In this interview, Kelsey McCormick, founder of Coming Up Roses, opens up about her journey of starting a creative studio during the chaos of a global pandemic—all while navigating the challenges of being a new mom.
Kelsey talks about the leap from working with big names like Coachella and Katy Perry to building her own brand, and how following her passion led her to create a space where creatives can truly thrive.
Kelsey, starting Coming Up Roses during a lockdown while being a new mom is quite the story! What was the spark that led you to create a space for creatives to “superbloom” their own brands during such a challenging time?
I always had the desire to do my own thing, but I didn’t have the courage to do it until I had a baby. I felt like I had just done this incredible thing, and I had all this creative energy after birth. I also couldn’t picture going back to a 9-5 and having my time dictated by someone else.
It happened really organically from there! I took an online course from ilovecreatives on how to design Squarespace websites. This became the skill that I was able to market and get clients with initially. Eventually this morphed into sharing a lot of POV (point of view) I had around growing your own brand, becoming valuable beyond a skillset, and launch strategy.
To be honest, being a new mom during the pandemic was kind of the best time to grow something. There was a lot of uncertainty, and I think it was a really creatively fruitful time for people.
Transitioning from working with industry giants like Coachella and Katy Perry to founding your own creative studio sounds like a huge leap. What were some of the biggest lessons you learned from that journey?
To really back yourself. That you are worth going all in on. You can work for the biggest names, but not have even close to the level of fulfilment you find when you go all in on your own vision. I wish I knew that a bit sooner. I thought I had to attach myself to a big name and a title to have credibility. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
As a self-taught brand designer, your portfolio is incredibly impressive. What were some of the most surprising challenges you faced while teaching yourself, and how did you overcome them?
I appreciate that! I’m actually not a brand designer anymore. In 2023, I decided it wasn’t the path for me, even though I had found a ton of success from it and worked with some amazing clients, like Tony Robbins and Amoruso.
I was way more passionate about helping creatives cultivate a brand for themselves and learn how to market and sell their services. I started doing a lot of educational content around that, bloomed some programs from there, and now that’s completely replaced the studio income I had previously.
I’m very self-led and lit up about what I do, so learning and growing is easy. There are so many resources out there, so if you’re finding resistance around learning, it’s probably more of a mindset thing than anything else.
For me, I follow what I find interesting at the time. I’m not afraid to shift my messaging or change the narrative when something else is interesting to me. Recently, I’ve started speaking a lot more about launching and sales. When you grow a brand, it becomes your playground where you can kind of experiment and find what you enjoy overtime. It’s a lot of trial and error.
I will say the skill I always recommend to people is critical thinking. Constantly question if you actually like what you’re doing. If you actually believe what you’ve been told to believe. If it has to be true for you. There’s a lot of hard and soft skills you need to learn in business, but I think critical thinking might be the most underrated.
Coming Up Roses has grown into a thriving collective of creatives. What are some unique ways you encourage community and collaboration among designers, artists, and copywriters on your platform?
With open conversation. I’m never like… here’s how great my life is. I share the truth — the highs, the lows, the realities of the rollercoaster that is entrepreneurship. I’m myself, authentically. I am the exact same person online as I am if we’re having a drink IRL. There’s no facade and I think people respond to that.
As far as bringing people together, community is a big value of mine, and I try to make sure all of my programs and everything I do isn’t just self-serving… and doesn’t just help people in a silo. All of my programs work together, so people go through them often with the same people. They establish relationships with each other.
So many alumni end up collaborating, working together, becoming real life friends. If you ask me the thing that makes my heart feel the best in business, it’s the fact that Coming Up Roses has become a conduit for real life relationships.
I’ve also started doing a lot more collaborating with fellow creative business owners on IRL events that bring people together. It’s so fun to meet people from my online community in real life and connect on that deeper level you only get when you can actually embrace them.
You made the bold decision to shut down a multi-six-figure business and pivot your focus. Can you tell us more about that pivotal moment and what drove you to make such a significant change?
I mentioned a bit earlier I just follow what I find I’m the most lit up about at any given time. Because I’ve built a personal brand, and not a business around a specific skill set, I’ve been able to pivot and continue to go from strength to strength.
I decided that, although I did like brand design, I much preferred growing my own brand and helping creatives with their offer and launch strategy. I could bring skills I learned from working in concert promotion to this as well and have a really strong POV and unique approach.
I always bet on myself. And I know if I’m having a hard time showing up, it’s time for me to evolve the conversation. I recently went through this again — I was really over talking about growing a personal brand.
What felt totally groundbreaking a few years ago is now a ubiquitous conversation. Everyone and their corporate boss knows about growing a personal brand. And although I think I have a unique approach, I was kind of over talking about it.
I am finding a lot more excitement talking about sales — offer development, launch strategy, and taking the shame so many creatives feel out of sales. As soon as I made that decision, content just started flowing out of me.
So, I guess long story short, follow what you feel lit up about and be okay with changing the narrative as you evolve.
Your background in content marketing in the music industry must bring a unique flavour to your work. How has your experience with big events and artists shaped the way you approach branding and community building now?
So much of the skills are transferable. I worked in marketing, so it was my job to cultivate community and audience in order to sell tickets to niche artists, bands, and festivals.
I do that now, but with my own brand. From that job, I understand how stories resonate. I could see which artists did an incredible job with their audiences and went from tiny 500 cap venues to massive 4000 cap venues in under a year.
I saw that with Billie Eilish. Obviously, the music has to be good, but there’s also this It factor with some artists. I think the ones who are most themselves usually rise to the top. I mean look at Chappel Roan. I’ve never seen a trajectory like that.
Being yourself and doing what you’re the most lit up about in the world makes you magnetic. I think that’s applicable across industries.
Balancing creativity and everyday life can be a challenge. What are some of your favourite activities or hobbies that keep you inspired and help maintain your creative energy?
Oof I’ve fallen off this summer visiting my family in the US. In Australia, where I’m based, I love to swim, journal, walk lots, eat well, play with my son, and cook. I have such a nice well-rounded life there, which is a big reason we moved there in late 2023. I love the US and visiting my family but I’m really looking forward to getting back to a routine. I think creativity needs structure to thrive.
