More About Design Suite

May 3, 2024 by Carina Gardner Leave a comment

A glimpse into the Design Suite Journey and what our Members are saying

Are you a designer, but struggling to make money? A Surface Designer that wants to uplevel their designs? Or a crafter who would like to take your hobby and turn it into a thriving business that you love? Then you are in the right place because the Design Suite program is just the right place for that!

Join us on a journey through the transformative power of Design Suite as we unveil firsthand accounts from individuals whose lives have been touched by our design program. From budding artists to seasoned professionals, our program has ignited passion, fostered innovation, and sculpted careers in the dynamic world of design. Get ready to be inspired, motivated, and ready to embark on your own creative journey as you delve into the stories of those who have thrived with us. Let their experiences serve as a beacon of possibility and a testament to the boundless opportunities awaiting within the realm of Design Suite. So, come along and discover why our program is more than just education—it’s a gateway to endless possibilities in the vibrant landscape of design.

For example, Michelle had only been in Design Suite for 1 week and this is what she had to say…

We love hearing stories like Michelle’s. Knowing that we are making an impact on our members’ lives is one of the most rewarding things about this program. This is what Ann Marie had to say…

Design Suite has so much information packed in it as you heard from Ann Marie. We have 17 courses on topics such as design principles, business, and learning industry standard design programs. Carina was a professor at the University of Minnesota, so you know that you are getting quality and professional course materials. And on top of that we provide a coach to help you along your journey, so you don’t ever feel lost along the way. As a Mastermind member you also get feedback on your work so that you can continually be getting better and better at design or getting technical help along the way.

One of the things that we hear repeatedly, and we agree, is that we have such a wonderful community of kind, caring, and supportive women. Everyone really wants to see each other succeed and tries to help each other out in any way that they can. The community really is one of a kind and our members really enjoy getting to know each other and have even gotten together outside of Design Suite because of the connections that they are creating.

We hope that you have been inspired by the things that our members have had to say about the program. Whether you have been designing for a while or are just getting started you will find the support and direction that you are seeking in Design Suite.

We would love to have you join us so that we can help you with your creative journey!

Check out our next available Bootcamp to get more information.

https://www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp

Leah Loret de Mola’s Continuing Journey with Design Suite: Finding Fulfillment Through The Challenges of Hard Work

May 1, 2024 by Carina Gardner Leave a comment

Thanks to Carina Gardner’s Design Bootcamp, Leah Loret de Mola was able to take her already creative path, and find further skill and success in her career. Leah discusses with Carina in this podcast about her journey in joining the program and how helpful it truly has been.

Beginning the podcast, Leah starts out saying, “I found Carina Gardner Bootcamp and did the live bootcamp and it basically really fit with my experience because I knew Illustrator. It was like one step ahead of having to start over again.”

Leah began her journey with some limited knowledge in designing, but didn’t know what to do with it. For those who have some creative and designing experience already, your journey can be very similar to Leah’s! She goes on explaining her experience in committing to do Design Bootcamp:

“It was great. It was one hour every day, five days a week. I made sure I scheduled it like an appointment as something I had to do. I loved the live bootcamp, I’ve only done it live so I can’t speak for anything else, but it made a difference because it was really interactive in terms of the chat, and Carina speaking to people that were there live and answering questions on the spot. I think the exciting part for me was building a career in design, and I just didn’t know how to get there, and here was Carina saying ‘I will get you there, and this is how to do it!’… It was just so exciting… I could do it on my own time and grow my business for myself, versus having to work for someone else.”

The Design Bootcamp was an enjoyable and knowledge-filling experience for Leah, and will be for anyone who is committed to it like her. The price of Design Bootcamp is extremely worth it for those who apply what they have learned from it. Leah, for example, was able to make money almost immediately from her creations after joining the program. Throughout the rest of her journey over the past months, there has been on and off success, making the process difficult, but fulfilling.

“I was really lucky, I got some sales at the beginning. I worked really hard in the program for 6 months… it really paid off because I’ve been able to breathe for a little bit and still be able to feel like I’m not missing out on some designs that are up right now as I struggled with where to go… eventually it’ll get there but it’s hard.” Carina chimed in on this conversation by saying, “All of us have to get used to the sucky feeling before the win comes because there’s no such thing as overnight success.”

Just like Leah, those who are persistent and stick with the process will find great success, personal fulfillment, and satisfaction in their work. Any idea of a product to create and sell can be brought to life through Design Bootcamp, and the Design Suite Mastermind program that Leah joined. Although it is a challenging task to take on, there is so much to gain from these resources of becoming a profitable designer.

Overall, Leah has described her journey so far by saying, “it’s been quite a rollercoaster, I didn’t know what to expect… I feel like I can sit here now and say it doesn’t seem like I did a lot, but when I thought about where I was last year at this exact time before I joined the program when I was just figuring out what to do, and I look now, it’s a huge accomplishment. Regardless of sales, it’s just more like that first step to hopefully getting past the first year. I would say it’s been a huge year of building and just seeing where I want to go, and it’s changed and it’s pivoted and I’ve struggled with a lot because you’re really testing ‘how hard do I want to work?’ and ‘how bad do I want this?’ because you’re putting in a lot of time… it’s just a lot of committing… it says a lot about where you’ll go long term.”

By joining the Design Bootcamp, you can unlock your creativity further, no matter how much experience you do or don’t have! To sign up for a bootcamp like Leah, click here

To look at Leah’s work, you can access her website here

To watch the full interview with Leah and Carina, click here

Tracey Rinaldo’s Creative Odyssey with Design Suite

April 29, 2024 by Carina Gardner Leave a comment

Tracey Rinaldo, an entrepreneur and creative designer, met with Carina Gardner and discussed her path to profit with her small business being brought to life through the tips and tricks of Design Suite. Tracey has a unique story tailored to those who are already small business owners, creators of physical and digital art, and people who are looking for the resources necessary to take their creative dreams to the next level.

“My journey has kind of been long and twisted,” Tracey explains, “I’ve been a creative all my life, I just never followed it… This whole thing started with a hair bow, [my daughter and I] went to a little craft show, but I couldn’t let her just sell a hair bow, so I took a bunch of things that I was sewing and then after that I was like ‘I would really love to transition from what I’m doing now to being creative full-time, because this is where my heart is. So I didn’t know where to go, what to do, I just had my little small business side, but I knew I couldn’t replace my income with handmade stuff, I just didn’t have enough time in the day… So I took a few courses… somehow you just appeared, and then I started looking into it, and I was a little bit hesitant because I had been in other online courses and it was just like so many people, so busy… So I ended up in your bootcamp… you acknowledged me and I was like ‘what?!’… I had all the pieces except it was like my puzzle was missing something, and the missing something was selling things and getting off the ground that way. So it was just a bonus that your courses are amazing. I’m in Design Suite and the Mastermind and there are a zillion courses for everything, I seriously can do everything you’ve got.”

As Tracey continued to explain her starting story in the Design Suite program over the podcast, it was nothing short of remarkable. The passion and desire were there to do more with the small business she had started. That’s how she found success in Design Suite and how she started making money.

“I started my business in 2022, so I spent that first year/year and a half just kind of floundering… and then it wasn’t until July that I took the bootcamp, so at the end of July is when I found you. And since July, it’s been a night and day difference,” Tracey states to Carina. Design Suite truly is the tool needed to give people that jumpstart and action on implementing their dreams to real life. Tracey found more effective ways of putting her business out there through the tips and tricks taught in the bootcamps and Design Suite programs.

Tracey also talks about the growth and experience gained from attending craft fairs. “The only one that’s going to get me out there is me… Every show that I do I take something away from it,” she explains. At these fairs, she began to show and display her favorite designs to sell, the custom pet portraits. Tracey has always loved drawing animals, and choosing to further her business by making portraits for people has not only been extremely fun for her, but her target market benefits greatly from the personalized items they receive when they buy from her. Design Suite was able to give her that confidence to keep going to the shows, and even when no sales are made, to leave with more knowledge and insights gained from the people she has met. Her resilience and willingness to keep trying has brought her great fulfillment and success through her journey, and that really is the key. As Carina explains in the podcast, “You’re getting information faster than if you were on just a platform.” Those in person events prove determination to learn more and get your business out there.

Overall, Tracey Rinaldo’s interview on Carina Gardner’s podcast is a must-listen for anyone who is seeking the opportunity to make money off of their creative designs, and find ways to get their work seen by the world. Her story serves as a reminder that with dedication, resilience, and courage, anything is possible. Anyone can be a designer if they put their mind to it, and anyone can make money off of their creations if they are willing to put in the effort to make it happen. Design bootcamps and Design Suite are perfect resources to look into to make those dreams into realities!

If you want to see Tracey’s work, visit her website/etsy, or follow her, you can find her through the following links:

Website: https://www.thecraftedacre.ca/s/order#most-popular
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CraftedAcre
Instagram: @craftedacre

Interested in the bootcamp that helped Tracey take flight? Click here to learn more

If you want to watch the full podcast between Tracey and Carina here

Or listen the podcast here

What’s In And What’s Out in Design

April 26, 2024 by Carina Gardner Leave a comment

2024 came in with a bang and the design world has been a buzz. Now that we are 4 months into the year, here are some of the things we are seeing.

Peach Fuzz came in strong as Pantone’s 2024 color of the year while Etsy says that romance is taking center stage. We are seeing both of these things coming to fruition within only a few months of the year.

So what do we see trending hard? Feminine and girly are certainly at the forefront, but you will also see hardworking textures like denim come to center stage.

As always, do not be afraid of niches with loyal followings. We continue to see heightened response to designers and artists who know who they sell to. This includes the science nerd all the way to the charmed jewelry enthusiasts.

For those that want to battle AI’s image sameness we are seeing in the market, simply step out with your own style. We see homegrown, personally-made, and artist-aware becoming an even more valuable aspect of customers who want to purchase from real designers and artists.

As always no matter what the trend, we love designers who are true to themselves. That authenticity always shines through especially as they create smart, consistent business practices.

Ever wanted to be a surface pattern designer? Learn more at www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp

Why Are All of Design Suite Courses Now 15 Weeks Long?

April 22, 2024 by Carina Gardner Leave a comment

During 2024 and 2025, one of Dr. Carina Gardner’s main goals has been to upgrade all of the coursework to a new academic standard. Carina states, “Right now we are seeing anyone with a tiny bit of technical skill offer a course. Because of this, there is no technical or academic standard that helps customers and students understand how much time and effort those courses will take.”

By changing all the curriculum in Design Suite to 8 week (quarter long) and 15 week (semester long) course work, it will help customers understand the extent of exactly what they are purchasing so that they can continue their professional development.

Many of the courses in Design Suite have lifetime access (of the site designsuitecourses.com) and these are continually upgraded. All 17 courses will be getting a reboot over the next two years at no cost to students.

“Our main goal,” states Dr. Carina Gardner, “Is to help expectations. Often do-it-yourself designers believe they should start making money in their new business in 3 months. This is an unrealistic expectation especially for many who have not had any formal design or business training.”

For the last three years, Dr. Carina Gardner’s Design Suite program has been helping new and struggling designers learn how to set up a business, understand what is happening in the marketplace, and put in structures for long term success. She emphasizes that it takes a lot of time and education to build a successful business but it is completely doable with the right mentorship.

Ever wanted to be a surface pattern designer? Learn more at www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp

Currently, acceptance into Design Suite is only available by taking a session of Design Bootcamp Register today to learn more about how design and business education could be the right move for you.

Dawn K’s Journey of Creativity, Passion, and Profit with Design Suite

April 10, 2024 by Carina Gardner Leave a comment

In a world where the pursuit of creativity often takes a backseat to the demands of daily life, Dawn K gives inspiration on a podcast with Carina Gardner by sharing her heartfelt journey of pursuing her dreams. This led to the unexpected events of making money, along with the success and fulfillment that has changed her life.

Dawn’s story resonates deeply with anyone who has ever felt the tug of creative longing amidst the chaos of everyday responsibilities. She had always been one who loved to sew and create, and wanted more from it. She explains the process she went through of deciding to go for it and make the time:

“I was looking at Instagram and saw an ad from [Carina Gardner Inc.] and I said ‘okay, I’ve been saying I want a way to make money from this room… and this could be an option’. I was skeptical, but I said, ‘given the cost, I don’t have much to lose, and let’s go for it.’ And I went through Design Bootcamp, and each day I was tuning in after work, sometimes I’d watch if I had a lunch break, if I had a little bit of time I’d try to watch. And each day I went, ‘oh my goodness, oh this is amazing!’ and there were so many breakthroughs… also just what the possibilities were and what that potential was. And the fact that I felt like I didn’t know how to get there a year ago… to know that there was a way to do it is really what got me hooked and it got me to sign up, and it changed my life.”

Ever wanted to be a surface pattern designer? Learn more at www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp

The journey that Dawn went on from a hesitant skeptic to a thriving entrepreneur is a testament to the transformative power of the Design Suite program. By doing Design Bootcamp, and then moving on to Design Suite, was huge for Dawn. It allowed her to have time to create all of the projects she had been dreaming of for a long time. She brought a business to life out of it while still having a 40 hour week job as well. Passion was ignited, and she was committed. Design Suite truly is an excellent way to spark the fire of creativity, and bring it into action.

“I’m now making money, and when I started Design Suite, I was looking at all the people who are or who were where I am now… I would start looking up everybody going, ‘oh my goodness oh my goodness oh their work is so good, and look what they’ve accomplished!’ I didn’t think I would be in that same position, but if you put in the work and you put in the time, and you’re consistent about it, you can accomplish more than you ever thought possible,” Dawn eloquently says.

Not only were her dreams made a reality, but there were benefits of making money, and personal progress that came from it. Dawn states that, “In terms of what attracted me to Design Suite it was… the mentorship… being able to turn stuff in and get better every single time is huge for me in terms of progress… It was a personal choice that what I really wanted to do was fabric design, and I found that, through Design Suite.”

Overall, the decision that Dawn made to join the Design Suite program, and follow her dreams led to incredible outcomes and happiness she wouldn’t have otherwise found. Not only personal fulfillment and growth, but an open door to making money from her own designs, shortly after joining Design Suite. To end the podcast, Dawn closed with some words to anyone who is considering the design bootcamp or Design Suite by saying, “If you want a creative career, and you’re on the fence, and you’re listening to this podcast, check out Design Bootcamp. If you’re unsure, but you know you really want it and have the grit, just go for it, it is worth it, and it’s life changing.”

Interested in design bootcamp just like Dawn was? Here is the link she followed to sign up! https://www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fcarina-gardner-32e8.mykajabi.com%2Fa%2F2147517829%2FzAfwGmrU

You can find Dawn’s work from her Etsy profile here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/dawnkdesigns/?etsrc=sdt

If you want to watch the entire video with Dawn K and Carina Gardner, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TACMev4AiIo

Or listen to the podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2040698/13865727-episode-372-life-changing-creativity-with-dawn-k.mp3?download=true

If you have been following along and have never joined a Design Bootcamp, I’m going to encourage you to sign up! It’s 5 hours of workshops and we have live versions going on often so that you can come and ask questions. Go to www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp