From side hustle to Nevada’s Young Entrepreneur of The Year

For as long as I can remember, entrepreneurship has been in my blood. From babysitting to selling homemade jewelry, I was a Jane of all trades growing up. I even created a logo and business card for my babysitting business in high school. As a graphic designer and now owner of my own business, the hustle never ends, and I love it that way.

So how did I get here? It all started at UNR and my internship with the Nevada Small Business Development Center. The people I met and the resources I found then, still serve me to this day. From participating in group projects, to leadership opportunities in the Reynolds School of Journalism, my experience at the university was invaluable.

One thing I learned early on was to believe in myself. You truly can’t take action on any idea until you have the confidence to make it a reality. My current company didn’t even have a name to it when I applied for my business license, but I knew I couldn’t fail.

I worked a full-time job while running my then-side gig, taking on projects seven days a week and sacrificing a lot of time with friends and family to build my dream business. I’m proud to say it all paid off because I never gave up on myself.

Also, never be afraid to put yourself out there. I used to eat lunch every week at a small restaurant up the street from my office. I remember thinking, “how cool would it be to land this place as a client someday?”

I quickly made friends with the owners and eventually signed them on for a website deal! Five years later, they opened a second shop and asked me to run their social media accounts, design their weekly specials, menus and graphics... all because I went for it! You never know when you’re going to find your next client or business opportunity.

My last piece of advice, NEVER give up. Learn to fail fast and avoid the same mistakes in the future. If you have a hope and dream you believe, don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Stay consistent and trust the process of building your brand and business. Success takes time to achieve, remember the work you put in each day is the groundwork for your business. Just keep going.

Sadie Fienberg is a local designer, food blogger, podcaster and owner of Butterfly Creative Projects. She is also the face behind a popular local food blog, Snack on that @snackonthat, and University of Nevada Reno Reynolds School of Journalism alum.