Join host Misty Doan as she sits down with Vanessa Gertson, the creative force behind Lola Boutique and fabric designer for Moda Fabrics. Vanessa shares her inspiring journey from a divorced mom working until 1 AM to becoming a recognizable name in the quilting industry. Discover how she built her signature style, overcame imposter syndrome, and learned to protect her creative energy while building a sustainable business.
Key Episode Highlights:
- How Vanessa started her fabric design career with just five minutes a day in Photoshop while raising two young kids
- Getting rejected by Moda, then coming back a year later with improved designs that landed her the dream job
- Working from her kids' bedtime until 1 AM as a single mom and learning when to finally say no to opportunities
- Building a signature style without using signature colors - creating recognizable designs while changing palettes every collection
- Her design evolution from hand-drawing and scanning sketches to drawing directly on iPad Pro
- Why she won't write another book right now and how she protects her creative energy from overextension
- Living 45 minutes from Zion National Park and how nature resets inspire her fabric collections
