Have you ever asked yourself why you are where you are? Why this job or why live in that state? Why these friends and that partner? I can tell you, it’s about choices; Conscious choices that we make in order to find happiness, success and safety.

As the owner of Oblique Design in Boulder for the past 13 years, there have been a lot of employees, clients and projects that have crossed my path. What felt like safety and excitement in my 20’s is no longer relevant in my 40’s. Oblique started with a major Fortune 500 company, BMW of North America. I lived and breathed BMW cars, motorcycles and accessories. Did I mention working with MINI as well?! What could be better than having one of the most prestigious automotive company as Oblique’s largest client? It was glamorous traveling to Barcelona and Munich for photo shoots. It was an adventure to work with photographers from Austria and art directors from Germany. It was an experience to shoot a commercial for MINI. But ultimately, what did it all mean? Was I truly happy or was I so caught up in the status of what it all represented?

We rarely slow down enough and stop to smell the roses. But when we do, we have to ask ourselves “What’s working here…and what’s not?” Did I want Oblique Design to continue to work in the corporate environment with political layers, strict design guidelines, and bureaucratic rules? After working more than 10 years with BMW as our main print design and interactive client, Oblique changed its path and now works with a variety of industries and clients. We now have 3 clients in the death care industry across the US and Canada, and are the digital and print design agency for Denver’s Women’s Bean Project, a non-profit social enterprise that helps chronically unemployed and impoverished women get jobs and build confidence. Other clients include The Erudio Project, a non-profit organization in South Africa that provides technology to under-served communities to develop basic computing skills that allow children to achieve global understanding and a world view. We also now work with Russian outdoor apparel company Red Fox, helping them establish their brand in the US market starting with a blog redesign and ad campaigns.

My point? Open your eyes to what could be, instead of settling for what is. We are continually changing, both personally and professionally. Status and big names on your client list are great, but what really matters is achieving the personal goals that align with your heart and values.

At Oblique Design, we evaluate each and every client to make sure they support our core philosophy. Our passion and dedication comes through in our design and marketing — and at the end of the day — our clients always end up on top.