Meet Jen Wagner | Font Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jen Wagner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jen, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
While I always appreciated learning from those I worked with, I learned early on that I would always invest more time, effort, and energy into myself and what I wanted to build than anything else. Whenever I was working for someone else, I found myself watching the clock so I could leave and start working on my craft or whatever was inspiring me. I would daydream about building my own business, and get frustrated by the lack of control I had to create change or advancement in a traditional environment. I wanted to experiment, play, push – all things that, when working with a staff, require more time, resources, and permission than when you’re doing things for yourself. Starting my own business always felt seamless and was always something happening in the background, in one way or another. Making the full leap was just the last step.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I design versatile typefaces for creators of all kinds – from graphic designers and agencies, to small business owners doing all the creative work themselves. What sets my work apart from other type foundries and font creators is the quality for the price point. Quality type can be remarkably expensive and, as a former freelance graphic designer, I remember how frustrating it was to feel like I couldn’t afford the beauty of great type. I always made it my mission to make quality type accessible to as many creatives as possible.

I was completely self-taught in type design until 2020, when I was able to attend an online program at The Cooper Union to really dive deep into the detail work I was missing. Up until that point, it was extremely difficult being self-taught. Type is a very nuanced craft, and I found myself at a point where I knew things were “off” but had no idea why. It felt frustrating to hit what felt like my cap, and the challenge has always been finding resources to help me be a perpetual student of the craft.

There were also major learning curves on the business end. Despite having a Marketing degree, the entire marketing world has changed since I graduated in 2015 and it’s yet another area where you are a perpetual student.

I guess that seems to be the theme – getting where I am professionally and creatively has all been the result of understanding that I will never know it all, and it will always be in my best interest to take on the role of student; learning as much as I can at every stage of the journey, and taking action again and again.

I’d like that to be what people know about my story – my business isn’t the result of a lucky break or having all the answers before I started or being any kind of expert. I simply did the work, was eager to learn, and flexible enough to pivot whenever I learned something new. Taking action is just the path. What I’ve learned by doing is far more valuable anything I learned in college. I wasn’t a professional when I started putting out work, but I did it anyway and learned something new every time. Business is fun and playful and competitive and challenging. And while, yes, it’s serious, I’ve found the most growth in my career through those times of play and allowing creativity and business to, despite the challenges, be full of fun and joy.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m based in Nashville so I’m not sure if this is relevant for you haha!

Over the weekend, I’d make sure we went to brunch at Lou or Butcher & Bee. We could go to a few of my favorite antique stores (Patina or Eneby’s showroom) to admire all the beauty they curate. I think Broadway is just a tourist necessity, although I would avoid it at night. We’d probably eat and shop at the food hall there and then walk the strip before heading up to Germantown for a beer at Monday Night Brewing. Dinner out at City House or Rolf & Daughters, or a pizza from Smith & Lentz to go and a bottle from Woodland Wine to eat and drink at home. If they have kids, the Nashville Zoo is phenomenal – the best playground in the city and really great exhibits. And we’d have to walk through 12 South for Jeni’s ice cream and shopping before landing at Sevier Park.

Really, just a lot of eating haha.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Jeanne Oliver – It was Jeanne who first mentored me as a creative business owner, giving me access to her and her business to see how things worked behind the scenes, with a generously transparent perspective on growth, creativity in business, and balancing it all in harmony with the life you want to build. Her belief in me made me believe in myself, and her mentorship completely changed the course of my career and, ultimately, my life for the better.

Website: www.jenwagner.co

Instagram: @jenwagner.co

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jenwagnerco

Image Credits
Nicola Harger Lydia Sprecher