Cheryl has been in the design world since the days of listservs and HTML hand-coding — and she’s built a business that’s grown right alongside the web itself. What started as a freelance side hustle to stay home with her kids has evolved into WoW! Graphic Designs, a thriving team helping women entrepreneurs bring their brands to life online.
In our conversation, Cheryl shares how she balances creativity and problem-solving, the lessons that transformed her business operations, and why building strong client relationships (and the right team) has been the key to her long-term success.
What kind of work did you do before your current business and what did you bring with you into this career?
Before starting my business, I worked in Public Relations at a hospital. I was originally brought on to plan and promote special events, but when the graphic designer left, I stepped into that role and found my desire to create digitally. I ended up designing ads and marketing materials for the hospital and its doctors—giving me a solid foundation in visual communications and brand messaging.
When my second son was born, I decided I didn’t want to go back to the corporate world. I started helping my husband with his insurance agency and took on freelance design projects on the side. As our kids grew and our lives changed with a move to Virginia and selling the insurance agency, I officially launched my own business—WoW! Graphic Designs. (Fun fact: WoW is MOM upside down which is how I came up with the name!)
Back then, social media was internet bulletin boards and listservs, and websites weren’t the norm (dating myself here!) But clients started asking for them, so I jumped in, taught myself HTML, and discovered the magic of server-side includes (SSI) for headers, footers and sections—the OG Content Management System. Today, we primarily design WordPress websites, and after years of using other platforms like Joomla, WordPress has become our platform of choice.
Thirty years later, I’m still loving the website and design process, especially helping fellow women entrepreneurs bring their vision to life online.
What part of the website creation process is your favorite to work on and why?
I love the development and problem-solving side of things. Finding creative ways to accomplish things that clients want their website to do gives me great satisfaction. I’m not a programmer by trade, but I’ve picked up enough over the years to find workarounds and low-code solutions. I like to say I know just enough about programming to be dangerous!
On the design side, what I really enjoy is seeing how our team’s creative vision comes to life through the build. I realized about eight years ago—when I hired my first team member, Laura—that while I could recognize good design and create nice things, it wasn’t my strongest suit. I eventually made Laura my Creative Director. You have to be smart enough to hire the right people, right?
The quality of our work has grown so much over the years because of our collaboration. The magic happens when her creativity and my technical skills come together to make beautiful functional websites that work for our clients’ businesses.
What motivated you to start your own business, and what keeps you going when things get tough?
Becoming a mom to two boys changed my life. I pretty much INSTANTLY knew I did not want to go back to work at a 9-5 job. The cost of daycare for two kids didn’t make financial sense either. Freelancing became the next obvious step. It gave me the time to be with my sons as they were growing up (and now to be with my grandsons!). The flexibility is worth the struggles and tough times.
I’m especially grateful for Laura. We have an incredible working relationship and tackle challenges as a team. Knowing I don’t have to carry everything alone is a huge comfort and one of the biggest reasons I’m still doing what I love, years later. And doing it better all the time!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten and how has it affected your business?
“Focus on the process.” It’s something I heard from my business coach and encouraged by Laura as well. It has truly changed the way we operate. Laura was instrumental in setting up our onboarding, task templates, SOPs and more. Yes, it’s imperative for teams, but I can see now how much it would have helped me even as a solopreneur and I only wish I had started it sooner!
We have clearly documented workflows, using task templates, videos, and written SOPs. It’s been a game changer, keeping our projects running smoothly, helping the team stay informed, along with giving us more free time. I don’t feel guilty about taking time off knowing that there are processes in place to handle the work as it comes in.
As an entrepreneur, what’s your proudest accomplishment?
It’s hard to choose just one—so I’d say it’s a tie.
First, I’m very proud of the client relationships I’ve built. I’ve had happy, loyal clients for nearly 30 years—some of whom have been with me since the very beginning. That kind of long-term trust means a lot to me and I’m so humbled by it.
Second, I’m proud of how far the business has come. Starting in my basement, working late nights and early mornings as a one-woman show, has grown into an agency with a dedicated office and a team that handles client work, project management, and day-to-day tasks. This evolutions has allowed me to step into more of a leadership role, while having more time to spend doing the things I love OUTSIDE of work, like spending time with family, riding my horses, and practicing and teaching yoga.
What’s a book every agency owner should read?
Story Brand by Donald Miller
What’s your favorite podcast to listen to?
Yin Yoga Podcast by Nyk Danu
What’s a WordPress plugin more people should know about?
What’s your favorite tool, accessory, or gadget on your desk?
What’s your favorite non-WordPress tool or software?
