We’re looking forward to introducing you to Misty Vogel. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Misty, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Something that made me feel proud recently is booking my very first celebrity client. I have always been degrees away (whether it’s Cardi B’s party planner, or designs for a celebrity event), but never specifically a celebrity. It feels really cool to have my quality of work viewed by someone who could hire literally ANYONE, and be chosen out of the bunch as the best for their needs. If you would’ve told me this 5 years ago, I would’ve laughed and said yeah right. It feels like a great accomplishment, especially being someone who never gave up regardless of the circumstances.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Misty Vogel, I am a brand and web designer and owner of The Font Party. I got started out of college being a personal trainer, and was learning to build a brand and website for my own studio. While I still love working out, I quickly learned that graphic design was the field for me. It gave me a creative outlet I didn’t get with training. I joined an athletic wear business as the lead graphic designer full time to get my foot in the door. I had a great learning experience, and decided to venture off on my own while still keeping that company as a client. My business grew (definitely not overnight) after lots of hard work and “figuring it out”. My husband was a such a huge encouragement, and I really owe him a lot of thanks for being my confidence when I had none. About a year after taking the leap of faith to be full-time in my own business, I tripled my income from when I was working for someone else. After going through my books that year and having the financial proof, I finally stopped feeling like a fraud. Since then, it’s been the same thing every year – learn how to serve my clients better with each project, and grow my business.
I don’t necessarily have a specific niche in business other than working with women. Women, regardless of their industry, has always been my passion. Aside from the actual design element, I just love being an encouraging friend and cheerleader for my clients, and helping them realize literally anything is possible. I am surrounded by so many amazing women and seeing what they do in business is always so inspiring. It’s truly incredible.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I remember being a child, maybe 10 (if that) and my grandfather always taking newspaper clippings of entrepreneurs and saving them for me when I’d come home from school. He was an entrepreneur in safety and construction, and I always idolized him for that. From a young age, he instilled in me that entrepreneurship is the way to go. Even if it wasn’t specific, I always knew he believed in me to some degree, to become an entrepreneur. I really feel like that gave me the confidence as an adult to actually pursue that. I felt powerful at a young age because of that, and have carried that through adulthood. He is no longer with us, but I know how proud he was and is of my sister and I.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
In my opinion, suffering teaches you way more than success ever could. Ever. I didn’t grow up with a silver spoon, I saw my parents struggle from time to time, I knew what it was like to stress about paying my bills, buying groceries in college, having student loans, and just making ends meet. That’s not to say I did without in my childhood – my parents were phenomenal. But, I knew the reality. Suffering teaches you to be resilient. It teaches you that no one is coming to save you. It teaches you the TRUE value of a dollar. It teaches you to work hard. It teaches you to be strong. It teaches you that nothing worth having comes easy, and that nothing is handed to you.
I’ve seen behind the scenes of people fed with a silver spoon, and they are miserable. Depressed. Because nothing they have came from their own hard work. When you do it yourself and go through the trenches, the stress, the long nights, on your own, you have a sense of pride you can’t explain. A sense of confidence. It makes having the nice things and cool experiences actually mean something.
I am proud of where I came from, proud of what I created, and proud of my family for always being my biggest supporters.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
Oh gosh, my husband and my sister. They are creative geniuses. I am so envious of their quick wittiness, and it always comes in clutch. As a creative, your energy, creativity, ideas, all ebb and flow. Some days it’s just not there, and you can’t force it. Anytime I am struggling with anything, they are my immediate go-to’s. They know how to take an idea and either make sense of it, or come up with something completely new that I never would have thought of. They are my secret weapon, for sure.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say that I was kind. That I noticed the people that “go unnoticed”. That I make people feel important and special. That I am welcoming, and inclusive of everyone. That I have a good heart. That ultimately I am a good person that made a positive impact on the world. Obviously I hope I leave behind a successful business and admiration for my work ethic, but that’s not what really matters. What matters is what I left behind with the people – how I cared and loved people and strangers. I may fail at this quite often, but that’s really what it boils down to. I always try to be a good person and influence others through kindness, helping others, encouraging others, and making them feel important.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thefontparty.com
- Instagram: @thefontparty
Image Credits
Breezy Pettit Photography, https://breezypettit.com
