When Clients Come Back for Round 2

It’s a great feeling when a client wants to work with you again, whether for a spin-off from their original company or a new business entirely. You already have an established relationship from the first project. You have a collaborative back-and-forth that flows seamlessly (well, hopefully). In honor of these special working relationships and National Women’s Small Business Month, I want to spotlight three women-owned businesses that are repeat clients. 

Susannah Souvestre is the owner of Zalta Mediterranean Restaurant and Suzette Café & Bistro. The latter is modeled after the French café experience. She owns multiple restaurants with her husband. My first project with her was creating the branding for Zalta. Then, I worked on the branding, logo, and color palette for Suzette, which isn’t open yet. Frankly, I don’t know how Susannah does it. She and her husband have two kids, and they juggle everyday life while being successful business owners. To top it all off, Susannah’s laid-back personality makes for an easygoing collaboration. I can’t wait to see Suzette take off. 

Vanessa Higgins is the owner of Las Aves Jewelry and Zegarra Estate, which, if you’ve been following me, you’ve heard me mention the latter before. She also owns Playa, a restaurant in downtown Mill Valley. Vanessa is a superhuman entrepreneur whose fireball personality makes her unforgettable. She’s sold gorgeous jewelry made from feathers of which I had the honor of helping with branding and website for, and now her latest venture, Zegarra Estate, is a vacation home rental space in wine country – a stunning property complete with vineyards. Like Susannah, Vanessa is a working mom. I bow down to her ability to make it all look so easy. 

Currently, I’m working on the branding for Zegarra, and the site is almost ready to launch. 

Jodi Janzen is the owner of Jodi Janzen Design, an interior design company in San Rafael. She makes the branding process a breeze. Of course, her being an interior designer helps tremendously. She’s also just easy to work with in general. I collaborated with her on Jodi Janzen Design three years ago, and now I’m doing the branding for her business expansion into window treatments, Blinds by Design. I’m excited to see how it all comes together for her. She’s also a badass working mother who can do it all. 

I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with these three women for round two. Here’s hoping we’ll continue collaborating on fun projects for years to come.