To take pride in your craft is essential in any successful business. To use your craft to help encourage others to succeed, well, that is the definition of our community. While talking to Showit Design Partner, Katie Durski, owner of Ribbon&Ink, we loved hearing how she uses her art-form to tip her clients towards success. “Whether painting, playing piano, filming a wedding, writing a story, or designing on a computer, I love to create art. I especially love using my art to help people create new beginnings. Anything I can do to help better someone's life is worth doing.”

Katie's diverse background in the arts allows her to customize a wide range of designs to suit her clients' needs. Not having design as her first career probably made her even more successful in relating to different needs and visions of her varied clientele. “My background is actually in marketing and video production. I had a few photographer friends along the way who wanted some design work done and I had always loved graphic design so I took a stab at it and it grew from there!” And just kept growing! Katie has recently re-branded, and launched as Ribbon&Ink.

Along with her new brand is a new mission statement to better define her business goals. “My mission is twofold. I empower creative business owners to reach for their dreams by creating innovative brands that inspire confidence. I also help engaged couples bring their wedding vision to life in the form of personalized wedding branding and print products.” With two seemingly different groups of clients, Katie stays inspired using her well thought out and gorgeous brand boards so no matter if the client is left or right brained, they can see their vision come to life.

With Ribbon&Ink's launch, it's important that Katie balances her work and family. She finds support in her husband, one year old, and “loyal yellow lab.” Raising a family outside Washington D.C. allows Katie to enjoy shopping in Georgetown, catching a flight somewhere fun, and crabbing with her relatives. “I love crabbing on the eastern shore of Maryland in knee high boots in a marsh with chicken necks as bait. My family has a house in Ocean City and I LOVE CRABS!” Though we all have different ways of kicking back, Katie seems to find the niche between listening to her artistic entrepreneurial drive and doing what she loves.

We have a feeling that even when Katie is crabbing, traveling, or playing with her toddler, she is also thinking about how her business can move forward and help others. When asked for advice she would give to someone looking to hire a designer, she didn't hesitate with her answer. “Wait until you are fully ready to invest in a complete re-brand instead of just a site. Often times people do their own logo and hire an awesome designer for their site and they end up with mismatched quality. It will truly be worth it to do it all at once!” Great advice, Katie! We are grateful to have Ribbon&Ink as one of our Showit Design Partners. You can follow along with all the beauty Katie creates through her website, Facebook, or Instagram page.

Cassandra Campbell

Casandra is a born and bred East Coaster who finds herself braving the heat of the Valley of the Sun with her husband and three cute kids all for the love of Showit.