Luciana Diehl
Circle: Tell us about Luciana Diehl Design.
Luciana: I created Luciana Diehl Design to work with small businesses and entrepreneurs by understanding their business, their needs, and the challenges that they face. My mission is to help my clients establish their brand and online presence and grow their businesses from an anchor of efficient, consistent, and beautiful designs that engage and elevate the user’s experience.
C: When did you begin building websites on Squarespace?
L: A few years ago, I had an opportunity to share a co-working space with a group of creative freelancers while living and working full-time in Asheville, NC. There, I met a graphic designer who used Squarespace for website design. Up to that point, I had played around with Squarespace a little, but I always thought of it as more of a DIY platform for folks who just needed a quick portfolio.
Later, when I quit my full-time job and started freelancing, I wanted to revamp my portfolio and decided to dive into Squarespace. That’s when I realized Squarespace was a real game-changer! It empowered me to incorporate my design skills and my experience in development in a refreshingly fun way.
C: How did you first get involved with Squarespace and Circle?
L: I began by offering to build or rebuild a number of my friends’ websites, which enabled me to join Squarespace Circle. The collaboration and support from this awesome community allow me the opportunity to learn from other creative professionals and to grow my own business by doing what I actually enjoy doing—what a gift!
C: Why do you use Squarespace over some other platforms?
L: I’ve worked with other platforms, which I enjoyed, but it always took a long time to customize websites so that they would look exactly how I wanted them to look. Squarespace, however, offers the best of both worlds—it’s customizable and approachable so clients with limited experience can still update and maintain their own websites after the project is complete.
“I’ve finally been able to achieve a real sense of work-life balance for the first time in my life. ”
C: How have you grown your business?
L: My business grew organically via word-of-mouth recommendations about my work from friends who were small-business owners and entrepreneurs across a wide variety of industries. Many of these business owners were so involved with the day-to-day needs of their companies that they simply didn’t have the time or know-how to devote to maintaining a strong online brand presence, even though they knew would certainly benefit their bottom line. Being a resource for them was invaluable. And because so many small-business owners are members of other business networks, they were happy to share with colleagues about how my services helped them to increase their exposure and customer base.
C: How has the Circle program helped?
L: I definitely benefit from the Circle Forum! I find so many helpful discussions that have saved me hours of work. Anyone who freelances knows how crucial it is to optimize time, and the Circle Forum can be a real time saver!
Becoming part of the Circle program at Squarespace gave me the opportunity to work remotely, not only to visit different places and experience new cultures, but also to spend time with my family, which is essential to me, since we don't all live in the same country. I’ve finally been able to achieve a real sense of work-life balance for the first time in my life.
C: What do your family and friends think of the business you’ve built?
L: They were a little skeptical at first, but they were very supportive and encouraging! I’ve always worked the typical 9-to-5 gig and never really thought of myself as an entrepreneur. So I understood why they were a little concerned—I was, too—when I took the risk, quit my “safety-net” job and started freelancing. The transition from receiving a steady income to not knowing exactly when my next payment would come was challenging, but it’s been an amazing learning journey, and seeing myself grow as a solo business owner continues to be its own reward!
C: What work are you most proud of?
L: I am very proud of the work where I was able to collaborate with my clients at the beginning phases of their business development, engaging in those early conversations when I can help them visualize their business as an evolving brand. I beam with a sense of accomplishment when I can support a client’s vision by bringing it to life in a powerful and beautiful way.
Special thanks to Luciana for sharing her story.
Find out more about Luciana’s work on her website.
