It has been argued that women can have it all, but perhaps not all at the same time. But, don’t tell that to Becky Bayne – graphic designer, illustrator, digital publisher, and owner of Becky’s Graphic Design. Because to Becky, being a dedicated wife and mother was and still is as important as owning her own business, and for over 24 years now, she’s been doing it her way.
A native of Syracuse, New York, Becky began her career at a small advertising firm, hand lettering weekly advertisements for grocery stores. But when a kink in the tax law changed the way she was compensated, Becky was forced to regroup. She turned this unexpected challenge, however, into an opportunity to start her own business, like her father did many years ago.
But starting the business was the easy part – now she had to find clients. Having been skilled at calligraphy since high school, Becky figured she’d make living penning diplomas for high schools and universities. But the advent of desktop publishing in the early 1990s depressed that market and once again, she found herself searching. But, she was determined to make it.
Everyday, Becky would literally walk up and down the street knocking on doors, asking area businesses for samples of their marketing. Confident in her skill, she made them one simple promise – to do it better. Equipped with a Gateway 486PC and a brand new printer, from a tiny office in her home, Becky’s Graphic Design churned to life, one pixel at a time.
But, Becky soon realized that she still needed more to make this work. And it was during this time that she unearthed the value of collaboration and networking with other women business owners. In 1994, she joined Women Business Owners Connections (WBOC), a group of like-minded women in business committed to supporting one another and pooling their resources to raise awareness of not only their businesses, but the power of women entrepreneurship as a whole.
And when she moved to Nashville in 2009, she continued her efforts to team up with and support other women in business when she joined Nashville NAWBO, where she serves on the board as the Chair of Design and is one of the organization’s Bronze level corporate partners.
As for Becky’s Graphic Design, Becky has used the power of collaboration to team up with professionals in complimentary fields – marketing, content development, web design/SEO, and social media, to create imagery that captures who her clients are and the story they want to tell and share it across multiple channels in a meaningful way.
As Becky reflects back over her years in business, she hopes to encourage other women business owners, especially those just starting out, with these words… “Women must work hard to grow their businesses, collaborate, and be a source of support during the many seasons of business…and life.”
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Owner: Becky’s Graphic Design
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By: Jacqueline Hayes, Owner of Crayons & Marketers, LLC