Check Out Latreash Mccurdy’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Latreash Mccurdy

Hi Latreash, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I wish I could say I have always known my life would take a creative path. While my mind has always been full of creativity and I loved to explore many aspects of art, from painting, pastels and comics, I also grew up in a lifestyle where college seemed like something out of reach.

I became a young mother in my senior year of High School, and a drive opened in me. I knew my path was art, I just didn’t know how to get there and how I could make it a career. So, I applied to Indiana University, of Fort Wayne and was accepted. A few months into college, I took a computer design class and fell in love. I heard professors talking about their work appearing in ads, billboards, and magazines and I thought – that’s what I want to do! At that time, I had no idea how many directions graphic design could take me.

I worked in newspapers, corporate America, international companies, and traveled the world. Then in 2014, I officially started my own Graphic Design business, Latreash Designs which I would do part-time while going back to college. In 2020 I took that leap and let go of the comfort of a full-time corporate America job to focus on being a full-time business owner and designer. My focus now is on branding, websites and graphic design to support business in all industries.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My road has had potholes, lay-offs and furloughs along the way. I started my career in 2001, working in newspapers as a designer and creative director. In 2006, I headed to NYC, as a single mom and with no job offer in sight. It took 5 months of competitive interviews before I landed a job. A couple years later the recession hit, and I was laid off, finding myself in a city overrun with laid off designers.

I went back to college, at FIT NYC for advertising and marketing. And since I was unemployed, I started to freelance and soon after established my business Latreash Designs. Freelance is never a steady income and can be scary, especially when raising a teen. So, I also had to get out of my comfort zone. I needed to learn to be a salesperson, a marketer, an accountant, to network and put myself out there. I did this for 3 years before I started a full-time job as a designer in corporate America again. I worked this new Job for 9yrs while running my business part-time on the side. I was too afraid let go of the comfort of steady income and benefits. But I also wanted to get back into being a business owner, expend my design portfolio and leave NYC.

When Covid hit and I was furloughed, it was like the universe was handing me a one-way ticket to my next success story. So of course, I took it and have been running my design business full-time since.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Latreash Designs specializes in creating branding, self-manageable websites and graphic design for businesses in all industries.

Some things that set me apart is that I have over 24 years of experience in the design world and navigated the shift from print to digital. I have studied color psychology, typography, sociology and design layout, which helps me read the minds of my clients and really be able to get their ideas into their brand or designs.
I am passionate about seeing small businesses succeed.

I also love to sew and illustrate children’s art. I have illustrated 2 books so far for a retired NYU professor and continue to expand my creative path.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I guess I could say the ‘bad luck’ of being laid off from companies pushed me to start my own business. But mostly it’s determination, continuing to educate myself, staying up with the changes in the design world and stepping out of my comfort zone is really what’s kept me successful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.latreash.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latreash_designs
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LatreashDesigns