Meet Jasmin Sturla | Apparel / Accessory Designer, Artist, and Creative Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jasmin Sturla and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jasmin, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Work life balance? What’s that? No, I’m totally kidding. The thing about doing what you love is that work can very easily creep into your personal and social time if you’re having fun doing it. I have always had a strong work ethic, even before starting my own design business, so I was used to working above and beyond the typical working schedule. Now that I am the sole person responsible for making an income and providing a service to others, I am thinking about the next thing on my list constantly and how I can improve. I always say though, I can’t pour from an empty cup. I can’t service others (or myself!) without taking time away from my work. So I always carve out time every day for exercise – that keeps me sane. Although I find myself working on weekends quite frequently, I will say I do set aside days to reset. It’s necessary to avoid burn out! Everything is about balance in life. Sometimes I find that my personal time is spent painting, or doing something creative still – which I find benefits my work as well!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I jumped right into designing after graduating college in apparel product design. I was designing for some very well known licensed brands! Working is a huge adjustment coming out of college where the classes are more sporadic in your schedule and less routine. Nothing comes easy – you have to work hard! When I wasn’t working insane 12 hour days right out of college, I was working out and trying to fit in my passion projects like sewing and painting. That continued for a while throughout my career – I really paid my dues and definitely experienced a lot of burn out. That’s when you have to reevaluate to create more of a balance in your work and personal life. That is a tough lesson to learn when you’re just trying to continuously learn, evolve, and be as well-rounded as you can be in your career.

There is no success without failure. Your mistakes will make you who you are and you will learn from them. I continue to stay excited about my career and my business because I have always loved learning and challenging myself. Designing is all about being creative and analytical – solving a problem for a consumer or retailer. It makes me feel so happy when I have helped solve some white space in the market, or when one of my designs helps a consumer or makes them feel good.

Sturla Studios was something I had been thinking about for a while, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to finally bring it to life. A one stop shop for multi-faceted design – you need a logo, branding identity, and business cards? You got it. You also need someone who thinks about color stories and evolving trends to create merchandise and designs for your business? We can do that too. Are you needing someone with a merchandising background as well to help layout your fixture of designs and also design your packaging artwork? Sturla Studios offers that AND MORE! Keep growing and make yourself as well rounded as possible! Pursue beyond your passions and continue to learn.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Here are my favorite places to take visitors in the triangle area: – Lime & Lemon in downtown Raleigh for the best Indian food
– Morgan Street Food Hall while day bar hopping in downtown Raleigh
– Stopping by Boxcar Barcade and Flying Saucer for some drinks and games
– Duke Gardens and Chapel Hill area for some beautiful foliage and a visit to a quaint town
– If we have time and depending on the time of year, I always like to take guests to Wilmington – Carolina beach area
– I love seeing the exhibits and walking around the NCMA
– Bull City Cider in Durham is also a great cider brewery where I take my visitors

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I had so many mentors throughout my career that I would love to recognize. Song Anh Nguyen was a friend and boss to me at the start of my career and always believed in me and pushed me to grow. Jen Schreiber was an incredible mentor and boss I had at my previous employer. The ability to see the big picture and learn the ins and outs of merchandising in correlation to design was invaluable. She constantly pushed me to higher standards and to evolve my ideas!

Some women who I also hold close to my heart and have given me invaluable advice and support are the gym owners and trainers at the gym I attend almost daily. Stacey Smith and Tanya Bange have given me business advice and have truly been some of the most supportive people in my life in the past few years. They are both some of the strongest women I know.

Of course my family and partner have been huge advocates for me throughout my career and I have them to thank for the continual support and love that helped throughout the ups and downs of my business. They have believed in me and given me strength through everything!

Website: https://jasminsturla.myportfolio.com/

Instagram: instagram.com/SturlaStudios

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasminsturla/

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/SturlaStudios/

Image Credits
Michael Betzner Photography (main portrait image) Balega International