Retainer Work & Workshop Days
BUSINESS & CREATIVE SUPPORT FOR FOUNDERS WHO WANT TO GROW SMART, SUCCESSFUL & SUSTAINABLE BUSINESSES
DESIGN RETAINERSElevating Your Brand, Simplifying Your Life, Pushing Publish Consistently, Pulling Your Ideal Clients Your Way
A design retainer is an agreement in which a client purchases, for a specific duration of time, the ability to retain and utilize an agreed-upon number of the designer's available hours during that specific duration of time. You might want one because you have business marketing / design needs that surpass your skill level or time availability, or maybe you don't even desire to take on those tasks.
Additionally, a design partner sounds amazing to you, but you also want to have a fixed budget for that work.
I offer Design Retainers for 3, 6, 9 or 12 month durations.
Design Retainers Work Best For:
Business Owners Who Aren’t Design Professionals but Want Professional Results
Business Owners Who Have a Brand & Want to Keep the Integrity of That Brand Across all Platforms
Business Owners Who Are Ready to Develop a Style all Their Own and Have the Support of a Designer Like Me
WHAT IS A DESIGN RETAINER?
What’s
Included?
Copywriting. Website Adjustments.
Creative Research. Social media.
Brand Development. Graphic Design. Photography. Instagram Reels. Website setup and refining.
Marketing. App setup. Visioning. Creative Project Planning. Product Design. Editorial Photography. Photo Shoot Planning. Lifestyle Photography. Pinterest Board Setup. Website Analytics. Photo Styling + Prop Sourcing.
As long as it's in the world of creativity and marketing, I'm your girl.
Before you scroll any further... Hi! I'm Steph Sheldon, a content architect and creative director currently calling Chicago home, though my journey has taken me from 15 years in Cleveland to an 18-month adventure in Turkey.
My world revolves around designing and producing websites filled with content that's not just seen but felt. With a background in architecture, a knack for DIY, the experience of founding a fast-growth startup, and a heart dedicated to business coaching, I dive into photography as my personal escape and expression.
My greatest joy comes from helping people—especially women founders—uncover and express their true selves online and through their digital products, peeling away the layers of social conditioning that have kept their authentic selves hidden. I'm honored you've stepped into my digital home and studio, a place where creativity meets business in a dance designed just for you.
As someone who believes creativity is not just a talent but a fundamental human right, I see our creative blocks as the result of a world that hasn't always welcomed our brilliance. Here, loving our uniqueness is our strength, while the pressure to conform has too often dimmed our individual lights in exchange for safety in numbers. But it's our differences that make us thrive.
So, I invite you to dive into the blog or sign up for a creative consultation. Let's work together to break free from what's holding you back and move towards the work that's always been meant for you.
BUT BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR….
My clients and I share these important values and characteristics, which make our collaborations truly extraordinary (and greatly influence the sustainability of our businesses)
A Commitment to High-Quality: They are passionate about delivering the best possible offerings or products to their customers. Quality is a non-negotiable aspect of their business, and they genuinely enjoy this aspect of business.
An Embrace of Personal Growth: These clients understand that personal growth is a crucial part of their professional journey, and they're ready to develop themselves alongside their businesses.
Ethical Business Practices: They prioritize fairness and ethical treatment, refusing to use their own financial or time constraints as an excuse to exploit others. They uphold values of respect and fairness in all their business dealings.
Resilience and Balance: While they face challenges and demands, they are not overwhelmed to the point of abandoning their values. They realize that their own emotional health is important, and they prioritize this so that they can show up in relationships (professional + personal) with utmost care.
Long-Term Partnerships: They view our collaboration as a long-term relationship and aren't constantly searching for the lowest priced options elsewhere.
Curiosity and Excitement: These clients are genuinely curious and enthusiastic about their own businesses, approaching entrepreneurship with passion rather than resistance.
Ownership of Our Results: They take full ownership of their outcomes, recognizing that their success is ultimately their responsibility. They don't shift that responsibility to external parties, such as coaches or collaborators, to create their success but instead, view them as valuable partners in their journey.
I work with Women Founders in these specific ways
Retainer
Monthly, hourly support booked ahead of time so you know you have it when you need it.
Program / Project
A specific result, like a website build or developing your business model.
Retreat/ Workshop
A retreat / day we spend focused on the work together.
examples of mini projects–
aka they should take you 30 minutes or less
Instagram Bio Refresh
Formatting a week's worth of instagram posts using your own photo library & established style
Visual Auditing or reviewing of one page of a website
Reviewing analytics & comparing them to previous weeks
Proofreading / Editing a Blog Post
Designing a simple invoice / proposal template to use again & again
examples of small projects–
aka they should take you about an hour
Instagram Facelift
Writing one blog post, Publishing & Promoting across platforms
Writing + Releasing 2 newsletters
Creating your first simple contract and connecting it to a payment option
Deciding on your Pinterest Strategy
Writing valuable captions for 3 instagram posts
examples of medium projects–
aka you can knock them out in an afternoon or morning that has minimal distractions
Creating your Instagram Content for the week
Writing your blog posts for the month
Creating the visuals for a blog post
Building out a sales page
Writing your newsletters for the month
Formatting blog posts for Pinterest and uploading that content
examples of larger projects–
you will have a hard time getting them done unless you have a big chunk of time to devote to it & some patience to tackle new stuff
Building or Redesigning your website
Designing or refining your Brand
Writing all the copy for your website
Deciding on your customer journey
Creating all the visual content you will need for 1 quarter of marketing
Writing your book.
DESIGN RETAINERSChoose your plan
Tier 1
$300/m
3 Hours of Design Support per Month
for 3 Months
Popular
Tier 2
$500/m
6 Hours of Design Support per Month
for 3 Months
Tier 3
$1000/m
20 Hours of Design Support per Month
for 3 Months
Is a Design / Marketing Retainer Right for You?
ONE
You have important work that you never get a chance to tackle.
TWO
You have a limited budget, and so you're willing to space that important work out over time.
THREE
You'd value a design partner who can work on multiple projects, over shopping around for someone new each time.
FOUR
You'd rather work with someone who is an expert at something your business needs, rather than taking the time to become an expert yourself.
Something Custom?
Coming Soon….
BUSINESS CONSULTING RETAINERSFoundations, Frameworks, Decision-Making & Strategy
WHAT IS A BUSINESS CONSULTING RETAINER?
A business retainer is an agreement in which a client purchases, for a specific duration of time, the ability to retain and utilize an agreed-upon number of the consultant's available hours during that specific duration of time. You might want one because you desire specific insight of a person who has an immense amount of expertise in business-building, brand equity growing and managing client relationships.
Additionally, a business partner sounds amazing to you, but you also want to have a fixed budget for that work.
I offer Business Consulting Retainers for 3, 6, 9 or 12 month durations.
Business Consulting Retainers Work Best For:
Startups who want Structure
Startups who lack Proper Foundations
Startups or ScaleUps who are Committed to a Specific Goal Right Now
What’s
Included?
Business Plan Development
Strategy
Product Design & Development
Operational Plans
Teaching You Business
Ideal Client Refinement
and more!