Build things. Build people.

When I started at AlphaGraphics, I was the only graphic designer supporting three locations. There was always plenty of work, and as the company began acquiring and opening more locations, I knew our approach wasn't going to scale.

There was another problem, too. Taking time off was difficult because I knew I'd come back to a growing pile of work. The entire design process depended too heavily on one person.

While presenting a marketing plan to the owner, I proposed a different way to structure design. Instead of having each location manage its own design needs, I suggested creating a centralized team that could serve every location.

It made sense financially because the cost of the designers could be shared across locations. It also created some important advantages: work could keep moving when someone was out, designers could collaborate and learn from one another, and team members would have more opportunities to develop their skills and build their portfolios.

Most importantly, we would have a structure that could grow with the company.

Over time, the company grew from three locations to 17, and the design team grew with it.

But building the team also required me to change.

For a couple of years, I continued doing design work alongside my leadership responsibilities. Eventually, one of my leaders helped me recognize that if I wanted to grow as a leader, I needed to let go of the day-to-day design work and give my team room to take ownership.

That wasn't easy. I enjoyed designing, and stepping away meant learning to trust others to do work I had once done myself.

I had to become more intentional about mentoring, sharing responsibility, allowing people to make decisions, and giving them opportunities to grow. Eventually, a couple of designers I had mentored stepped into lead designer roles of their own.

As the business continued to evolve, we also recognized that two different kinds of work were coming through the design queue: production design and creative design. Separating those responsibilities helped us improve efficiency while allowing designers to focus on their strengths.

Looking back, the biggest accomplishment isn't simply that we built a team capable of supporting 17 locations. It's seeing the people who joined that team develop their skills, gain confidence, think scrappily, and grow into leaders themselves.

What started as a frustration with tracking filament inventory turned into something much bigger.

As I began taking on more 3D printing projects, I found myself juggling orders, materials, costs, equipment, maintenance, and finances. I realized I needed a better way to manage the business side of printing.

I initially set out to build a simple inventory tracker. But the more I explored what a 3D printing business needed, the more I realized there was an opportunity to bring everything together in one place.

I began defining the features, workflows, and overall experience. I designed the interface and branding, while using AI to help develop the application. Along the way, AI also introduced ideas and functionality I hadn't initially considered, challenging me to think beyond my original concept.

That simple inventory tracker eventually became Layerwright OS, a fully functioning business management platform for 3D printing studios.

Today, I use it to manage my own studio, and it's ready for other businesses to subscribe to. I'm still refining and improving it, but what began as a personal frustration has become a product others can use.