“Confidence and competence aren’t automatic,” said Erin Ricks, owner of Red Clay Graphics. “If you can find one thing that you can be very confident about, then you can move forward in your career. Your confidence will shine, people will trust you, and that trustworthiness will lend itself to success.”

For the final entry in the Observer’s month-long series on local women in business, I interviewed Erin Ricks, owner and chief designer at Red Clay Graphics Studio.

Erin’s business specializes in the in-house design and creation of signage, marketing materials, and other promotional goods, bringing a unique vision to the signs and symbols we interact with and interpret in everyday life. During this conversation, we discussed the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, how to build self-confidence through creative work, and Erin’s aspirations for the future of her business and the community. 

Please describe your business and tell the story of how it came to be. 

We started in 2014 as Red Clay Graphics Studio – that’s myself and my brother, Evan, who’s now working in Macon. My father currently works the front desk and serves as CFO, and my husband is involved as well. So we’re a family business! 

I have a fine arts degree from VSU, and through the years I’ve learned how to apply it to design and to business – how to creatively grow both relationships and the business side of things. 

We obtained our equipment and initial customer base from a signmaker who decided to leave the business. Now that we’ve grown so much, we’re starting to focus on the distinction between the sign shop that we are, and the graphic design plus marketing creativity that we offer. That could be a business in and of itself! 

How did you decide on the name of your business? 

The name ‘Red Clay Graphics’ was the result of a brainstorming session. We must have come up with a thousand names…. Black Door Graphics, Green Pine Graphics. We knew that we wanted something evocative, something that was tied to the local culture. We’ve all driven down a dirt road, maybe feel in love with one. We wanted to capture that sense of ease, and also of earthiness – because we’re pretty down-to-earth people. 

What makes Red Clay Graphics unique? 

Compared to other sign shops, I suppose it would be our design capability and our creativity. That’s how most people are led to us. We bring form and function together. We’re able to focus deeply on the form because we know we’ve got the function nailed down – we know that we can build a sign that’s going to last and be sturdy for you.

Being family-owned doesn’t necessarily make us different, but it does lend us certain qualities. We really do care about each other. Everybody’s ideas are valued here, including those of our clients.  

What sorts of challenges have you faced while seeking to grow your business? 

The challenge of learning how to grow – because the answer isn’t always clear, and the path isn’t always straight. I have an art degree, not a business degree. I’ve leaned very heavily on educational resources, and we’re really lucky to have some good resources around here. For instance, we reached out to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Albany. They were integral when we were first getting off the ground. 

The supply chain issues have been a challenge lately. We work with raw materials like aluminum, steel, and different polymers. Vinyl itself, which we use for all of our printing, is a petroleum-based product. The logistics around that have been a nightmare. Sometimes the prices double overnight! 

What are some of your favorite things about the work you do? 

The sign business in general gives instant gratification. You create something and it goes up for all the world to see. You get feedback, you get validation. In a small town like ours, you can see your work out in the community every day. It’s a joy to make something, to create it from scratch, and watch your customer literally buy it, because they like it so much! 

Do you experience any difficulties balancing your commitment to family and to work? 

Sure, of course. My kids are getting older, so it’s important to be there for them. I am also involved with lots of projects in the community. I sit on a few boards, several committees, and groups like that, to lend my expertise when I can. 

It’s always a balancing act, checking the schedule and making sure that it’s available and open. I try not to get so busy that I lose sight of the reason I’m doing this work in the first place! 

Do you think that being a woman lends you a unique perspective on business and entrepreneurship? 

Personally, I’m pretty intuitive. I read a lot between the lines. I don’t think that’s just a female capability, but lots of women have it. I’m able to read people, read a situation, and tell whether or not a project was successful. I’m also good at multitasking – ladies wear lots of hats! – and I am very much in tune with my customer satisfaction. And that’s what matters to me at the end of the day. If I was receiving a grade from the customer, I’d want it to be 100. 

Who have been some of your greatest supporters? 

That’s a good question. Friends and family, of course – family more than anything. We’re a family business, I literally couldn’t have done it without them. 

And my friends too. I know that seems like such a standard answer, but in our small community, it is true, especially when those friends are also business owners. I’ve also learned a lot from some of my clients and developed great relationships with them. 

What sorts of projects has Red Clay Graphics tackled recently? 

We’ve installed several murals in the school system. Each school has its own unique design and graphics. We also just completed a 180-foot-long mural in the hospital, a visual history of healthcare in Colquitt County. 

If you could go back to the beginning and start over from scratch, would you do anything differently? 

I would have taken some business or marketing courses in college! Thankfully, we have community resources for continuing education, so I’ve been able to gain the necessary knowledge for success.

What’s on the horizon for your business? 

We’re looking into the need for creative services. Perhaps expanding the creative side of our business to a brand management company, so that we can take on more clients, build our team even more, and expand our services in the creative field. Websites, Instagram feeds, successful ad campaigns, email newsletters, and so forth. 

What advice would you give to women and girls who aspire to become entrepreneurs? 

Always believe in yourself and believe in your own capabilities. Decide what makes you different and focus on it. Really work to grow that capability. Let it become your cornerstone, what you’re known for. People might not always need your service, but when they do, they’re going to think of you first. 

Confidence and competence aren’t automatic. If you can find one thing that you can be very confident about, then you can move forward in your career. Confidence will shine, people will trust you, and obviously that trustworthiness lends itself to success.

Keep positive, learn from your mistakes, and move forward. 

Do you have any final thoughts that you’d like to share? 

I can tell that Moultrie is growing – we all can – and I want to be a part of it. I want to help change and improve the visual landscape, constantly. I want to ride the wave, because otherwise, we’ll become stagnant. We’re a great hub in the middle of so many places. There’s so much talent here. And it really is just a matter of marketing it.

Hopefully, we’ll be here for a while. I have a daughter, and folks have asked if I plan for her to take over the business one day. Well, if that’s something that she wants to do, I really hope that we’ll still be around in 40 years for her to be able to make that choice. That’s the goal. 

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For more information, contact Red Clay Graphics Studio at 229-985-1500, visit them online at redclaygraphics.com, or find them on Facebook. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.