Oh, you want to know more about how an education professional became a creative entrepreneur?

Well, grab a bevvy and let me tell you!

I MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST INDECISIVE PEOPLE YOU WILL EVER MEET.

I wouldn’t call it perfectionism as much so as I would call it FOMO…

• I LOVE this, but what if I love the other choice more?

• What if what I decide on today is not what I want tomorrow?

• What if? What if? What if?

And the fear of missing out lead me to bounce through 4 different careers in 4 years once I graduated from college. I always felt like something was missing, that the next, best thing was right around the corner. And guess what? It was.

I found myself as a newly-minted 30-something who gave up her dream of living in the Carolinas to be closer to family. I took a job I wasn’t super passionate about in order to make that happen. I figured, at least I’d be closer to home and the ones I love.

Wrongo, buddy.

As Shaboozy says, the 9 to 5 wasn’t working. I was tired of being a task rabbit and doing things just to check a box. The creativity inside of me was looking for an outlet and so…Alyssa Cannella Designs was born.

Now you may be thinking, “WTF is Alyssa Cannella Designs?” And I would not fault you for that!

Alyssa Cannella Designs was the Instagram account I created in June of 2023 as a way to share the fun graphic design projects I was working on. That summer, I took the major risk of investing in myself by signing up for a graphic design training course and freelance coaching. 

Since that fateful day of stumbling upon Mariah Althoff’s TikTok page, I haven’t looked back. Becoming a creative entrepreneur not only allows me to live the life I dream of, but it allows me to marry my passion for design and supporting people through their journeys of achieving their dreams. In higher education, I got to do that with my students and now, I get to do that with my clients:

Seeing a brand design come to life.

Watching client’s businesses grow and evolve.

Talking about hopes, dreams, and passions with the best of the best.

AND IT’S THE BEST.

And so, Alyssa Cannella Designs morphed into XO Creative Co. where I have the opportunity to help make my client’s dreams into realities. Together, we skip the bullshit and get down to the nitty gritty — how to scale and level up your business in a way that is intentional and authentic to who you are.

So hi, I’m Alyssa and I want to be your biggest cheerleader, your business bestie, a confidant, a keeper of your dreams and secrets…oh yeah, and build kick-ass brands and websites together while we are at it!

Thanks for being here!