We’re looking forward to introducing you to Annie Davis. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Annie, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me these days looks a lot different than it used to, even just a few years ago. I like to minimize how many decisions I have to make in the mornings, so I packed my little one’s lunches, pick out my clothes, and pack my work bag the night before. It makes our mornings way easier!
I get my kids off to school by 8:15AM, and then either head straight to our shared office space up the road (shout out to Salt Mine Productive Workspace in Sandy) or head back home to work from my home office.
I aim to be in the office at least 3 days a week, and that time is set aside to work on the business instead of just within the business, but sometimes life gets in the way.
On the days I have my kids, I try to finish up all calls and meetings before I pick them up from school. Our afternoons are filled with homework for my third grader and lots of funny and messy art projects with my kindergartener right up until dinner time. During our busiest times, I hop back online after we have dinner as a family, but since both kids are in full time school now, that doesn’t happen as often as it used to. Life looks a lot more relaxed lately as a working mom than a few years ago!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I started Davis Designs back in 2018. Before that, I spent a couple of years at another web development firm here in the Salt Lake Valley. It was during that time I fell in love with the world of small business, especially the marketing and growth side of things.
Fast-forward to today, and Davis Designs has an incredibly talented team and a strong group of clients from coast to coast, though most are still here in Utah.
One thing that makes us unique is our “blank lead” approach. Over the years, I’ve had many mentors advise me to change it. They said we’d be more profitable and it would be far easier to scale. But we remain steadfast in our belief that marketing and development will never be a one-size-fits-all industry. This means that in everything we do—from initial discovery calls to proposals to our monthly strategy meetings—our recommendations are based on what we truly feel will be most beneficial for our clients.
While this approach may have meant we didn’t scale as quickly as we could have over the past seven years, I’ve never once regretted our decision. We provide custom solutions that are as unique as each of the businesses we get to work with.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
The first boss I ever had, Juan, taught me many of the crucial lessons about work that I still use to this day. I was 15 years old, and working at McDonald’s. It was my first job and I loved it – no sarcasm! It gave me the opportunity to utilize my fluency in Spanish, deal with angry customers (which was terrifying at first), and most importantly, receive constructive criticism.
Juan was tough but kind, and he held me to just as high of a standard as everyone else there, regardless of my age and being new to the workforce. I still hear his voice in my head saying, “if you have time to lean, you have time to clean!”
While this answer might sound trivial as I haven’t worked in the food industry in over 15 years now, Juan shaped my understanding of what hard work meant. I think if he had been more lenient, I wouldn’t have grown to develop the work ethic I have today.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
In February of 2024, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Over the course of the year, I underwent more than six surgeries, not to mention numerous complications along the way. Thankfully, we caught the cancer early enough that I was able to avoid radiation treatments, and by August 2024, I was officially cancer-free.
Between running Davis Designs, getting used to shared custody, finalizing a divorce, AND managing the physical and emotional toll of my diagnosis, much of that time period felt like never ending suffering.
Looking back, though, I realize that 2024 taught me more about resilience, grit, and the power of perseverance than any easy year ever could have. If everything had gone smoothly, I wouldn’t have learned how strong I truly am or how to keep fighting even when the odds feel stacked against me. I had to put food on the table and show up for my kids no matter how daunting that seemed some days, and I’m a much stronger and independent person because of it.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
That’s an easy one – Breann Webb, who I’m lucky to call one of my best friends in addition to having her as our senior project manager at Davis Designs. She knows not only our business inside and out, but me as a person, and therefore she’s able to bring new ideas to the table that I’ve often overlooked. She’s incredibly brilliant, and we’re so fortunate to have her on our leadership team!
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I’d like to say I’d stop worrying about ALL the small things, but as I’ve gotten older and grown to know myself more, I don’t think that will ever be entirely the case. However, knowing that I only had 10 years left would certainly allow me to worry a bit less about the non-important aspects in life, like what people think of me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://daviscreate.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davisdesignsllc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/davis-creative-designs
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daviscreate/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@davisdesignsllc
