This story is part of our 1,000 + stories campaign. What’s your story?

Name: Lidia Varesco Racoma

Business: Lidia Varesco Design

Location: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Industry: Professional Services 

Reason for starting? I started my branding and marketing design studio Lidia Varesco Design in 2000 to help education-focused clients make an impact in the community—and the world. I work with organizations such as nonprofits, associations and fellow entrepreneurs. Being a mom of two, I’m also passionate about supporting fellow moms in business. Earlier this year, I launched an online community called Biz Mama where moms can share their stories, inspire fellow moms and make connections.

Related: Read about another marketing entrepreneur here. 

How do you define success? Success is when a client calls, saying how thrilled they are with the finished product.

Biggest success: My biggest success has been running my graphic design studio for over 15 years. When I started out, I gave myself 6 months to make it work. That turned into a year. Next thing you know, I was celebrating my 10th business anniversary. In November of 2016, it will be 16 years.

What is your top challenge and how you have addressed it? My top challenge has been juggling work and family. With two kiddos, I can’t work as many hours as I used to. I also decided that weekends are “sacred” family time so I have to maximize my available work hours. I try to avoid distractions (web surfing, social media) while I’m working on client projects and dedicate certain days of the week to specific business marketing tasks. I do sometimes work or catch up on social media when the kids are in bed.

Having children has made me take my family life into consideration when making decisions about how much work to take on and how many hours I work per week. I have intentionally created a flexible working schedule that works both for my clients and myself/my family.

Related: Work-Life Balance as Entrepreneurial Inspiration

Who is your most important role model? My dad—who is also self-employed—has always been my business role model and mentor. He’s taught me to follow my dreams, take calculated risks and to always be honest and generous.

[box_light]Website   www.lsvdesign.com
Twitter   www.twitter.com/lsvdesign
Facebook   www.facebook.com/lsvdesign
Instagram   www.instagram.com/lsvdesign
Pinterest   www.pinterest.com/lsvdesign
Other   blog.lsvdesign.com[/box_light]

Tell us your story!
Read about another entrepreneur here.

Edited by The Story Exchange