Meet Amanda Means | Teacher & Designer

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

Hi Amanda, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
This is a really good question, especially right now. About three years ago, Tanya Dalton of InkWell Press shared at a creative conference that she didn’t believe really in the concept of work-life balance. She really thought of it more as a harmony. That concept really stuck with me. There’s never really going to be a balance between work and life, you know. My family is always going to be more important to me than my work. My work is done to support my family. I go through phases where I’m spending more time working, like for launches. Other times, my passive streams of income allow for me to slow down and concentrate when inspiration hits for new products. I feel like being at home so much has blurred the lines a bit, so there’s not a set time where I work on my business. I fit it in when I can or set blocks to work when I need. I’ve really come to terms with the fact that I need to change my night-owl tendencies and work to find more time in my day to make my business work. The transition is interesting since I still teach full time, so I try my best to only work during my contracted hours. After a recent conference, I learned more about how to structure my entire day to make sure I’m prioritizing what matters most. There’s a necessary hierarchy, and looking at it as harmony helps me to focus on what to do and when.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Where my creative business is today took years of figuring out who I am at my core and what I truly value. I went from greeting cards to weddings to lifestyle products to signs to teacher designs. Each pivot led to lessons that helped me figure out who I am as an artist and a business owner. While there’s no doubting my southern background, which initially inspired my brand, I had to realize that my style is feminine with warm yet soft colors and clean lines. I love a bit of sparkle and will fit it in wherever I can…even in student activities. I started by creating greeting cards and unintentionally got into the wedding industry because “there’s money there.” I spent two years of my life unhappy with the direction I was going. I met amazing people who were passionate about weddings, but as a single girl who was happily single, I couldn’t connect with brides. It took going to creative conferences to realize that it was okay to make a shift. It’s my business, so I can literally go in any direction I want. If what I’m building is bringing me dread and not helping me to grow, I need to shift and move on. It was at the opening of one of the conferences that I blurted that I “create gifts and designs for teachers and those who love them.” It wasn’t what I planned to say, but it’s what came out. I was terrified because I didn’t know that was going to come out my mouth, and I certainly didn’t know how I was going to make that transition. Over the last two years, though, things have started clicking and connecting in ways I never would have imagined. I’m so much happier and so much more excited to create than before. I know my style, and I’m not taking on anything that doesn’t align with my purpose. My audience and I connect because we share similar joys and pain points. It’s more than I realized I would experience as a business owner. If there’s anything I want the world to know about my brand and story, it’s that I’m committed to helping teachers make time for what matters most by creating meaningful, engaging activities for them to use as well as inspiring pieces to keep them motivated to change the world one interaction at a time. Ms. Peach Plus Designs is about a teacher lifestyle. It’s not all about academics and working. It’s about cultivating relationships, inspiring and encouraging others, and filling our cups because we, as teachers, matter, too.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Do things by the neighborhood. Like most cities, Atlanta has great neighborhoods with a lot to do, and I can’t put them all here! Decatur: Breakfast at Le Petite Marche in Kirkwood. Spend time in the Square and have Jeni’s. Lunch on the patio at Fellini’s. Bowling at Comet Lanes, if you can stand it after eating. Stop by the DeKalb Farmers Market to grab something fun to cook for dinner. Edgewood/Candler Park/Inman Park/O4W: Breakfast at Flying Biscuit. Hang around Little Five Points. Go Fox Bros for some BBQ. Head over to PCM before hitting the Beltline for some fun and end up at Pour for pizza and drinks. West End/Westside: Paschal’s for Brunch. Head to the AUC to show off some HBCU greatness. Lunch would be Slutty Vegan, for sure. Go to Top Golf for some fun. End up at JCT for chicken and mac & cheese then check out Westside Provisions. Buckhead: Breakfast at Buttermilk Kitchen. Spend time shopping. Ponko for lunch. See a movie then go to Treat Your Feet for relaxation. Pick up some BBQ at Lovie’s before heading to Chastain for a concert.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My tribe is made up of my family, Spelman sisters, closest friends, and Society for Creative Founders (SCF) family. They’ve helped me in so many different ways that there’s no thanking just one group. They’ve all contributed to this journey in a way that makes be feel incredibly blessed and undoubtedly supported.

Website: www.mspeachplusdesigns.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mspeachplusdesigns
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mspeachplusedesigns

Image Credits
Anna Filly Photography Meg Burke Photography