May 2022 Business of the Month: Elle A Design

Article by Bailey Kolb, Beighliebird Photography LLC
​Nestled in West Liberty’s downtown, next door to the best slice of pie around, is our very own graphic design team, Elle A Design. Lindsey McGlone, the owner and Creative Director, started business in 2008 after graduating from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts and a specialization in Graphic Design. After working from home for 8 years, she purchased the store front space at 105 N. Detroit Street in 2016, which we now know to be a completely renovated and absolutely stunning workspace. That same year, Chelsea Bray joined the team as Lead Designer and Lane Yoder was brought on a few years later in 2019 as their Designer/Photographer. 
 
Tell us about you:
Lindsey: I’m married to Trevor, Beckett and Judah’s mom, an amateur macaron baker, and avid concert goer.

Chelsea: I’m married to Ethan. We live with our pets Leo and Moira, and we are always DIY-ing. We love making things, gardening, going to the Farmer’s Market, and buying local.

Lane: I was born and raised in West Liberty, where I happened to stay for Elle A Design. I like to travel, do digital media and drawing outside of work as well.

How would you describe what you do:
Lindsey: I would say, we’re the ultimate story-tellers. First and foremost, we’re artists. From the start of our communication with a client, they teach us about their business. We know everyone’s evolution, so to speak. Clients have a story to tell about what they offer and we make that message unique between copywriting, photography, videography and digital media.

Chelsea: Problem-solving. Clients have a ideas about what they want and they say, “I just can’t make it happen,” so we step in.

Lindsey: People don’t always understand that we truly do it all. If we didn’t have roots in art, it wouldn’t be the same.

Lane: We all were interested in art already, and graphic design became the outlet for that. It was the way to make our interest in art into an actual career.

Tell us about a normal work day:
Lindsey: Someone reaches out or gets referred to us, and we welcome them, hear them out, listen to their vision and needs. We always ask, “what’s your ultimate goal?” Sometimes they want more clients, to expand, or just have us make their life easier. That’s what we want to do. We discuss details and see if they have current branding or if they’re starting from scratch. We create concepts for logo design or proofs for digital media and print.

Describe your work style:
Lindsey: Very collaborative.

Chelsea: There isn’t a single project that at least two hands haven’t touched. From conception to completion, we work together.

Lindsey: We all understand the hierarchy of organization. We depend on each other as a family for feedback.

What are some essential technologies for your work:
Lane: We use the Adobe Suite, and exclusively Apple products. A task managing program is also essential. We used to just write things down, but the task management software lets you enter each job with set deadline, notes, and helps us all distribute work,

Chelsea: The best part is that it’s all viewable anywhere, so we can work from home or the beach.

How do you recommend setting goals:
Lindsey: We are very list-oriented. Writing things down, crossing them off, it’s gratifying. We sit down after the 1st of the year to discuss what went right and what went wrong. We are constantly talking about what our ideal client looks like and how to attract them.

Chelsea: We are always aware of each other’s goals as well.

Lindsey: Chelsea might say that she wants to get more into XYZ as far as design goes, so we go about it that way too, and make sure that when leads come in that align with each person’s individual goals, we get those jobs distributed appropriately.

What are some significant challenges that small businesses are facing today:
Lindsey: Work force issues. Hiring. I feel also, issues surrounding pride and dedication toward the work. I can say confidently that we do not have that problem. I think it’s hard to find dedicated and trusting employees. Bringing outside people in can really disrupt the whole balance in the workplace environment. We actually just hired our intern from last summer, Kate, who we are very excited to welcome to the team permanently.

So, how do you measure success then:
Lindsey: For me, I consider success as having a client that is over-the-moon happy. hen they express gratitude and refer us to others, that’s the most direct way that I feel fulfilled.

Chelsea: It’s a little hard to describe because my personal success fits into the business, but a huge thing for me is being part of the community. They know they can reach out to us. Maybe it’s not always immediate, but we’ve made an impression that lasts and people come back to us as clients.

Lane: Everything they said. But also, doing projects that we’re excited about. Obviously we have to make a living, but some of the pro bono work that is strictly for fun, fills our cup in a different way, and helps us to appreciate the other types of work.

What do you like most about what you do:
Lindsey: I’d say, literally, we walk in the door and no day is like another. We might work with 15-20 different clients in one day. From photographers, lawyers, restaurants, roller skating rinks, things are always interesting,

Chelsea: We never know who’s going to walk through the door.

Lane: I agree with that. I feel like there are people and businesses I never imagined we’d work with. One day its Chick-fil-A, the next it’s Cedar Point. A lot of times it doesn’t feel like work. I couldn’t picture myself in a corporate environment, I love it here.

Lindsey: We genuinely love working with each other. The fact that we get to do something so unique, in a in little town in Ohio, is something we never though would be possible. It means that meaningful work can be done in West Liberty.

Tell young entrepreneurs your advice on starting their own business:
Lindsey: For me, I never envisioned having a physical space, let alone needing other employees. I was working out of my home and this was never part of the plan. I would say to always be open to changes and trust yourself to take the next step. 

Chelsea: Lindsey is great about trusting her gut feeling.

Lindsey: Be open to your own evolution. Scary things happen, of course, but you should always have faith. If you do what you do best, and stay unique, you will succeed.

Elle A Design has been a staple in creating digital media and printed content for all things West Liberty. The town has depended on their artistry for years now, to communicate town events, display art for special occasions, curate custom media for small businesses in the area, and simply, enrich our lives with their outstanding ability to support the community. It is for these reasons, and many more, that they have been awarded Business of the Month by peers and friends alike.