From Passion to Profession: The Pink Pony Story.
Kristy Campbell is the genius behind brand and graphic design agency, Piny Pony Creative. Her love for graphic design transformed from a 100-day challenge on Instagram in 2019 to a full-blown business 2020!
Kristy spoke with Billie about her business, her career journey and imparts some wisdom on other young women looking to take their side hustle from zero to 100!
Can you tell us about Pink Pony and how it began? What inspired you to start it?
Pink Pony Creative is a brand identity and graphic design agency in Auckland, New Zealand. We love to express ourselves in vibrant, daring and exciting ways pushing the boundaries of branding through the combination of loud colour, quirky illustrations and stylised logos. We work with people and businesses all over the world and embrace what we call an ‘anything but boring’ aesthetic in design and business. And with a name like ‘Pink Pony’ you know we work a little differently. Pink Pony Creative started three years ago, March 2020 following the completion of a 100 day design challenge. At the end of 2019 I was creatively drained and uninspired after working for an on-brand business for two years in the same fonts, colours and graphics. I wanted to ignite my passion for design and learn new skills so I decided to under take a 100 day design challenge where I would create a design everyday for 100 days and use instagram to keep myself accountable. With no intention of it ever becoming anything more than a challenge, I called the instagram page ‘Pink Pony Creative’ and started designing. The challenge was tough, there were days I didn’t feel like designing and also days where I was designing early in the morning or late at night to get it done. But when I hit around day 80 I got an enquiry through instagram. They loved my work and wanted me to design a logo for them. And in that moment, a lightbulb went off! This challenge had legs, so I sent out my excessively underpaid quote, secured the job and completed it. Once I finished the challenge I realised this could become a full time, full functioning business. So I approached my employees at the time and proposed this: I would work for them 4 days per week, and on Fridays I would work on my business. This worked for them as I had set up all the graphic design work I had needed to in the previous two years, so the work needing to get done was drying up. From there, we dropped to three days, to two, to one right through to one hour a month. I was so incredibly grateful I got to slowly work my way out of being an employee to a full time business owner. And since March 2020, I haven’t looked back!
Turning a passion into a career requires dedication and commitment. How did you realise that your passion for graphic design could be a viable career option?
I knew very early on that graphic design was something I wanted to peruse. I had always been a creative kid, making movies with my friends, doing arts and crafts and drawing in my spare time. So when I had the opportunity to take design as a kid at school - I knew immediately this was something I liked, something I was good at and something I could do for the rest of my life. My parents had a good friend who was a graphic designer so they set her and I up for a coffee and we chatted. She told me about her freelancing life, her good income and the way design ignites her soul! From then on, I knew it was a viable career option. I could make good money and I could enjoy creating work. I went straight into a Bachelor Of Graphic Design & Animation at New Zealand’s, Unitec and finished a 3 years degree and followed that with securing a job in the working world!
What steps did you take to transition Pink Pony from a side hustle into a career? Were there any challenges along the way?
As I mentioned earlier I was very lucky with how I turned Pink Pony from a hobby to a full time business. Pitching an idea to my employer at the time that worked for them and also worked for me. Not many people get this opportunity so I could imagine how difficult it must be diving head first into full time freelancing with no full time work to keep you busy. There have been many challenges along the way. It wouldn’t be business without challenges. I like to say; ‘without mistakes, there’s no risk and without risk there’s no growth’. So in order to grow you must make mistakes and take risks along the way. Just to name the leading three challenges;
Pricing: pricing is a huge part in owning a service based business and it can be a challenge that is consistently being overcome. And I’m still working on this to this day. When I first started the business my dad, a very experienced business man, told me I could charge $100 an hour. But in my heart, I wasn’t confident charging $100 an hour so why would anyone buy from me if I wasn’t confident in my price. You have to be confident with what your selling and how much you are selling it for to be successful. I settled on $40 an hour and from there I used the strategy of trial and error to get through, learn and make more money.
Generating Work: One of the toughest challenges designers face is generating work and being busy. I use multiple lead generators to do this but it has taken some time to keep it consistent. Through social media, specifically TikTok and Instagram, referrals and word of mouth I am able to keep my team and I busy. But it wasn’t always like this, and it fluctuates every week. One minute your too busy and the next minute you aren’t busy enough. That is a constant juggle you are faced with.
And lastly, Hiring a team: When your role goes from freelancer to boss, everything changes. You have to learn to manage people, manage expectations and grow a culture. This can be a challenge but a very rewarding one at that.
Many people have side hustles but struggle to make the leap to make it full time. How did you find the transition? What advice would you give others looking to make the leap?
My transition was quite seamless, but there was also a strategy. I provided my employer with a win-win situation. I like the saying, if you don’t ask, you won’t receive. You never know what a result might be, the worst answer you could get is no. You might as well ask because it could work out better for them in the long run too. So ask your employer if this would be a possibility, but go in with facts and solutions to their issues when it come to the work you would be doing. I would also advise people to work hard, yes burn out is real, but you have to work hard - especially in those early days to build your business. Work on the weekends and in the evenings to build up a reputation and portfolio. When you feel tight for time, working before work, after work and in the weekends - you’ll be ready to start a business and jump into full time.
I also want to acknowledge; you don’t have to know everything about business before you start. That is something that can hugely hold people back. But I don’t know how to price my work, but I don’t know how to do my books or structure my sale calls. You will learn. Again, without mistakes, there’s no risk and without risk there’s no growth. Be willing to learn as you go, make mistakes and grow your skills.
As you transformed your passion into a career, what specific skills or techniques did you focus on improving?
I like to remind people that to be successful in business you don’t need to be the BEST at your craft. If you can be pretty damn good at the service you offer but also have great skills in communication, project management, sales, marketing and time management then you will successes. Keep upskilling and learning more about your craft but you must understand that that is only one part of being successful. Train yourself in communication, project and time management, sales and marketing. These are KEY areas you need to focus on and do well at to turn your passion into your career.
Financial stability is essential when pursuing a career in graphic design. How did you handle financial challenges during the initial stages of your career transformation?
I was incredibly lucky with my circumstances. At the time when I was eager to start my own business, I spoke to my fiancé at the time and he told me - ‘don’t worry too much about money, I’ve got us’. So I was blessed with the support that if things didn’t go to plan and I didn’t earn enough one money to pay for rent and food, my fiancé would support us. I didn’t actually have enough money to even buy a MacBook Pro (around $3,500) so I contacted my parents and they supported me and purchased my first laptop for the business. It’s a full circle moment as I bought my dad a laptop around end of last year to thank him and pay him back for the kind gesture!
What do you think the benefits are for working for yourself vs. working for a company? Are there cons also?
Ohh so many! Let me go through some pros;
You can make WAY more money: I doubled my earnings in about 1.5 years after starting my business vs when I worked for someone else. Through social media I have also secured passive income opportunities which I would haven’t ever have gotten if I had continued to work for someone else.
You have freedom and flexibility: you can now start when you want, finish when you want, go to that appointment, head out for a walk. The freedom and flexibility is a huge pro. But I have to say, I remember I started my business to have flexibility in my life but then now I work 24/7. Haha
Having full creative control: I am no longer listening to what someone else wants. I can do it my way and my way only.
Building something that you are proud of: this comes down to being able to have creative control, make it what you want and you’ll be proud!
Some cons:
With business, there is always risk. Client work isn’t always confirmed in the future, so the risk is huge. Maybe you won’t make enough money one month, but more another. You’ll take risks and they won’t work out and you’ll learn from them.
You have to be the only one to push yourself; you have to have ALOT of self motivation. Without that, your business would fail.
If something goes wrong - YOU are responsible. No one else, just you. Take ownership of your mistakes, fix them and you’ll be okay.
Was there a specific moment or project that validated your decision to pursue graphic design as a full-fledged career?
Honestly, I think it has only REALLY been validated in the past 2 years. I REALLY feel like this is where I am meant to be, it’s my calling. But for those years between finishing university and starting Pink Pony (2014 - 2020) I liked what I did but I never was absolutely sold on any of the jobs I had. They were all ‘good-for-now jobs’. Especially my last job. I would spend everyday thinking ‘I could be doing so much more with my life’ so once I started Pink Pony, grew something that I loved, worked for clients that I was passionate about and grew a brand that I am SO proud of - that’s when I knew this is EXACTLY what I am meant to be doing. It took time, but we are finally here!
As you developed your career in graphic design, did Pink Pony evolve or change in any significant way? If so, how did you adapt to those changes?
Pink Pony is forever evolving and changing. There was a big shift when I made my first hire as I started to become a boss and manage people. I had to learn management and had to bring on a TONNE more work to keep us both busy. From that first hire through to now with a team of 3 designers and one accounts manager, the amount of work to bring in is huge. So there is a big focus on sales and marketing and also just providing feedback and project management to provide the team with briefs, feedback and development. I’ve adapted to those changes over time but one of the biggest strategies has been processes. Good business is about good processes so these processes must be strong, easy to follow and clean as you grow your team.
Developing a portfolio is essential for any designer. How did you curate your portfolio to showcase your skills, experience, and the evolution of your passion project?
Portfolios are so important - you’re right! They showcase your skills to help sell them to potential clients or even employers. As someone who has experience in building a portfolio but also as an employer who looks through portfolios to make hires, I can talk about a few key points;
Portfolios should be your best body of work, 6-8 projects would be perfect. Don’t overload your portfolios with ALL of your work.
If you don’t like the work you have under your belt from working in various businesses, create your own passion projects. Create work that you want to create in the future! Whether it’s a real or conceptual project, in my opinion it doesn’t matter. As long as you showcase your skills clearly.
Use mock-ups in your projects to showcase the designs in real life situations. This helps sells the designs!
Include an About page, talk through who you are, your strengths and the work that inspires you. Don’t make it too long but just enough for a brief overview.
Include a link to your CV and social media links to any design pages you have!
Provide a short blurb about each project, what you created and your strategies behind why you made certain decisions.
And lastly, website portfolios are where it’s at! And these days, you don’t need website development experience to create one. There are great sites like Squarespace and Wix where you can build and develop a portfolio in less than a day!
Tell us about your invitation to speak on a world stage at Adobe MAX?
Ahh I love talking about speaking at Adobe MAX! It was something I would have never even DREAMED of doing so to be asked to be a speaker last year and even invited back again this year was really a dream come true. I had worked with Adobe on various occasions doing collaborations with them on social media and even an Adobe Live and I guess, every time I worked with them I made sure I was prepared, did an excellent job at the deliverables but also make sure I was easy to deal with and communicate with. I did the best I could every time. The invitation really came out of the blue, in quite an informal, relaxed email that I honestly thought was fake at first. But as time went on I realised it was legitimate and confirmed my spot as a speaker. It was SURREAL. I had never done public speaking so to prepare 2x 45 minute long speeches to do in front of 650 people seamed kind of crazy. But with a huge amount of preparation and practice I was confident heading up and nailed the sessions! It was an unreal experience and I am so honoured to be heading back to Los Angeles this year in October.
What advice would you give to other graphic designers, or in fact, any young women in any area, considering turning their passion into a career? Are there any specific strategies or tips that you found particularly helpful?
Oh so many. I have one quote that I absolutely adore and that is ‘You’re far too smart to be the only thing standing in your own way’. Which I think we can all relate too, for so long I didn’t quite believe in my work and who I was but that was completely my own thoughts standing in my own way. Most of the time, if we are hesitate to do something, it’s because we think we can’t do it or we are afraid of failure. Don’t be that girl, go out there, embrace challenges and mistakes and go for it! You’ll never look back trust me.
Another tip would be to get your ass on social media! I am very passionate about this one as it’s changed my life. I always thought my career had a limit and that limit would be to own an agency and create work for clients. But through social media and growing an audience I have managed to create passive income opportunities, work with brands like Adobe and secure speaking gigs! Things I would have NEVER imagined I would do. Social media is tough, time consuming and you have to be consistent. But keep at it because it’s hugely important!
Finally, looking back on your journey from a passion project to a thriving career, what are you most proud of, and what do you see for yourself in the future?
Honestly, so many things. I love what I have created. But the things I am the most proud of, speaking at Adobe MAX (TWICE!) for sure, working with Adobe many times, the work we get to create - such fun, vibrant and energetic brands, an awesome team of epic designers and to finish with - the life sized giant horse statue that sits in our office window. Yes, it’s a GIANT Pink Pony - Pedro the Pink Pony. He’s iconic. And I love him! In the future, I would love to lean into my educational side more, teaching other designers and hopefully bring out courses one day. I would also love to secure more speaking opportunities, grow my team and continue to just make epic work for people and businesses all around the world!!
You can follow Pink Pony Creative or Kristy on Instagram.
