Meet Jayla B | (Graphic & Web) Designer + Brand Strategist

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

Hi Jayla, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
This was something that came ultra natural to me. I’ve immersed myself into the world of design from a very early age, but very organically. I would sit for hours going through every setting and feature on Microsoft Powerpoint (because that was the closest thing to digital design that I had access to), I would spend days (yes…days) designing houses on the Sims computer game, I taught myself how to draw, I started designing and actually making my own clothes and by the time I was in high school, I was editor-in-chief of my yearbook staff. At that point, as I was deciding what I wanted to go to college for was when I decided that a creative career was in my blood and I was going to make it my mission to continue doing what I loved and was amazing at.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I look back at my career, I am so proud to say that I have been fortunate enough to ALWAYS do what I love! From the very start of “work-life” at age 16, I landed my first job at Old Navy. I did plenty there, but found myself wiggling my way into the Staging world of retail. I got to dive into design and see a different, more physical side of design.

In college, I had about 5 different jobs/paid internships that were ALL design related. I worked in my Alma Mater’s Athletic Department for 5 years as a Graphic Designer & Marketing Assistant, got the same role (at the same time) in the Multicultural and Leadership Development Office and worked there for about 3.5 years, worked at a large print warehouse for about a year, designed an entire (PUBLISHED) 80-page children’s book my senior year and I landed a job as…you guessed it–lead designer and print specialist at a smaller print shop once I graduated. Oh, and not to mention, I was a CEO in training with my side hustle.

Every “job” that I have obtained has had SOMETHING to do with the world of design, and I think that years of experience that many others don’t have at my age (25) is pretty impressive. I can say that I’ve been in this industry for a SOLID 10 years.

I think it’s also important to note that I’m 75% self-taught, even though I have a degree in Digital Media Design. It’s kind of easy for me to say that yes…it’s been pretty easy to get to where I am, but I follow that up with the statement, “I love what I do, so it never feels hard”. When I think about the countless hours, days, years, criticism, YouTube videos, support from friends, and everything else that has gotten me here, no. It has not been easy. It’s taken a lot of hard work and determination to continue doing what I love and being the best at it.

Along this life-long journey, I’ve learned to just take the leap! The ULTRAVSN story starts about 6 years ago with graphic design. With over 5+ years of experience in the industry, those are the roots we pay our respect to. We started small, focusing on graphic design–even more specifically, brand identity design–where we noticed that our clients were utilizing our logo identity services and thinking they had a complete brand on their hands. For us, we knew that wasn’t the case.

A brand is so much more than a logo. So when we would ask our clients questions about their brand’s mission, vision, purpose, values, and audience….we heard crickets. It was then that a Visionary Brand was born. We knew that we couldn’t continue serving clients and allowing them to have the wrong idea about what a brand is. A Visionary Brand captures all aspects of branding from your brand strategy all the way to your brand’s visual identity. A Visionary Brand is built with intention and longevity in mind, and that’s where our story continues.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am from Tampa and currently reside in Tampa, so here are a few places I would take my bestie:

ARMATURE WORKS
So fun! It’s along the Riverwalk which is in Downtown Tampa. They have great food and entertainment, ALWAYS!

SCOOTER RIDES
You’ll find scooters downtown, too. They’re ultra fun to ride on with friends.

GREEN LEMON
If you want Mexican food, head here.

BAR TACO
Another GREAT taco spot.

ENJOY YA SELFIE
This is a selfie museum that has plenty rooms for you to take IG worthy photos.

BUSCH GARDENS
Cliche, but fun! I would recommend going on a weekday if you can to avoid large crowds.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
While there are quite a few people that have been in my corner supporting me to the fullest extent, I cannot say that I would be here without the help of my great friend, Thieldens–AKA, T. He was also our student body president at the time, so he was always about conversing with students and making a difference where he could. I can’t even remember how I truly met him, but he has been ULTRA important in my growth and success.

He encouraged me to get involved with the student organizations on campus and start working (designing) for them. There were tons of programs and events, so flyers were ALWAYS needed. I was able to constantly excel with my skillset and experience.

Once he saw that I was getting business, he encouraged me to start pricing my work. I steadily built what I could in college and kept it as something that was my side hustle until the pandemic started. Even before the pandemic, T encouraged me to do more with my business, so when the pandemic hit….ULTRAVSN was born and since then, T has been one of the steadiest, most loyal, most supporting people in my corner! I can’t thank him enough.

Website: https://www.ultravsn.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ultra.vsn

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

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