Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline Snoderly.
Hi Jacqueline, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
You’d never know where I came from, when seeing where I am now.
As a child I never had hopes and dreams in a traditional sense. My hopes and dreams were not about money, fame or a career. My hopes were that we would have food on the table, or a roof over my head and my dreams were that one day I could share my joy and story with others and hope that it moves them in a way they need to find peace and purpose in their life.
The only thing I was truly certain of as a child was that I was put on this Earth to serve. I found joy in serving. Whether that was through church, community, work or hobbies; I LOVE being a beacon of joy for others and giving all I could to make others smile.
I didn’t have a normal family life per se, but I always had some sort of roof over my head. Some nights it may have been a shelter roof, or even a tent, but I was thankful there was something shielding and protecting me from the elements of being homeless. I think it was in those dark times that I leaned into the happy-go-lucky, smile at strangers, do good deeds person that I am.
When I was 19, I interviewed for and was offered a job as an administrative assistant for an oil and gas company in Houston, Texas. That was the beginning of something greater that I was called to do in life (and that I am still figuring out). Over the years my skills developed from administrative support, into other roles and responsibilities, including IT Support Specialist and Consumer Insights Specialist. With the knowledge I gained in those roles and my growing passion for tech, giving back, and customer service, Rad Creative Co. was born in 2017.
RAD is an acronym for Rise Above Defeat. Every single day I put two feet on the group, stand tall and rise above the defeat I felt the days, weeks and months before. The saying “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary,” held true then and even more now as life has evolved into parenthood and beyond.
When I refer to rise above defeat in business, I am speaking to anytime we feel that we take 10 steps back, then 10 more, before we can take 2 steps forward. If you’ve ever owned a business large or small, you know it’s not for the faint of heart. There is no off switch, or 8-5, you are working 24/7, especially if you’re a startup and don’t have the resources to hire for marketing, administrative tasks, or anyone else that would free up time for you to focus on your business.
That is where my small business idea came into play. I was able to carry my corporate administrative career into handling administrative tasks in a virtual setting for other small business owners. Rad Creative Co. started with creating graphics, presentations, ghost writing and editing blog posts. From those administrative tasks, grew my curiosity and love for all things tech. My desire to see my clients with a polished website and witness amazing sales growth for online courses, art, creative retreats and more has really been a driving force in success.
One referral lead to another, and now I am celebrating 8 years of entrepreneurship. There have been many ups and downs over the years, but one thing always remained steadfast. I didn’t want a small business owner to be consumed by “I can’t afford those services.” Even as my skillset grew – website design in Shopify, Squarespace, Showit, WordPress, and many online learning platforms, my pricing remained in a place that they were able to budget for my services, get the assistance their business desperately needed and scale substantially.
My primary service offerings are now website design, online course design, eCommerce maintenance and community engagement. While I am not native to Kansas City, I have lived here for over 3 years and have quickly come to love everything there is about the city and surrounding suburbs and plan to call KC home for the foreseeable future. There is never a lack of activities and everywhere I go, I get greeted with the most wonderful Midwest hospitality.
One thing that really stands out to me, that I think would ring true for others who grew up in a similar situation, you have to keep pushing forward. It is your determination and will that will guide you through the tough times. When you think I just can’t take it any longer, lean into your local (or online) creative community and share your thoughts and feelings. You would be surprised at the support you receive and how many others are struggling in the same areas.
Don’t let anything get in the way of your dreams, especially your inner critic. Dare to dream BIG dreams and do whatever you have to, to conquer those goals.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Some of the biggest struggles over the past several years have been the rising cost of goods and services. Even the smaller businesses who could traditionally book my services, are bringing everything in house. I sound like a broken record, but I think a lot of small businesses can attest to the era of Covid being a real kick in the pants. Business has not returned to 100%, but I have faith that through continued hard work and adapting to the everchanging online environment – specifically what AI can and will do for businesses, I will be back fulltime and helping other small businesses reach new heights.
A tip I’d like to share is that you will run into people who talk down to you, treat you like you haven’t had a successful business for years and flat out tell you “I can do it better.” Don’t let those people get to you. They are dealing with their own things and tend to project their inadequacies onto others.
If you aren’t an expert in a particular area of design, but you’re willing to keep learning and growing, there is room to upgrade your service offerings and expand your scope beyond what your business may have started out as. Don’t be afraid to shift and grow. Change is good and sometimes it’s the best thing ever.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I think one thing that really sets me apart as a website designer and creative, is the passion and determination I have for seeing others succeed. I want to see your business flourish more than anything and I am always going to give you 110%.
My technical expertise, paired with designing intuitive websites that are accessible and easy to navigate, are some other things that set my work apart.
Whether that is conducting a website audit to make sure that your mobile and desktop views are still guiding your potential customers through a seamless journey, or making suggestions for new product and service offerings, I will be your biggest business cheerleader and sidekick that will do everything I can to help you scale.
I have supported many artists that have been published world-wide and I don’t take that lightly. I feel very blessed to have had those opportunities to help their businesses shine!
Over the past few months I have been leaning more into my artistic side. I love to paint, doodle and sketch whenever possible and it’s been great to pick that back up, with intention to grow as an artist. You will be seeing more art from me in the near future and I have big, lofty goals for that part of my business as well.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
My passion, perseverance, and commitment to continuous learning has been most important to my success. Sure there are days just like anyone else where I feel like I hit every brick wall imaginable, but taking one small step forward is moving the needle toward your goals and dreams. If you’re feeling stuck, take a break, go for a walk, jam out to some rad tunes, explore KC – there are so many inspiring things to see and do here.
This is just the beginning of my creative journey and I can’t wait to see what’s in store next.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.radcreativeco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radcreativecompany/
