We had the good fortune of connecting with Shelby Smeltzer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shelby, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I’ve taken many risks throughout my life. I believe that the only way to have a successful and truly fulfilling life is to take risks. One of the biggest risks I took was quitting a job I hated to start my own business. At the same time, my husband was also considering quitting his job to start a five-year electrical apprenticeship program, which was a significant pay cut. We also had just bought our first home and had a mortgage to pay for the first time in our lives. It was a big decision, but we were in our early 20s, and a bit overconfident and naive. I feel that when taking calculated risks, having a bit of cocky confidence and irrational optimism can really get you far. That’s one of the beautiful things about being in your 20s.

My husband and I had a long conversation about our big career moves, and we both felt that the long-term possibilities meant it was worth taking the risk. Every time I’ve taken a risk I always think of the worst case scenario. Usually, the worst case either isn’t that catastrophic, or it’s reversible. If this business didn’t work out, I could always get another job or pivot into a different career choice.

After we’d made the decision that the risk was worth taking, the next biggest step was to just start taking action. At the time, I knew that if I didn’t quit my job I hated and go ‘all-in’ on starting a business, I wouldn’t be motivated enough to make time for it. The pressure of needing to make it work so I could pay my bills was very motivating for me.

Of course, my business didn’t make money right away, so I had a few flexible side hustles to help me bring in money throughout the week. I had a part-time nannying job and I would bring my laptop and work on my business while the baby was napping. I also drove Lyft on the weekends and would sometimes work as a photo booth attendant at weddings for a local DJ company. For the most part, I tried to thoughtfully structure my work schedule to allow for the business-building to happen during the day, during the hours I was fresh-minded and could pour my creative energy into it.

I was once given the advice that action provides clarity, and I wholeheartedly believe that. The more things you try, experiment, fail, try again, pivot, etc. the more it will become clear what path is right for you. And this is exactly what happened for me. For about 2 years, I said yes to just about any opportunity or creative request that came my way. It was a beautiful time of exploration, experimentation, and self-discovery. It was also very challenging because I was pretty much constantly learning or doing something I’d never done before.

Slowly, I began to reflect on the projects and business tasks I really enjoyed doing (and were profitable), and the things I hated doing. Then, the choice was to either not take on the projects I hated, or hire someone to do them for me. For example, my end of year taxes was one of the first things I chose to pay someone to do because I absolutely hated doing it.

Beyond business risk-taking, my husband and I have also taken risks in real estate investments. We had watched friends of ours dabble (and have great success) in real estate and we were curious to explore that for ourselves. In 2020, we decided to sell our first home and purchase a duplex down the street from where we lived. At the time, we had a feeling that the market was going to continue to inflate with the pandemic, but we really weren’t sure. The house also needed a lot of work, things we had never done before and we didn’t have the funds to pay contractors to do it for us.

And so we dove head-first again into the challenges of learning and doing things we had never done before. It was really hard, exhausting work. We would work our normal jobs during the day and then work on the house through the evening. Living in a construction site for a year is not fun. But we just kept taking aligned action, tackling one thing at a time, and continually reminding ourselves of the rewards to come.

It’s been four years now since we bought that duplex and it’s one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. And it all started by deciding to take a calculated risk and continuing to take action towards that goal.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
One of my biggest differentiators as a company is that I’m not a freelancer or an agency per-se. My business has been floating in this grey area for about 5 years now. I hire contractors to support with their speciality in things I am either not very strong in, don’t enjoy doing, or don’t have the time to do.

The most common contractors I hire are website developers who build the sites I design for my clients. I will also often collaborate with my junior design contractors on branding designs for my clients. Based on my brief, they set the stage for the creative design. Then, I creative direct or jump into the illustrator files and expand or refine their ideas based on what I know the client is looking for.

I don’t know many people/design businesses that operate in this way. Personally, I really enjoy it. I don’t have the burden of payroll that typical agencies do. I always pay my contractors on an hourly or per-project basis. And I also get to collaborate with other creatives. It’s such a joy to see the designs they come up with, and honestly, I love hiring people and supporting other creatives!

It works for me and I can’t see myself ever going into a full freelancer or full agency model.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Take a stroll to the Highlands Farmers Market and pop into The Perfect Petal gift shop. They have some incredible house plants! Also my new favorite pizza place is Blue Pan on 32nd, so we would definitely head there.

If we had a couple days for an overnight stay, I would take them to Mt. Princeton Hot Springs to enjoy the pools and maybe even some spa time.

A day trip up to Boulder would be fun. Lunch as Zodiac subs! Then some shopping around Boulder and enjoy some afternoon tea at the Dushanbe Tea House in Boulder. One of my favorite spots!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mom has been one of my biggest supporters through my entire business journey. When I first decided I wanted to quit my job and start a business, she helped me make a plan. We sat down and budgeted my weekly and monthly expenses so I knew the minimum amount I needed to make each week. She even wrote me a check for $400 so I could open my first business checking account.

We talked through my offerings and how to price them to be profitable. How to pay taxes, and all the legal stuff that comes with owning a business. If I didn’t have the support of my mom, I would not be where I am today.

Website: https://www.shelbydesign.co

Instagram: @shelbydesignco

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelby-smeltzer-44458a60/

Image Credits
Photo By My Brand Photographer

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