When I Grow Up: Owner & Designer at June Mango Design Boutique

Hello Wednesday! It's time for another installment of When I Grow Up. Today I'm featuring Kali of June Mango. Kali is also in the Being Boss Facebook group (you'll see quite a few of those awesome ladies featured here) and I love her work! I'll let her tell you all about it.

As a child, I wanted to be a ¬______ when I grew up. An oceanographer. I really just wanted to go snorkeling and was proud of myself for being able to pronounce the word oceanographer.

How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? Pretty far! But it was also such a creative dream for a 5 year old, which I think speaks to my creative outlook on life and work in general. All you have to do is dream it!

What is your official job title? #Bossbabe of Many Hats. Or, for email signature purposes, Owner and Designer at June Mango Design Boutique.

Ok, now what does that really mean? I run a graphic and web design business where I specialize in creatively cultivating businesses and blogs through clean, colorful and modern design. I spend my days with inspired ladies helping them with brand styling, web design and marketing. I also dip my toe in the wedding industry waters with wedding branding and stationery design at the sister company to June Mango, June Mango Weddings.

What is a typical day like? My days all start out the same with a cup of coffee from my coveted French Press, a quick shot of the Today Show and perhaps a run around my 'hood. Then I get to work, which changes depending on the projects I have bubbling. Sometimes it's branding research and creating a moodboard, and sometimes it's designing a custom website. I love getting to flex different creative muscles with different client types and projects.

How did you end up in this career? I've always been "artsy". In high school, I took AP Art while my friends were in AP Calc and Physics. I've also always been really good at reading people. It helps me interpret their ideas and turn them into concrete design solutions. 

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? I majored in Fine Arts, which actually gives me a fabulous toolbox of resources to turn to besides the computer. I've always been a great illustrator and love to paint. I think many graphic designers forget how powerful a pencil can be.

What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? Ira Glass has the greatest piece of advice I've ever heard for aspiring creatives. He says all creatives have great taste. It's what makes you want to be a creative. In the beginning, you're work isn't as good as you want it to be because you may not have yet acquired the skills to match your taste. BUT DON'T GIVE UP! This is normal, and it has happened to every single creative you admire. The biggest, most important piece of advice is to just keep creating.

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? I have so many dreams. There so many creative woman I would like to work with. So many bloggers, florists, make-up artists, vegan apparel designers...guh! The list goes on. I would also love to do the full-design-shebang for a brewery (branding, packaging, web design, etc). And if there was free beer involved, that would be ok, too. :)

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? You can. Period.

Thank you so much Kali for sharing your story. If you'd like to learn more about Kalli, you can find her on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Or you can visit her website to hire her!

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

When I Grow Up: Life as a Writer, Editor, and Idea Girl

Hey guys! I'm so glad I was able to get this post up today. Me and AT&T are at it again (any suggestions on an Internet alternative?), but I'm so happy to share Heidi Fielder's story with you today. Publishers and creatives hire Heidi to develop ideas into books that delight and inspire.  She has written and edited more than 300 books for clients ranging from Target to Barnes & Noble. Her latest project is Think Like an Editor: An Inside Look at What Makes a Book Work, a new series on Instagram @heidifiedler and #thinklikeaneditor. You can find her at helloheidifiedler.com, but for now let's find out what exactly she does. 

As a child, I wanted to be a ¬______ when I grew up. I pretty much wanted to be a spy or an astronaut until I realized I'm not athletic or super adventurous. I still think I would make a good spy (think Agent Brains Not Brawns), but I get way too woozy to ever be an astronaut.

How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? My inner seven year old is happy. Writing and editing are pretty tame compared to intergalactic espionage, but the work I do lets me satisfy my curiosity about the world, researching everything from nanotechnology to mermaids. I love getting to work with so many creative people. And I get to do it all from the safety of my own cozy home!

What is your official job title? I have three titles! Writer. Editor. And Idea Girl.

Ok, now what does that really mean? I write children's books, greeting-card copy, and blog posts for Barnes and Noble. Some of the work is commissioned, meaning someone else came up with the idea, and I'm seeing it through, but I pitch and develop most of it myself. I'm also working on several picture books, and my agent is shopping around a new chapter book series I developed with a friend.

When people hear the word "editor," they often assume I'm a grammarian who's inserting commas and taking out em-dashes. But I'm a developmental editor, not a copy editor. Publishers and creatives hire me to do the deep thinking that's needed to develop an idea into a book. I search for trends, pitch new concepts, do market research, develop new formats, evaluate the profitability, recruit talent, structure the content, work with authors and designers to develop the books creatively, and try to add some oh-wow details.

I'm known for having a zillion ideas, and I love to share them. When my clients are busy with the details of the many projects they already have underway, they hire me to research the market, get creative, and think ahead to the next products they can tackle. I brainstorm new titles, taglines, characters, formats, marketing campaigns, and more. I'm always on the lookout for inspiration. It's one of my favorite parts of the job!

What is a typical day like? On weekdays, I try to spend my first hour of the morning on my own projects, whether that's writing a picture book or strategizing about how to grow my business. Then I do some creative work for clients, and before I take lunch, I answer emails, pop in on social media (IG @heidifiedler and Twitter @heidiuncovered). After lunch, I do a couple more hours of client work, reply to emails once more, and make my to-do list for the next day. If it's going to be a longer day, I try to break up the afternoon with a walk or a little yoga. Then it's time for dinner and one more round of hellos on social media. On weekends, I try to take a real break and soak up some inspiration at a museum, a bookstore, or on one of the beautiful trails near our house.

How did you end up in this career? I was the student that teachers always urged to be a writer, but I never thought seriously about doing it. Then, somehow I found myself doing it all day long! I started as the children's book buyer at my local bookstore. I moved on to being the buyer at Lakeshore Learning Materials and learned how to develop products from scratch there. At Walter Foster Publishing, I started as an editor for their children's imprint and created how-to-draw and crafty titles for kids. Then I moved on to the custom packaging side. There, I got to work with all different publishers. We created books and kits for adults and kids. Our clients ranged from everyone from Target to Michaels. I also got to do custom work for publishers like Chronicle, Watson Guptill, and Barnes & Noble's imprint, Sterling.  I moved on to Teacher Created Materials to oversee their specialty products and launch their fiction imprint. When my husband got a job in Massachusetts, we decided it would be a good time for me to go freelance and start my own business.

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? I was a philosophy major in school, and I think that's helped me structure books so they make as much sense as possible. I've always taken lots of writing classes, and when I became an editor, I took classes through Mediabistro to strengthen my skills. But really, the best way to become an editor is to be an apprentice. I was lucky to work with people who knew way more than I did and were willing to teach me the art of publishing a book.

What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? Read like crazy. Take lots of classes. And don't be afraid to take a job that's related to writing or editing, but not quite that. Once you find a home at a publisher, you'll find people are happy to teach you what they know and give you opportunities to show what you can do. Once you have a few clips to your name, it will be easier to find a job that's specifically devoted to writing and editing. Mediabistro, Publisher's Lunch, and The Editorial Freelancer's Association all have great job listings. Don't be afraid to apply! Often you just need to submit a sample of your work. If you can capture the voice someone is looking for, you'll get hired.

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to start leading workshops at corporate events, conferences, and fairs about how to turn an idea into a book that sells. I am so inspired by the makers and creative entrepreneurs I've been meeting online. I would love to collaborate with more of them.

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? I very much believe that, although our career paths may sometimes look aimless or misguided, the last job prepares us for the next one. You may find your math background makes you a great baker. Or a stint as a lifeguard keeps you calm when you're speaking in public. If you look for and take on work that you're excited about, the common denominator--you--will guide you to a happy career. Your path might be windy, and it probably won’t look like mine, but you’ll still get where you want to go.

Thank you Heidi, for sharing your story! In addition to her website, you can find her on Instagram as @heidifiedler, Twitter as @heidiuncovered, and on Pinterest

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

When I Grow Up: An Interview with Stephanie of Angel Transcription Management

Today I'd like to introduce you to Stephanie Erickson of Angel Transcription Management. Stephanie is a member of the Being Boss Facebook group that I help moderate, and she's clearly being a boss in her business! I've never given transcription much thought, but I loved reading what Stephanie had to say about it.

As a child, I wanted to be a ­______ when I grew up. I have always been obsessed with animals, so when I was young I wanted to be a veterinarian. I realized that it would not be a fun career to watch all that suffering, so by the time I was graduating from high school I wanted to become a biology teacher because I was very interested in life sciences and technology, and I have always loved teaching and helping others.

How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? Well, I run my own small business from home, so I definitely still get to work with technology, and I also train others in transcription and am working on a comprehensive training course as well, so I think I didn't go too terribly far although I opted for a less traditional setting. I also get to hang out with my own pets all day!

What is your official job title? Owner and Primary Transcriptionist at Angel's Transcription Management.

Ok, now what does that really mean? I run my website, blog, and do all my client communication and billing personally and manage transcriptionists and editors with the assistance of a team manager, while still transcribing an average of about 15 hours of audio a week myself for more difficult files or those that require a quicker turnaround time. Basically, I currently wear most of the 'hats' to run my business and I also still perform a lot of the actual service myself. At one point, I had been focused on trying to bring in simply as much work as possible, but when I realized there was only one of me to help run all these teams I made a decision to scale back and focus more on producing quality transcripts. As a result, I have been able to increase our reputation for quality and have been slower to hire, forming lasting relationships with both my clients and my transcriptionists in the long term. I am always looking for more help but have finally found a manageable groove to operate under while I take my business and career to the next level.

What is a typical day like? My days consist of a lot of listening and typing, as well as responding to emails, downloading and uploading files and links, answering questions, phone calls, and generally staying on top of all of our running files and projects and all the various file names, lengths, rates, and notes that go along with them. I spend long hours getting familiar with my keyboard and paying close attention to other people say, ask, and need in order to accurately record transcripts or assist them in getting their projects completed.

How did you end up in this career? While pregnant with my daughter, I found out about medical transcription from a friend of mine who did work for a medical transcription company and suggested it as a way for me to work at home and still raise my daughter. I had excelled in school in English and spelling in general, which I always attributed to my love to read. I have also been a bit of a computer nerd since our family got its first when I was just a teenager and put myself through transcription school online. I graduated shortly after she was born and worked as a medical transcriptionist for a few years, first with some larger online companies and then for a local hospital, before my job was outsourced to a larger company that primarily sent their audio overseas.

I sort of stumbled into this whole other side of transcription while looking for new work and having a hard time due to the continuing decline in medical transcription wages - I realized that just about anything can be transcribed, and while there aren't many companies to work for I could find my own clients. Not only did I find more interesting files, but I was able to make much better money and have a lot more freedom in my working hours. In the beginning I took any file I could get my hands on, no matter how difficult or tedious, and as a result I have been able to increase my skills and become an expert on transcription, eventually having enough clients that I was forced to hire and train my own team to help me keep up. I put myself through school part-time, focusing every project I could on the transcription industry, and earning my degree in Business Administration in 2013.

My daughter turns ten this year and I have been working for myself now for over six years, the last nine of them as a completely single mother. I can confidently say that even though it has not always been as good as it is now, I have been able to stay home with her throughout her childhood and build a life for the two of us at the same time that is only getting better.

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? I graduated from Career Step medical transcription training course in 2005, but my most valuable experience has always been on the job or self-taught. I also obtained a degree in Business Administration in 2013 to help me better run my business.

What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? Do your research! Transcription, while simple on the surface, simply isn't for everybody. You have to like being a stickler for grammar, care about things being correct, and have excellent time management skills. It is difficult to work from home, and it takes a lot of practice, patience, and persistence to become good at this job.

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? I have a lot of big plans and dreams for my career and bringing a larger sense of community and quality standards to transcription as well as exploring new opportunities in the future. I am currently working on redesigning my website as well as launching a blog (TranscriptionistBlog.Wordpress.com) and a newsletter in preparation for my upcoming training course that I hope to complete over the summer.

Even though I am technically an adult and will continue to grow older, I hope I never grow up. :) I do hope to continue working for myself though because, quite frankly, I'm the best boss I've ever had. I was good at many jobs before I began working from home, but I really never found a good fit for myself until I took more control over my own income and schedule. I hope to continue to maintain that freedom by finding ways to fill the needs of my clients, including finding new ways to use transcription.

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? I am a huge advocate for finding creative ways to turn just about anything into a way to make money for yourself if it is something you are good at and love doing, whether it be a little spending money on the side while you work to gain experience or a transition into turning your passion into your full-time job. I am lucky in that I get to do what I am both good at and love doing for a living, and at the same time be a mom. I think it is important to be happy with what you do for a living, and if you aren't take steps to find something that keeps you motivated and happy.

Stephanie recently launched a blog you can follow, or you can check out her website for more information about her work. Thank you for sharing, Stephanie!!