Hidden Gems: Meet Sierra Poulson of smplans design + consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sierra Poulson.

Hi Sierra, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
After graduating from KU, I obtained my law degree in Chicago. Although I graduated with a certificate in Art & Museum Law, I went on to be a trial attorney focusing on labor & employment law, e.g., discrimination, harassment, whistleblower, and compliance. I’ve been practicing law for ten years now! If that didn’t keep me busy enough, I’m a mom to two kids and run our home, carrying the brunt of the “mental load” — the emotional and psychological burden of remembering to fill out school forms, pick up eggs, make doctors’ appointments, and countless little details. I’ve made many dubious choices, but marrying my husband was not one of them. I married my match. I rely heavily on Will who chips in and meets me halfway on chores, cooking (okay, he cooks, I don’t), and parenting (he’s a pro at bath time!).

Fueling my passion, I started designing planner inserts in the spring of 2018 for myself at the suggestion of a planner friend. I could not find what I was looking for in a weekly insert. After briefly showing my weekly insert in one of my planner flips, several people expressed interest in them. By October of 2018, I was sending PDFs piecemeal via email. I quickly realized this wasn’t sustainable and that I needed help with sending files. With the nudge from several friends, I opened my shop in December. Instead of going to a big box store and using a pre-bound planner, now you can curate your own planner to suit your individual needs. My shop allows you to hand select what inserts fit your life and change them out as needed. You can easily print, cut, and hole punch at home! You can pick whichever planner cover you wish and swap covers and planner sizes like purses!

Since opening in December 2018, I’ve had over 45,000 sales, designed 450+ custom inserts, and completed dozens of individual planner consultations. It’s been a whirlwind and a great outlet for me to show my creative side! It’s a natural extension of my love for paper, planning, and design. It also is flexible. I can ramp up and down as necessary depending on how life is if I have a trial approaching, a big family milestone, or a girl’s trip.

In June of 2022, we relocated from Omaha to Leawood for my husband’s career. It was a long time coming. He mentioned how he would move back to KC when he was done with his medical training and sure enough… here we are!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I get in my head a lot. Once I get out of my own way, I thrive. Two struggles come to mind: the first was the decision and migration away from Etsy. The fees were atrocious and the lack of control over my listings, e.g., Etsy could deactivate and hold them hostage however they pleased, caused me to design and open my own website in August of 2021. I took a week off work and spent every waking moment on the site to get it up and running.

The second struggle was dealing with judgment from co-workers. Although this is my passion and something I clearly enjoy, I faced judgment and speculation about my work ethic from upper management. I decided to live without fear of judgment and continued to be my true self. I am an amazing woman, mom, and professional. I am multi-faceted – I’m not ‘just’ an attorney and I’m not ‘just’ a designer. I am not confined by others’ preconceptions of what I should be like or look like.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about smplans design + consulting?
SMPLANS offers planner inserts in over 12 sizes that one can easily download, print, and cut at home. I also offer consulting services where I meet one-on-one with clients and provide advice on selecting which planner size, and inserts, and creating the best planner system. Within the past year, my services expanded to small biz consulting! It’s been amazing meeting and problem-solving with so many neat people!

I am a self-proclaimed planner addict since middle school, but my friends can vouch for my paper obsession dating back to elementary school! My bestie and I would beg our parents to take us to Target. We would obsessively peruse the pen and paper aisles to spot any new items. My first planner was the tacky assignment planner provided by my middle school paired with a single-subject college-ruled notebook where I did my own version of bullet journaling.

My planner philosophy focuses on allowing one’s personality to flow throughout without apologies; functional, yet pretty; timeless, and a bit flashy. #extra. It’s also deeply rooted in consistency, self-awareness, and reflection.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was intense! My poor parents! I started to loosen up after studying abroad in Italy and France during my undergrad. My family owned and operated a series of newspapers and a printing company. I’ve always been around paper and entrepreneurs! I think it instilled in me a love for paper and pens – there are so many pictures of me carrying around a notebook and writing.

Pricing:

• Inserts range from $4-10
• Consulting is on a per-hour basis – people can email me for details!

Contact Info:

• Website: shopsmplans.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/smplans
• Facebook: facebook.com/shopsmplans
• Youtube: youtube.com/sierrapoulson
• Other: sierramplans.com/blog

Image Credits
Kate DeCoste Photography – https://www.katedecostephotography.com/