Meet Erika Bradford | Senior Executive Brand Developer

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

Hi Erika, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I come a family of women entrepreneurs, so it naturally came to me that I was going to start my own business one day. Always being motivated and inspired around the support of women, family, friends and colleagues; I always had a natural knack for design. My humble beginnings led me down this career path. My church was always in need of flyers to pass out to the neighborhood for our local food drives, community events, and various conferences and banquets. I was the go-to person to create the designs, print them and I didn’t even mind passing them out door to door. I was truly involved in the process from beginning to end. So then when it came to decide what I wanted to pursue in college, I choose fashion and graphic as my focus. The skillset I learned from school, plus the natural abilities I have for design, along with a community of individuals who were ready and willing to support me….it became very evident to me that I wanted to start my own business do this for a living. And since 2013, I have been blessed to help assist over 300 brands all across the east coast (just broke ground in the west coast). At my core, what keeps me going is that I have an undying passion to think, plan and apply discipline into all that I do. My clients see that I stand firm on integrity, honest and moral principles which is rare to find in the world we live in today so I plan to continue to build my brand worldwide so all may see the beauty and innocence of working with a professional design firm.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What excites me about my growing brand, is that I’ve remained integral, honest, professional and created beautiful designs over a whole decade and a half. Even though I believe in the power of paid-ads and social media, by business has grown primarily through word of mouth – which I still believe to be the best form of advertising. Has it been easy getting here? Heck no! Nothing ever is! The thing I wish to share most about me and my brand is that I studied seven years at a private college to receive a BFA in Graphic Design. Due to a lack of finances, I ran out of money and aid to complete my education – therefore never receiving my degree. For awhile, I use to think I wasn’t worth enough to work for large corporations or big brands all because I felt a piece of paper was suppose to validate my worth. But once I realized I am more than enough, and my experience and skillset far more weigh a degree, I began to work even harder building my own brand like never before. And here I am 15+ years as a professional designer doing everything I would have been doing even if I had a degree. It really is possible to pivot, and still live your dream!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Philadelphia is a big city full of history and food! Coming to Philly to visit? We will spend half the week just restaurant hopping in the city! I love sushi, so I would take you to TOMO on 2nd & Arch St. It small and quaint, but the food is fresh and delicious. Looking for a Philly cheesesteak? Dalessandro’s is my favorite place, hands down. Looking for BBQ? It’s a small spot that can be easily missed, but Deke’s on Ridge Ave. is the place to go. Want to get out the city? King of Prussia Mall is like a world within itself! A great place to shop at 500+ stores and dine. Or you can take a ride out to Lancaster county to go visit the Amish. For a good home-cooked meal, Good and Plenty has always been a favorite for me and the family.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh boy! I’m often scared to give recognition in case I fail to mention someones name. So to start, I have to thank God who without Him I wouldn’t be here, He is my life’s source. My mother Alfreda and late father David, who unconditionally and continuously pours into me even as an adult. My grandmother, Evelyn…she the matriach, she’s the true gem of the family. My sisters, and other strong women who I am proud to call family and colleagues. And to the ever-growing friendship of my community and village…you know who you are and I thank you for pouring into me even when you didn’t know it.

Website: www.kipdesignfirm.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/kipdesignfirm/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-bradford-809abb16a/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kipdesignfirm/