Meet Amber Darsch | Designer and Small Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amber Darsch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amber, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

I started loving art and design when I was in High School. Our school finally had a digital design class my junior year and I fell in love with how computers helped us make art and how different it was then studio art.

I knew this was something I really wanted to pursue as a career because I learned how much the world depended on design and what good design did for businesses and individuals alike. With good design we read magazines better, we enjoy our homes more and we fall in love with brands.

While attending community college ( I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go yet for design), I also did an internship at Disney. I learned not only the ins and outs of running a huge corporation but how they used design to better their visitors’ experience and the appearance of their parks. I loved it!

While I was in Florida for my internship I transferred to Full Sail University where I got my Bachelors in Science of Graphic Design. It was an amazing experience. Just being around others who loved design as much as I did was a dream. I learned from experts in their fields and got my hands on amazing technology and equipment that was so much fun to work with. I never wanted to stop learning and was so sad when I graduated! But I realized that it just proved I was doing the right thing and I was truly where I belonged!

After I graduated I did an internship in my hometown for a festival we put on every year called Tulip Time. I learned so many skills and met so many community members that proved to be so helpful for my future business. It’s amazing what our community in Holland, Michigan does each year to put on such a huge event that draws people from all over the US and the world! I also had the opportunity to design and create marketing items that people used, brought and enjoyed. Still to this day over 12 years ago I still see people enjoying shirts, mugs, magnets, posters, etc that I created during that internship and it brings me so much joy! I realized then that getting to do design that became physical objects was definitely my favorite part!

After working for Grand Valley University and another smaller design company. I was pregnant with our second child and wanted to have a more flexible schedule to be home with them. This was the year I started my own business. I was so nervous about leaving these great jobs but also excited to start designing new things and going back to what I loved the most, which was to help small businesses and nonprofits excel in their branding, marketing and web design!

As a business owner I loved being in control of what I was designing, the process and my client giving my client experience. I wanted them to leave us happy and feel everything we did represented their brand exactly as it should be.

I have now been running my business, Color Me Well Graphics for the last 6 years and it has been the best challenge and adventure! I’m thankful everyday for all my amazing clients who have supported me and believed in me. I couldn’t have done what I love as my JOB without them!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business started over 6 years ago when I found that it was hard as a smaller business or nonprofit to find reliable printing and marketing services. I knew from experience how difficult it was to find a printer that could help with smaller jobs. We didn’t need shirts for 100s, maybe just 5 for our employee appreciation gifts for example. I knew that’s what I wanted to build my business for, which was giving those businesses, nonprofits and individuals access to quality services that didn’t require them to purchase large orders. That I could do small runs and do them fast!

I also wanted to give them the chance to have design work provided at reasonable costs and provide services that went above and beyond their expectations. I’m so proud of the way the business has grown and how much we can now do in our small studio. We went from just doing signs and design, to printing apparel, marketing items, banners, large signs and vehicles and so much more! I wanted to be a one stop shop that could give a business essentially everything they need to stand out and to put their best face forward.

I also experienced throughout the years what happens when companies don’t have access to designers. We get terrible files or logos that just don’t translate well to products or signage. I have enjoyed helping bring their designs back to life or tweaking them so they can be used more in the future. No one wants a blurry branded shirt or mug!

As our business grows I want to be sure that the people come first and that we show them how much we truly care about making them look their VERY BEST!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
That’s a great question! I live in Holland and would definitely want to show them around our small city. Especially because Holland is on Lake Michigan and I love the beach! I also love all the hiking, camping and kayaking spaces too. Our family is really outdoorsy and we enjoy the warmer months the most when we can get out and enjoy all that Michigan has to offer!

Probably my first top would be Kin Coffee here in Holland! I would go for the Lavender Bee Latte and their Sweet Goat Toast! Mmmmm! I also love walking downtown and visiting shops like Spring Sweet and Gezellig which are some of my favorites. I also love rock climbing so I would definitely take an afternoon climb at Scrapyard. There is so much to do in Holland our day would be filled with the great outdoors! I feel so fortunate to have access to amazing spaces that are right in our backyard.

Holland is so beautiful!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have so many wonderful people who have helped me become who I am today and inspired me in my personal life and business. My mom and grandparents are small business owners and they were probably my top inspiration for starting my own. They have been giving me advice, financial help and tons of words of encouragement from the very beginning! They have been through a lot of the same challenges I have faced and it was so helpful to have them guiding me and helping me to problem solve and just there to lend an experienced ear!

But I would say my Mom is my biggest supporter and mentor. She is a rockstar business owner and does everything with so much heart and soul. She cares so deeply for others and her business. I have always wanted to grow up to be like her and keep what she has taught me at the forefront of my own business. Like being authentic, genuine, transparent and honest. I believe this has really set me apart from other businesses. I strive every day to give my clients the best experience with us and to work as hard as I can to give them the best products or services too.

I also want to shout out to my Dad who is also a huge supporter of mine, he is so selfless! I can always count on him to have my back and to help whenever I need it. I really couldn’t have done any of this without him. He is my accountant after all!

I would also like to shout out to my husband for pausing his own career for 2.5 years to help me build mine. He helped not only grow my business but actually build my business. He built me shelves, desks, organized the space and set up all my computers and tech gear ( he is an IT guy). He helped me in so many ways I really couldn’t have done it without him. I’m so thankful for the 2 years we had working together, the flexibility it gave our family and what we could achieve together.

I also could never do my business alone without my friends and community. I have met so many clients that now have become friends. They have pushed me to be better, have been shoulders to cry on and so much more. I’m so thankful for each and every one of them!

Website: https://colormewellgraphics.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colormewellgraphics/

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/amberdarsch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colormewellgraphics/

Image Credits
Lexie Marie Photography and Hannah Ziegeler Photography