Madison Newman is the founder and artist behind Found & Forged Design Co. and a self taught brand expert. She build brands that are handcrafted and intentionally created to showcase your businesses values, and unique offerings; building you a tribe of adoring fans, and increasing your profit. Read on to learn more about Madison and her business.
How did you come up with your business concept? What inspired you to start your own business?
One of my passions in life is helping people feel proud of who they are and what they bring to the world. Over the years, I have come to realize my unique talent to really understand what makes something or someone special. As I learned graphic design, I began to understand how this talent could be used to create brands that brought a business's unique values to the forefront of their messaging and visuals. Oftentimes business owners are passionate about certain things in their business, but they don’t always communicate this clearly. I come alongside businesses to help them discover how their passion makes their business unique and I build their brand around that passion. Through hand-crafted visuals and clear messaging, I give my clients the tools to talk about and show their business in a way that feels authentic and comfortable.
Having the opportunity to bring someone’s passion to the forefront of their business gives me more joy than I could ever imagine, and it is why I continue to do what I do.
What’s your background? Could you tell us how each of these disciplines emerge in your work?
Design and creativity have always been a part of my life, but I didn’t start learning graphic design until my mid-20s. I have a BFA in Dance from UNT, and later spent 2 years working for a boutique consulting firm where I traveled around North America helping CEOs and Executives gain clarity on how to run their businesses better.
As an adult, I’ve had a hard time “choosing a career” because I had so many things that I enjoyed doing but never knew how to pursue them as an actual career. Once I fell in love with graphic designing, specifically brand design, all that changed. I’ve found my love for communicating through choreography is a discipline I use when building brands. I climb inside my client’s business and pull out what their dream customer wants to see - communicating their values, differentiators, and products through hand-crafted visuals. My love for clarity, writing, and understanding how a business functions, plays a huge part in the brand strategy and competitor analysis I perform for my clients.
On paper, my background looks scattered and disconnected, but in reality, it has given me the exact skills I need to run my business.
What led you to take Found & Forged Design Co. from an idea to pursuing it as a business?
Honestly, having my son in the middle of a pandemic was the catalyst for starting my business. He was born in September 2020 at the height of the pandemic, and we couldn’t imagine putting him in daycare so I could go back to work. Deep in conversation on the floor of our study, trying to decide what to do after our son was born, my husband suggested I start my own business. I’ll never forget it. He knew I secretly wanted to try; he saw something in me that I was too afraid to speak into existence. He knew how much I loved creating, communicating ideas through design, and helping people through my passion and my gifts. So Madison Newman Design was born offering any and all graphic design services, and later, I rebranded to Found and Forged Design Co, focusing on brand and web design services. I feel really fortunate to be surrounded by my husband, and others, that are so fiercely encouraging. Surrounding yourself with people who will push you and challenge you really will make all the difference.
How did you find your way into the brand design industry?
In my first two years of business, I offered all sorts of graphic design services: logo design, brochures, social media graphics, business card design, t-shirt design, and on and on. Something I didn’t anticipate was how much mental space each project would occupy. I wasn’t charging enough for my services, so in order to be profitable, I had to balance 5-7 projects at a time. Looking back on those first two years, I am grateful for each project; however, I was not able to give them my full attention.
What I truly love(d) is branding and web design, but this meant saying no to one-off graphic design projects so that I could say yes to branding and web design projects. This required a lot of mindset shifting around charging more for my services, saying no to some projects, and putting myself out there as an expert in my field. It was a season of growing and pushing myself, but doing that has allowed me to build a business I truly love and give each client my full attention and creative skills.
What’s your favorite thing about your workspace?
Who I share it with! One of my best friends, Carlie Kuban is a development consultant for non-profits, and I have the honor of sharing an office with her. Being a solopreneur can be really lonely, so I feel so fortunate to share space with someone who experiences a lot of the same struggles and joys that I do: we are both raising young children and are in the first five years of running our business. Having a friend who understands what you do and why you do it is amazing - sharing an office with them is even better!
Do you have a personal and/or professional motto or mantra that you call upon during tough times? What is it and what does it mean to you?
It’s me, I’m the problem. Haha! If I ever wrote a book it would be titled, “How to Stand in Your Own Way”. Almost every struggle, doubt, fear, or hardship of running this business has circled back to me and a mindset I have. I’ve been so fortunate to work with a business coach, Sara Schroeder, who has helped me see how often I am the one standing in my own way. I’m learning to truly take my thoughts captive, and reorient my mind to believe in myself and trust my abilities.
So it may not be a mantra, but I truly try to examine what is creating the struggle, and oftentimes, it’s my own mindset creating a problem that isn’t actually there or is more easily solved than I am choosing to believe.
How do you pick back up on it when perhaps feeling uninspired?
I rest. It is easier said than done, but I have learned to appreciate that my creativity is finite. I cannot pour from an empty cup. Closing my laptop, spending time with my family, or doing something creative that isn’t graphic design, makes me a better designer, mother, and spouse. If I feel drained, I probably am. So, I’ve taken the time to determine what fuels me, and I’ve built my business around that instead of falling into the “hustle” culture. I’m still learning. Some seasons are busier than others, but I try to respect my own boundaries.
What have you gained so far from being a part of the AccelerateHER cohort?
I feel so inspired by the women in my cohort. It is so refreshing to sit at a table with incredibly strong women who are facing the same challenges and fears that I am. This cohort has created a space to be vulnerable with your business and really question what is working and what isn’t. It’s scary to reflect on your business. It’s a piece of you that may or may not be where you’d hoped, but doing that alongside mentors and other cohort members, who want you to succeed, makes the process really life-giving.
Name a woman, past or present, whom you admire or look up to. Why?
I don’t think I can pick just one woman! I am so fortunate to have several women around me who value authenticity, are driven, and embrace who they are as women. It’s inspiring to see them pursuing their dreams, and doing it in a way that lifts other women up.