Why the Fox?

I’ll warn you, this rant is not for the weary, but I promise it’ll be worth your time. Creating a business is a little scary. Initially, it all begins with an idea. The way this idea is shared with the world is a different story, because it’s your story. It’s your idea. Welcome to my story. Here is how Greenway Made came to be and some generous tips from the mind of Liz.

1. What is your business?

Find your passion and dissect it. Do you want to take your hobby and make it into something more? Is your passion to help others succeed? Are you working full time and only sharing a quarter of your passion with the world? Hear that? You are brainstorming and thinking out of your ‘comfort brain’. You’re meant to do more. Excited? You’re on the right track. This process reminds me of college, when you take pre-requisites to find what you wanted to major in. You paint, write, throw in some golf electives, and boom, you know your major (or so you’ve told your parents). We’ve all been there. I know what I’m passionate about and, you know what, it took a long, ass time. (My mom would say 10 years is nothing.)

2. Believe in yourself. Stand out.

What if I’m not the best? What if someone else is already doing something similar? BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. It’s your passion, so put in the work and believe in what you’re working on achieving. Even if it means watching endless hours of YouTube and asking questions.

“I’m just a graphic designer.” — Liz, circa 2017

This is the mindset that puts you in a box behind everyone else. I’m guilty of it. I’ve seen the creativity in this area, and granted, there are individuals that are exceeding my skillset. I’ve altered my mindset and I made time to research and use my competition as inspiration. How do you grow if you’re always the best? Originally known as Liz Patton Creative, my brand was “meh” and “cliche”. It didn’t feel or sound like me. I designed a little of everything. Things I liked, things I loved, and things I loathed. If there was anything that came from this pandemic, it was embracing my true self. Also, it helped after I got engaged to the man of my dreams, said ‘yes’, and told him I was taking his name for my new branding business. Lights on — presenting Greenway Made, here for your branding needs!

3. Why the fox?

I would never go back to high school, but my English teacher forced me to write and learn grammar. (Thanks, Ms. Weismann!) Honestly, I wanted to write a book immediately after graduation. But who writes a book in the summer? Cue “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and worrying about boys all summer. Then came college, where I learned what I enjoy doing now, which led me to what I love doing today. Greenway Made has allowed me to embrace what I love, and share it with the world by helping local businesses. But, why the fox? To me, the fox represents opportunity and playfulness. My work is unlike what you would find in the Black Hills. The brands I work with want to stand out and leave the average, expected designs behind. The fox represents curiosity and awareness. Being curious and aware of the world and its trends will keep you ahead of the competition and looking the best.

Find your passion — and contact me to bring your brand to life! Or if you even want to drop a note about how your business came to be!

Cheers,

x — LG