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The Unexpected Reward Of Working With Local Businesses

For most of my business, my clients came from Google. Someone would find my website, submit an inquiry, and we'd work together from different corners of the country. Some of my favorite projects happened this way, and I'm still amazed that complete strangers trusted me enough to hire me.
 

But after moving to Indiana, I started working with more local businesses. For the first time in years, I could walk through a client's space, meet their team, hold their products, and experience their business firsthand. I didn't realize how much context I was missing until I finally had it.

When you work with someone online, you get to know them through emails, questionnaires, and Zoom calls. You can absolutely build meaningful relationships that way.
 

But there's something different about sitting across the table from someone, hearing the story of how they started, and seeing the passion they have for what they've built. The project starts feeling less like a service and more like a partnership.

One thing I didn't expect was how rewarding it would feel to see the work out in the world.
 

Driving past a business whose website I designed. Seeing a storefront with a logo I helped create. Watching a local business grow and knowing I played a small role in that journey. It turns something that normally lives behind a screen into something tangible.

The more local businesses I work with, the more I realize how much people don't see behind the scenes.
 

Most business owners are carrying a lot. They're managing employees, serving customers, solving problems, and trying to build something meaningful all at the same time. Getting a closer look at those stories has given me a deeper appreciation for the people I work with and the responsibility that comes with helping tell their story.

Like many designers, I can get caught up in the technical side of things. SEO. User experience. Layouts. Content. And those things do matter, but working with local businesses reminded me that at the center of every project is a person who cares deeply about what they're building. And honestly, that's the part of this work I've come to enjoy the most.

I still love working with clients all over the country, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. But working with more local businesses has reminded me that some of the best parts of this job happen outside of a computer screen. If you're looking for a designer who wants to understand the story behind your business, I'd love to hear it.