[DPA Interview] Reaching Freedom Through Online Business with Digital Designer LayTonia Bailey
Successful business owner, LayTonia Bailey, is our spotlight of today. She went from struggling with difficult-to-use platforms and programs to enrolling in the Digital Planner Academy® and achieving her business goals.
LayTonia is growing her brand, the Be Fab Collection, and she’s even considering starting a custom design service in the near future. The road to success began with the Digital Planner Academy® though, and in this article we’ll be reviewing her experience with the program, what led her to enroll, and how her life has changed since. Let’s take a look!
Could you just tell us the name of your business and provide some background of why you started your business?
“My name is LayTonia Bailey. The name of the company and the brand is the Be Fab Collection and we are a premium digital stationery boutique that creates lifestyle digital planning essentials for the Hot Octane Woman”
LayTonia began her journey with a love for what she designs, as do most successful business owners. As a planner by nature, she loves stationary and notebooks that allow her to organize her schedule and goals. LayTonia was originally on the path to creating a course and physical product as a fitness strategist, but she ended up going digital (a smart move if you ask us). It took off and now LayTonia is running a successful digital planner business!
PRO TIP!
If you can’t decide between creating a physical or digital product, now’s the time to go digital. With the rise in online business and the efficiency that technology can provide, it’s an easier way to create revenue. If you’re not sure where to begin in creating a digital product, we walk you through each step within our Digital Planner Academy®.
Could you tell us a little bit more about your niche that you create planners for?
“My niche is someone who is not necessarily learning how to plan. They are actually naturally already planning. They’re not necessarily learning how to sit down and write out the visions and write their goals. They’re already goal oriented.”
LayTonia creates planners for a niche she calls “The Octane Woman”, a term coined by LayTonia herself. It encompasses women within all roles, including athletes, executives, business women, mothers, and wives. The connecting thread is that they’re already planners. They’re simply looking for a place to organize their plans. She offers both planners, which provide a template, and notebooks, which leave the organization up to the user through a blank canvas.
How have you crafted your digital stationery products to suit your ideal customer?
“I craft my products around the products being purposeful. I build it off of three pillars- them being essential, efficient, and effective.”
As part of her business strategy, LayTonia focuses on creating valuable content that keeps her customers coming back. Not only does she design the planners with beneficial features that increase productivity and organization, such as quotes and dotted pages, but she also keeps aesthetics in mind. Who wouldn’t want to use a cute, colorful planner? LayTonia has released three color versions with different designs within.
DON’T FORGET!
Combining usability with visual appeal is perfect for adding value to your digital product. Throughout Digital Planner Academy®, you can learn first-hand how to create high-quality planners that stand out. Don’t know how to design? No worries! The Academy makes it easy through guided steps and advice from professionals.
How did you find the Digital Planner Academy®?
“I found Shay and the Digital Planner Academy® because I wanted to use something simple like Keynote to be able to produce the products.”
In the video interview, LayTonia talks about her discovery of a different program and how they taught through Adobe Creative Cloud. She was looking for something more simplified, which led her to find Shay and the Digital Planner Academy. LayTonia says that the program helped connect all the dots to be able to use Keynotes and Affinity Publisher. She loves how the program is laid out in bite size pieces that don’t feel overwhelming.
What were your challenges that you were able to overcome thanks to the program?
“I’m the type of person that I'll work through it until I can figure it out. But when you have a program that really walks you through step by step of how to do it, it helps collapse time.”
It’s easy to see, but LayTonia is definitely a “go-getter”. She had already done a handful of work before coming upon the modules, but the Digital Planner Academy confirmed what she was doing right and gave advice on where she could improve. The biggest milestone was that it helped LayTonia simplify the design process in Keynote. She also points out that the program guided her step-by-step and ultimately saved time that would’ve been spent figuring out the platform.
KEEP IN MIND!
It’s still possible to learn the design platforms and navigate business on your own, but stepping into a community of professionals and other designers and business owners can teach more than solo work will. The Digital Planner Academy has strengthened LayTonia’s skills and brought her business to a new level.
What have been some inspiring moments in your journey of running your own business?
“I love the ability of being able to literally work from anywhere and that I'm not bound by a location.”
Most freelancers and business owners share the same love of freedom from their jobs. And it makes sense! Having freedom to work when and where you want opens up more possibilities and allows for balance in life. LayTonia loves watching her son practice sports, which is made possible through her flexible job. She says in the video interview that she isn’t bound by location or time, which is the beauty of online business.
Do you have any advice for somebody else starting out?
“You're gonna learn as you go and it’s important to understand that you really can't eat the whole cake in one bite.”
LayTonia says that the beautiful thing about Shay’s program is that it takes you step-by-step and it’s something that she loves. She reminds other business owners that it does take some legwork and it’s important to not get frustrated with the technical aspect of designing. At the beginning you may not understand or know where to begin, but that’s where the Academy helps. The pieces will all come together by the end, which is rewarding.
PRO TIP!
Learning a new skill can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to stick with it until the end. Utilizing professional resources and following along with guided steps can make the process so much easier, though. That’s why we offer the Digital Planner Academy® to make the learning process faster and easier.
Join LayTonia on her journey!
Don’t miss out on what LayTonia is doing with the Be Fab Collection. You can show her some support by connecting on social media and exploring her shop!
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thebefabcollection/_created/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz8pwQ-Zj-ZE4dl-mQuPCPg
Website: https://thebefabcollection.com/
Listing on Digital Planner Creatives Directory
LayTonia’s achievement has come through hard work, passion, and a desire to learn. She’s one of our star students from the Digital Planner Academy, which is designed to help entrepreneurs like you and her develop skills in digital design and building a business. You’ll have the opportunity to connect with like-minded people while being guided by professionals. The academy also offers tools and resources that will enhance your learning and end results.
If you’re ready to put in the hard work and effort to reach success, the Digital Planner Academy® is waiting for you!
Design a life you love with Digital Planner Academy®
The Digital Planner Academy® Course is designed to be straightforward and easy-to-follow, no matter your skill level. Whether you have years of design experience or you’ve never picked up a stylus, the course will provide valuable information that will increase your skills and efficiency, putting you on the path to selling high-quality digital products.
