WAHM Interview with Nicole Orozco of Sapphire Graphics

It’s time for WAHM Spotlight, again! Today, I’m delighted to share a glimpse into the life of Nicole Orozco, owner of Sapphire Graphics. Sapphire Graphics is also a generous sponsor for The Mom Writes and Nicole has happily offered everyone a cool 33% off on her Facebook Page design services with the coupon code BDAY33. Yes, she’s doing this because I celebrated my 33rd birthday last month! **smiling** Told ya’ she’s generous!

Over to Nicole to know more about her work-at-home mom business and how she does it all.

Tell us a little about yourself?

Hola! My name is Nicole Orozco. I’m a 30-something graphic designer who is in love with the creativity that comes with that title. I consider myself in a constant pursuit of all things creative whether it’s for my clients, for myself, for my kids or for friends.

My most creative role however is finding ways to balance work and family, enriching the lives of my two beautiful children, ages 7 and 1 ½, and being a great wife to my husband of 12 years. Despite the joyful juggle of balancing life and work, I still find the time to be “me” by getting pedicures, shopping, Zumba, and having lunch or a drink with a couple of my girlfriends.

Oh, yeah, also my favorite color is blue, because with a life like mine who wouldn’t need the soothing comfort that comes in the perfect shade of calming sky blue?

What motivated or inspired you to launch SapphireGraphics.co ?

I started SapphireGraphics.co in a bit of a round about way. My very first business actually set the stage for SapphireGraphics.co. It was a children’s boutique called Zaylii Nicole’s, for which I also handled the some of the graphic design. When a move forced me to close the boutique, I knew I wanted to do something that allowed me to express some creativity and to maintain some involvement in the beauty and fashion industry. I remembered how much I enjoyed the creative freedom I found in handling the graphic design for Zaylii Nicole’s so I decided to pursue a career in graphic design.

What does a typical “WAHM” day look like for you?

My kids dictate the start of the day, which is usually around 8 a.m (during the summer). I make coffee and breakfast and start reading my business emails. Because my children are an important reason why I am a work at home mom, I take a lot of breaks to hang out with them.

Throughout my day I stay in contact with clients via e-mails as I work on any chores that need to be done. If I have a client project I’m working on I’ve usually scheduled it so that I have a devoted block of time to dedicate to that project. My husband comes home around 6 p.m., and when he does we have dinner.

We all spend time together until about 8 p.m. when it’s bedtime. I put the children to sleep and then my husband and I hang out for a couple more hours enjoying each other’s company. Since he has to wake up early to be at work he also goes to sleep early. When he does, I go back to my office and work for another 4 hours in the quiet stillness of the night before going to bed myself.

What do you think are the major challenges a work-at-home woman faces?

Finding a way to squeeze a few more minutes out of the day. It’s challenging enough being a mom and fighting the seemingly impossible task of getting everything done in a day, but adding a business to the mix really turns up the heat. There never seems to be enough time to get everything done so being meticulous with time management is crucial.

How do you think one can deal with these challenges?

Planning is critical. Lists and scheduling can be your best friend. Once you identify what you need to do daily, weekly, and monthly, assign priority to each task so that you know what to tackle first and what—if need be—can be sacrificed when you are short on time.

How is Sapphire Graphics different from the other web design businesses?

My background in the fashion and boutique industries sets me apart from other web design businesses. Though I specialize in these industries, I can design for any company. However, designing for the fashion and boutique industries allows me to mix colors and prints just as I did with fabrics when my boutique was open. That is why I love it so much.

What’s next on the plate for SapphireGraphics.co?

In the short term, I’d love to adopt a not for profit organization and offer them my services. I’ve identified several with which I’d love to work. In the long term, once my son starts school, I’d like to offer onsite consultations to local businesses. I understand the challenges of being a small business owner and offering an onsite service would be a relief to many busy business owners.

Thank you so much Nicole for this awesome WAHM interview!! Don’t forget to get a brand-new classy Facebook Page Design at 33% off with the code BDAY33.

Aspiring to be a work-at-home mom, like Nicole? Or are you a WAHM seeking a better work-life balance, more clients or increased productivity? Grab a copy of How to be a Work-at-Home Mom: The Happily Ever After Guide to Leading the WAHM Life, a 70-page guide to walk you through everything you need to rock being a work-at-home mom!