Venessa Homewood

Honestly, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have such a strong support system. My family—especially my husband and my parents—have been there for me every step of the way. Starting a business is so much harder without that kind of support around you.

In particular, my husband has been my biggest cheerleader and constant source of encouragement. I can’t imagine trying to build something like this without him by my side, it would feel almost impossible going uphill alone. Having that unwavering support from the people closest to me has truly played a huge role in my success.

I think the best advice I’ve received is that you’re allowed to evolve. You don’t have to be the same person you were five or ten years ago, and you’re not required to stick to one path forever.

For a long time, I believed that once you landed a job, that was it. I’d even catch myself thinking, “I guess I’m retiring here.” I didn’t realize that it’s okay to step outside of that comfort zone and challenge yourself to do something bigger and better.

I’d say you’re allowed to chase your ambitions while also cherishing your family. I think a lot of women feel like those two things can’t coexist, but they absolutely can. I’ve experienced it myself—I’ve lived it. It’s not easy, but it is possible.

One of my biggest challenges right now is working with AI-generated designs. When customers come to me saying they already have a design, nine times out of ten it’s something created with AI.

Before AI, designs typically came from graphic artists who understood how to create files with the right size, quality, and formatting for print. Now, we’re seeing a lot of overly detailed AI-generated images with heavy shading, gradients, and effects that simply don’t translate well onto physical products.

Customers often assume that because something looks good digitally, it will look great on anything—but that’s not always the case. I find myself having to walk them through the limitations, explaining that a design might work on one item but not on something small like a pen, or that enlarging it for something like a flag could result in a loss of quality.

In many cases, we have to take those designs and have them remastered by a professional graphic artist on our end, which takes additional time—even though the customer feels like they already have a finished design.

As I continue to scale and grow, another challenge is simply managing the volume of work from start to finish. I’m actively working on improving processes, incorporating AI where it makes sense, and expanding my team. It’s definitely a challenge—but it’s a good problem to have.

Honesty and integrity are the most important values to me, both in my work and in my personal life. I believe they are the foundation of everything, how you build relationships, how you make decisions, and how you earn trust over time.

In business, honesty means being transparent with clients, even when the conversations are difficult. It is about setting realistic expectations, owning mistakes, and doing what you say you are going to do. Integrity goes a step further. It is about doing the right thing even when no one is watching. That might mean turning down opportunities that do not align with my standards or making choices that prioritize long term trust over short term gain.

In my personal life, those same values guide how I show up for the people around me. I want to be someone others can rely on, someone who is genuine, consistent, and true to their word. To me, success is not just about growth or achievement, it is about building a life and a business rooted in trust, respect, and authenticity.