This is not at all what I thought I'd be doing with my life.

My name is Nya Skipper, born and raised in Baton Rouge, back when the new police station was the place to be born. I grew up loving art and theatre.

I hate to be sappy, but my life was greatly affected by the pandemic. In March 2020, we were told to pack up our stuff and go home. I still had costumes from previous shows in the dressing room and tons of artwork drying in the studio. I didn't think much of it. It wasn't until a month had gone by that I realized we were never going back.

What really made this sting was that I had only taken the ACT once, for practice, and I forgot a calculator. I had been taking an ACT prep class, but all of the exams were cancelled. I had to use a practice score to get into college. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't dream big enough. I had always wanted to go to NYU to study art, but I never got the chance to properly consider my options.

I enrolled at LSU as a freshman in their architecture program; a random selection I made for some reason. I guess I convinced myself that architecture would be the best way to make money. I was so wrong. I wouldn't wish architecture school on my worst enemy. There were weeks I'd be awake for 48 hours straight working on projects. Not to mention it was incredibly expensive. Nobody tells you this about architecture, but it's really designed for students who are affluent. It was impossible to work, take care of myself, and keep up with the program. It consumed everything. I'd have anxiety attacks at work, feeling guilty that I wasn't home building models. Then I'd have anxiety at home building models because I wasn't at work making money to pay my bills. I finally waved the white flag after my final was over. I could not do another four years of that.

I met with the Dean of LSU's Art and Design program, showed him my portfolio, and was admitted the next day as a Studio Art major with a concentration in Digital Art. Definitely more my style.

That's where I spent the next three years, meeting some of the most talented people I've ever encountered. I was so frustrated that my mom didn't put a paintbrush in my hand as a newborn -- some of these students could have been professors themselves. I loved it. It pushed me to work harder and explore my own capabilities.

That said, the LSU Art and Design school wasn't perfect by any means. A bonding factor my peers and I had was our shared frustration with the faculty. I've never met a more disorganized group of professionals in my life. They were incredibly kind, but the biggest downfall of artists and creative people is their organizational skills which is next to none. That was a trait I swore I would never have.

I graduated in the spring of 2024 with a BFA in Studio Art and a promotion lined up as Director of a vocational training school for addiction counselors in Louisiana -- LASACT.

Not exactly what I pictured, but it was something I needed.

To this day, I'm still the Director, but my role has evolved into something much greater. At LASACT, I don't just run the education sector, I'm also the in-house marketing strategist and web developer. Somewhere along the way, my supervisors realized my talent superseded running Moodle.

The success of the work I put into LASACT, introducing them to the digital age and revamping their entire online presence, made me realize I could probably help more people do the same.

The arts are an underfunded and underappreciated industry. While there are jobs out there, they certainly don't pay well. But here's what I know for certain: every business, no matter what you do or sell, needs a brand. A compelling brand that makes people want to invest in you and work with you. I don't care if you sell fish on the side of the road, you need branding if you ever want to play in the big leagues.

And the data backs this up. Studies show that consistent brand presentation across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%. Meanwhile, it takes an average of 5 to 7 brand impressions before someone even remembers your business. First impressions online form in about 50 milliseconds, meaning your website and visuals are doing the talking before you ever get a word in. So I find it strange, and a little heartbreaking, that the most important part of building a business is so often its most underfunded piece.

With the encouragement and support of my fiancé, I decided to start my own freelance business to help people who are working with a smaller budget. Nothing pains me more than seeing a business with poor branding and visuals. I want to help fix that at a price point that's actually accessible. Yes, great branding is a financial investment and I understand that. But my goal is never to drain my clients. It's to make them stand out and give smaller businesses a fair shot at succeeding.

Finding clients was easier than I expected. I suspect it's because I live in a city where everyone pretty much knows everyone. Word of mouth and referrals are the strongest advertising tactics yet. I've been so busy making ads for other people that I didn't realize how far putting that same energy into my own business could take me.

Can you believe I once wanted to design buildings?

Ready to build a brand that actually works for you? Whether you're just starting out or finally ready to level up your look, I'd love to help. Let's connect and talk about what your business deserves.

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