CleanMyMac by MacPaw
Being a small-business owner in a creative field is to exist between two worlds: the artistic mind is the driving force, but the operational logistics can't go ignored either. And while modern technology makes it easier than ever, the typical workday still comes with its own messes, dwindling storage space, and plenty of troubleshooting.
That's why many turn to CleanMyMac by MacPaw, the all-in-one Mac care app, cleaner, and maintenance app. CleanMyMac helps tackle junk, duplicates, malware, and performance issues so all kinds of business professionals can, well, get back to business. Below, two creatives and business owners offer a glimpse into their daily digital lives and how their laptops keep things running.
Sabrina Swogger
Floral Designer and Owner of Flower in Style
Courtesy of Sabrina Swogger
I first fell in love with floral design while creating the flowers for my sister's wedding. I still remember designing her bouquet and seeing how something as simple as flowers could hold so much meaning. It wasn't just arranging blooms - it was about telling a story, celebrating a milestone, and creating something beautiful for someone you love. From that moment on, I knew I wanted flowers to be a bigger part of my life and career.
After freelancing for a few years and learning from some of New York City's top florists, I decided to go out on my own and start Flower in Style, a design studio specializing in weddings, events, and brand activations. I launched the business on my birthday; it was a gift to myself. After years of helping bring other people's visions to life, I was ready to create something of my own. It was time to bet on myself and turn a longtime dream into a reality.
But starting a business was about as terrifying as it was exciting. No two days are the same. One day I'm in the flower market sourcing blooms at sunrise, and the next, I'm building proposals, designing mood boards, answering client emails, creating content, or installing florals at an event. During wedding season, my days can start at 5:00 a.m. and end at 11:30 p.m.
People see the finished arrangements, but they don't always see the bookkeeping, invoicing, marketing, and problem-solving behind the scenes - not to mention the unpredictable nature of working with a perishable product. Running a creative business sometimes means wearing every hat: designer, accountant, salesperson, marketer, customer service representative, and delivery team all at once.
My Mac is open from the moment I start my day until I go to bed. It's the central hub of my business from communicating with clients to whipping up contracts. And it allows me to bring ideas to life before a single flower is even purchased: I create mood boards, design presentations, event proposals, and marketing materials. It helps me visualize concepts, communicate ideas to clients, and organize inspiration. It essentially acts as my creative studio when I'm not physically working with flowers.
I've had clients request last-minute revisions to proposals, timelines, or design presentations mere hours before an event or meeting, and being able to quickly update documents, communicate with vendors, access contracts, and reorganize logistics from a single device has helped me navigate countless high-pressure situations. In the events world, flexibility is everything, and my Mac helps me stay responsive when things inevitably change.
It isn't without its challenges though - one of the biggest being storage. As a floral designer, I'm constantly working with high-resolution photos, videos, design decks, proposals, and event galleries. Over time, those files add up quickly. When storage starts to fill up, I've definitely noticed my computer slowing down at times, especially when I'm juggling multiple projects during wedding season.
That said, every file represents a project, a client, or a milestone in my business, so it's a challenge that comes with growth. I've learned the importance of staying organized, backing up my work, and regularly managing files to keep everything running smoothly. For these moments, I lean on Space Lens, a CleanMyMac module that analyzes my storage and presents me with a map helping me visualize large files and other folders I could stand to part ways with.
CleanMyMac by MacPaw
When I first started my business, I envisioned throwing myself into the creative work. In reality, it's a balance. As my business has grown, I've realized that the administrative side often takes just as much (if not more) time than the creative side. While it took time to find that balance, I've learned that both sides are equally important. The creative work is what clients see, but the administrative work is what keeps the business running smoothly. In the end, it's all worth it to see a client's reaction when everything comes together.
Bianca Jayde
Illustrator and Owner of Bianca Jayde Design
Courtesy of Bianca Jayde
There's a distinct memory I have of waking up one morning, in the spring of 2023, with an unshakeable thought: "I want to get paid to make cool sh*t." Really, it was a realization that I wanted to share my art with the world, but this dream soon consumed me.
Years prior, I worked in event design before transitioning to interior design operations. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, I lost my job due to pandemic layoffs, and while I was fortunate enough to land remote work, I was no longer working in a creative field, and for many reasons, I felt lost. But while spending all my time at home, I, like many, revisited old hobbies.
I used to love doodling as a kid but, for some reason, I stopped drawing as I got older. And I suppose because my mind was no longer being fed creatively through my day job, I had a void to fill during my off-hours, so I started putting pen, marker, and paint to paper.
This eventually led to the creation of Bianca Jayde Design. My business has gone through a few phases: I started out making art prints and notecard sets before expanding into wedding stationery and now, I even have a collection of illustrated silk scarves and cocktail napkins.
My workdays keep me on my toes - I may start the day perfecting a wedding invitation and end it sketching up a new silk scarf design. There's definitely an art form to managing not just multiple projects, but also multiple types of projects. While I love having creative agility, the biggest hurdles I face in the day-to-day are time-management and balancing client commitments with building out my product lines: I tend to prioritize client feedback and deadlines which can, at times, mean delaying working on my collections.
When you're running a creative business on your own, you're not only the artist but also the CEO, accountant, social media manager, IT specialist, and, at times, even the intern. When I feel myself getting stretched a bit too thin, I'm known to say, "I just want to draw!"
Helping me keep it all together, however, are my Mac, iPad, and iPhone. They're all synced so I'm constantly able to access my files on all three devices. I draw and find inspiration on my iPad, edit and manage projects on my Mac, and I post to social media on my iPhone.
Since I'm often working across devices, Cloud Cleanup helps me keep tabs on all my connected storage: the feature gives me all the insight into files across iCloud so that I can free up space by removing duplicate illustrations or drafts that I no longer need.
CleanMyMac by MacPaw
As a one-woman show, each aspect of my business comes with a a learning curve. But that's also one of the many joys of being an artist and entrepreneur: I am constantly learning and that's what keeps me going.
Final Thoughts
For most small-business owners, triumphs and heartbreaks happen alongside each other on a weekly basis. And as with anything in life, it's hard to do it all on your own - but when you're first starting out, it's unlikely to have the support of a full staff. That's why it's invaluable to have a trusted software companion be part of the team. Just like how you bet on yourself as a business owner, you can also bet on CleanMyMac.
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