Hey friends! Today I'd like to introduce you to Hayley of Three Feathers Design. I see her around the Being Boss Facebook group often, and I was excited that she agreed to be a part of this series.

As a child, I wanted to be a ___ when I grew up. Veterinarian was at the top of my list but once I started talking art and design classes in high school I knew that was my path. If you had asked me in high school I would have said photographer.

How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? Fairly close, photography is a completely different career than graphic design but they overlap and I get to be creative, which was the ultimate dream.

What is your official job title? Owner and Principal Designer at Three Feathers Design

Ok, now what does that really mean? It means I do every job there is in order to run a small business. Book keeper, marketer, public relations, office manager if there’s a hat I wear it. It can be a little overwhelming!

What is a typical day like? I have a newborn and a three-year-old at home so my days are a little hectic at the moment! Once the dust settles a typical day will begin after dropping my son off at preschool, baby in tow getting to the office around 8:30am. I usually answer emails for the first hour, check social media and look at my list of tasks for the day.

Around 9:30am I turn my Spotify on and get stuck into designing for an hour or two. I try to get at least two solid hours of design time in the morning, it doesn’t always happen though.

Then around 11:30 I send another round of emails or return phone calls before lunch. If I have meetings I try to schedule them in the morning, in my office.

I usually head home for lunch and work from home for the afternoon. With my little one, it’s nice to be able to bring her into the office but I am also more comfortable with her at home so I split my time.

Occasionally I will answer emails and do a little work after the kids go to bed but I have been trying to leave it until the morning.

How did you end up in this career? Like I said, I wanted to be a photographer or at least be in a creative field. After high school I applied for a photography program but didn’t get in. That kind of derailed my plans so I set off to travel for a little while. Once I was ready to start back at school I bounced around majors. Thinking that pursuing a career in a creative field was pointless and I would never make any money. During that time of getting back into school and figuring out what I wanted to do I landed a job as a chalk artist for Trader Joe’s. I absolutely loved it and had a realization that I can actually make a career as a creative. That is when I decided to move to San Francisco and get my degree in Graphic Design.

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? I have my Bachelor's of Art in Industrial Design. I also interned at a design studio just after graduating. I will have to say though, the most valuable skills I have learned have been since I have been working in the industry and teaching myself things I need to learn on the spot. Google and Lynda.com are amazing for that.

What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? Go for it! There are lots of job opportunities in graphic design and the flexibility of working for yourself or freelancing is great. Personally, I believe a design education is important but if you’re motivated enough, you can also teach yourself the skills you need. There are plenty of amazing designers that do not have a formal education.

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? I would love to continue to grow by business and eventually hire other designers. My dream is to have my own full service marketing and design studio, that’s a while down the road though.

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? Stop thinking about it and do it. It is possible to make a career out of your dreams but you have to put in the work. I always knew what I wanted to do but was too scared, just take the leap and make it happen. You will never look back.

Thank you Hayley! If you want to find out more about her, check out her website or her blog.