Before I was a full-time designer, before I ever created a client portal or picked fonts for a rebrand, I was working customer service jobs. Mostly call centers and retail. And if I’m being honest, I think those jobs shaped the way I freelance more than any course, degree, or branding book ever did.
This post is about the jobs people tend to overlook, that taught me everything I know about dealing with people, understanding how brands are actually perceived, and creating experiences that people trust.
One of my very first jobs was at a call center for a national flower delivery company. I was there a short time, but the lessons stuck with me.
They didn’t just sell flowers. They sold trust, convenience, and reliability. Their branding was solid, and it felt established and premium. Their tone, visuals, website, packaging… it all worked together to say: you can count on us, even for your last-minute Valentine’s Day delivery.
And people did. They paid more for it, too.
It made me realize that people are willing to pay more when a brand makes the process easy and feels trustworthy. The seamless experience, from ordering to delivery, was a big part of that. Even as a customer service rep, I felt proud to work for a brand that was so well put together.
That was probably the moment I started paying attention to how branding feels, not just how it looks.
A couple of years later came retail, where I got my first real taste of fashion.
We used to help organize mini fashion shows, style mannequins, rearrange displays, and experiment with color combos. At the time, I hadn’t gone to university yet, but I already had experience working with design. And being in retail was just the extracurricular training I needed.
Visual merchandising taught me composition, balance, and how to evoke emotion through a physical space. How colors play together, and how arrangement changes perception.
Looking back, it all connects. Because the way I design a homepage now is not so different from styling a display that pulls people into a store.
Here’s what I think people don’t talk about enough: freelancing is customer service.
Sure, you’re designing or writing or coding, but a huge part of your time is spent communicating, responding, explaining your process, and overcoming objections.
In both retail and the call center world, I had to deal with complaints, pressure, and people who didn’t always know what they wanted, but still expected me to figure it out. Sound familiar?
Now, I use those same soft skills every single day:
Those skills aren’t “extra.” They’re the foundation of any freelance career.
This might not be a popular opinion, but I’ll say it every time: don’t go freelance before working a full-time job. Any full-time job.
I don’t care if it’s not in the creative field. I don’t care if you’re working retail, restaurants, admin, or a call center. You will learn more about people, expectations, structure, and real-world problem-solving in those jobs than you will designing alone in your bedroom.
It teaches you:
If you’re just starting out, my honest advice is: get a job. Any job. Build those soft skills. They will carry you through creative work when the technical stuff isn’t enough.
Working in customer-facing roles made me a better freelancer. Not just because I learned how to deal with people, but because I started to notice what makes a brand feel real.
It taught me that the best branding doesn’t just live in the visuals, but in the way people experience your business. In how easy you make their life. In how they feel when they interact with you.
So no, I don’t regret the call centers or the retail shifts. Those jobs gave me the confidence, perspective, and people skills I still use today.
And I wholeheartedly believe they made me a better designer.
Want to see how that early experience still shows up in my work? Browse my latest branding projects right here.