vegas, but they are finally broken in. And I now LOVE them. They are comfy, cute, and fancy enough to wear to the office. 

I will probably invest in a couple other pairs - a black and a brown, most likely. But I'm happy with my gold pair for now. I've been embracing the mixed metals look so it's working for now. Nordstrom Rack doesn't have gold anymore, but they do have silver and a few other colors if you're interested! Or there's always Amazon :)

​Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...