Jayme Markus is the founder and lead designer of Pageless Studio, a Chicago, Illinois-based company that provides digital and print layout design to education industry establishments ranging from public to non-profit institutions. Markus’ design is founded on the belief that design is the intermediary between information and understanding. Since 2018, Markus has helped clients such as the Tribeca Film Institute, Rock the Vote, and UNC-Chapel Hill designs that humanize and inform.
For more details about Pageless Studio, visit their website here.
Here we sit down with Jayme Markus, to know a bit more about her journey as a female entrepreneur.
Q. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR?
Jayme: To be honest, this journey came about unexpectedly for me. I had been working for a nonprofit for a few years, and then they decided to restructure and move from having creative be in-house to out-of-house. Now, this is not uncommon in the nonprofit world, but it was a surprise to me nonetheless. As I was applying for jobs, a few freelance projects trickled in and after a while, I thought, “Applying for jobs is exhausting. Should I try this out on my own for real?” After a lot of research, I looked out my kitchen window one morning and said a little prayer. “God, if I should freelance, can you have a bluejay bird land on my fire escape?” And low-and-behold, one did! Now, I don’t recommend praying in “if this, then that” ways, but it’s a true story.
Q. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?
Jayme: It started by emailing everyone I knew to tell them I was available to help them with their design needs. As projects trickled in, I got more and more organized. I started to learn what felt like my “thrive-zone”, and direct my yes’ and no’s to funnel those projects. The admin side of things was a lot of learning on the go. From taxes to invoicing, to opening business bank accounts – you eventually get a system in place, and ideally improve it as you go.
Q. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST STARTUP CHALLENGE? WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO OVERCOME IT? WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
Jayme: The biggest startup challenge for me was learning how to stagger project payments so that it did not feel like a “feast or famine” all the time. To overcome this, I started following other design solopreneurs that shared business advice. They taught me that asking for a 25% initial deposit is very common (and important), as well as creating an invoice schedule of monthly payments will help you tenfold.
Q. WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE THING YOU’VE DONE SINCE YOU STARTED YOUR BUSINESS?
Jayme: One of the most memorable opportunities since starting my business was designing a state-wide curriculum for middle school and high school teachers to teach their students about the warning signs of sex trafficking. Getting to play a small part in educating youth in this way, was such an honor.
Q. WHAT IS ONE BOOK YOU RECOMMEND, AND WHY?
Jayme: 100%, I recommend the Diving Bell and the Butterfly, by Jean-Dominique Bauby. It is a true story and will have you at grips with the gift and fragility of life. It is a book that reminds me to keep things in perspective, to *feel* life to the full, and not let work overshadow family, friends, and hobbies.
Q. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3 FAVOURITE ONLINE APPS, TOOLS OR RESOURCES AND WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THEM?
Jayme: A new app discovery that I love is called Personal Capital. It is a powerful financial forecasting tool that is free to use. Another tool is a video conferencing alternative to Zoom, called Whereby.com. It’s free and much more visually pleasing to use! Clients always comment about it. Lastly, a resource I recommend is the Words of Mouth e-newsletter. It shares job postings and other opportunities from companies that are creating a “net positive” impact in the world. Highly recommend, to see what open doors are out there!
Q. IN TERMS OF LEGACY, WHAT IS THE MARK YOU’D LIKE TO LEAVE ON THE WORLD?
Jayme: Great question. In terms of legacy, I’d like my work to make a strong impact at improving the quality of refugee educational materials. For it to encourage the joy of learning, expand representation of minorities, and language accessibility.
Q. IN ONE SENTENCE, WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO SOMEONE JUST STARTING OUT ON THEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY?
Jayme: Get free business mentorship coaching with the Small Business Association with this link, and ask all the questions!
To keep up to date with Jayme Markus and her journey, connect with her on Instagram.
