@dtlkatrina is a member of our newly formed women in business group, togetHER, and has been in the Seller Community since 2016. As someone who runs her business from home, she enjoys connecting with others here.

Tell us about your business!

I'm a graphic designer and brand strategist in Southern Maryland. I'm also working on starting to sell original artworks.

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

I'd say that the best business advice I've received is not to compare myself with others. It can be discouraging at times to put in effort and feel like it was for nothing - that what is happening for others should be happening for you. But there is so much that I don't know about someone else's journey, so it helps to have faith in what I'm doing and be patient with the outcome.

How do you stay relevant in your industry and community?

I've learned that the key to staying relevant is two-fold: Learning and sharing. Nothing remains the same and nothing is sustainable in a vacuum. To better serve my customers, I'm always learning and observing what's trending in design and branding. I test a few of these things out on my own and then add that to the framework that I use. I'm learning to share more with my industry through blogging and participating in discussions wherever possible. In my community, it's all about sharing. To keep a balance in my life, I try to limit talking about when I'm not among peers. I enjoy focusing on helping those who need it and contributing where I can. My current volunteer project is delivering food to the elderly and homebound through Meals on Wheels.

When did you start using Square?

I began using Square around 2014, I believe. I found their invoicing and payments more direct than other services I had used. I liked the online store feature, as well. I'm not a Square Pro User by any means. I love the platform and enjoy the new features that are being implemented.

Any tips?

If I could go back in time to the first day I started in business I would tell myself, "Be patient and don't quit." Admittedly, there have been times in this journey where I've stopped creating and sharing content because the discouragement was so overwhelming. Self-doubt really got the best of me. But as I look back over those moments and speak with other business owners, I see how common it is. The main thing is to not give up and quit when I feel like things aren't going the way I think they should.