Lettering Works Business Journal - January in Review
~ NOW BOOKING PROJECTS FOR MARCH 2026 & BEYOND ~ If you’d like your brand to be expressed in a creative, real way to get the attention of your customers, let’s chat.
BUSINESS JOURNAL: A PLACE TO CELEBRATE WINS & REFLECT - 73RD EDITION
January’s highlights included lots of sketching and iPad drawing, participating in the Faire Winter Market, writing a new blog post, working with Adobe, reflecting on 2016, attending a conference, and celebrating my dad’s birthday.
The Midwest Nice Sign went home with Sarah and Maria
Friends came all the way from Peoria to attend the reception
The Big Wins
Started sketching and drawing on my iPad to create a special 10th anniversary collection of stickers. I’m currently accepting ideas and suggestions if there’s anything you’d like to see added to my collection this year.
Delivered my first custom stickers of the year to Fleur Chicago in Logan Square and restocked Omaracitos with Omar and Fish Jibarito stickers. I also connected with a handful of other local businesses that are interested in collaborating on stickers.
Spotlight Sessions Podcast Episode
Bruce Goff Exhibit at the Art Institute
Charging Your Worth with Confidence Pricing Webinar for the Indian Trails Public Library
New blog post on “How To Add Your First Piece of Custom Merchandise As a Small Business’
Transitions Conference by Society of Typographic Arts and Chicago Design Archive
Celebrating my dad’s birthday in Milwaukee
Participated in the Faire Winter Market. My sales were up from last year. Most popular stickers included the Chicago Pope, YOUR CouRAGE Melts ICE, and Everyday is a Good Day to Read a Book.
Had my final 1:1 mentor session with Lizzie of Give Love Studio to wrap up my second mentee pairing as part of the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship Program.
My episode of Adobe’s Spotlight Sessions came out! You can listen to it here and find all of my press features here.
Did necessary admin work, like paying my sales tax, estimated quarterly tax payments, and contributed to my IRA and HSA accounts.
Partnered with the Indian Trails Public Library to present virtually on “Charging Your Worth with Confidence.” You can watch the recording through July here.
Enjoyed winter in Chicago. Highlights included a tortilla-making class at La Luna, stopping by the first Lula Cafe Art Reception of the year, laughing at open mic at Cole’s, and seeing the Bruce Goff exhibit at the Art Institute.
Reflected on 2016 (when Lettering Works started) and shared some highlights on social media.
Attended the Transitions Conference at Columbia College Chicago where I got to get inspired and connect with design friends. I also virtually attended the Interweb Renew Retreat.
Had a few key meetings with some of my clients and partners to discuss 2026 collaborations. I am really excited about the projects and opportunities that are happening behind the scenes.
Traveled to Milwaukee to celebrate my dad’s birthday. We had a small family party where we had a potluck of many of his favorite foods.
Wrote a blog post on “How To Add Your First Piece of Custom Merchandise As a Small Business” which you can read here. The post covers weighing options of DIY’ing or hiring a designer, defining the purpose, determining what the design should be, how to pick the right designer, what to do if you don’t have a budget, choosing the right product for your business, and if you should have a pre-sale.
January was filled with a lot of planning, ideation, sketching, and more design work than usual. The Faire Winter Market kept me busy filling wholesale orders at the end of the month. We prioritized spending time with friends and family, as well as trying a few new-to-us restaurants.
In February, I’m looking forward to continuing to work on some fun projects, attending a few shows for Chicago Theatre Week, and escaping the cold with a trip to Mexico. If you want to work together in 2026, please reach out. I will be prioritizing wholesale, custom merchandise design, and branding.
Thank you for being here, for supporting me, and for following along with my entrepreneurial journey.
PS - Have a project you’d like to chat about? Send me the details now to ensure your project gets on my calendar in 2026. Bring on all the logos, branded merchandise, + brand identity projects… let’s make some beautiful + impactful things together.
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