Sarah Conti
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of photographing an Editorial Mini Session with Sarah Conti, the founder of Design You Marketing! You can find Sarah on Instagram at @designyoumarketing and her website designyoumarketing.com. Read on for an interview with Sarah, and to see some of the portraits from our Mini Session!
Q: Please introduce yourself!
A: Hi! I’m Sarah Conti, the founder of Design You Marketing. I help entrepreneurs and small businesses create clear, strategic websites that not only look great but actually work. I specialize in designing on the WIX platform and focusing on user experience—because a beautiful website is useless if it doesn’t guide visitors the right way!
Beyond running my business, I’m also a Boston Business Women Team Member, where I get to support and uplift female entrepreneurs through marketing and sales. It’s amazing to be part of a community that’s all about helping women succeed!
Q: What were you like as a child? Did any of your interests align with your current work?
A: As a kid, I was always up to something creative! You’d find me playing around with video cameras, filming funny skits, making slideshows, and cutting up magazines to create the ultimate collages. I was also that kid filling notebooks with poetry and journal entries—basically, storytelling in every form possible. Oh, and I even recorded myself pretending to be a radio DJ… maybe a sign that a podcast is in my future? Haha! At one point, I was convinced I’d be a stand-up comedian, standing on my toy box telling jokes to my stuffed animals. Creativity was my way of staying busy, and honestly, not much has changed!
Q: Can you tell me about how/why you started your business?
A: I started my business after having my first child. When my maternity leave ended, I went back to work, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that I wanted to be home instead of shuffling around the baby and missing those early moments. So, I took a leap and left my job as a Senior Marketing Specialist—and started freelancing as a web and graphic designer.
Like many entrepreneurs, I reinvented myself a few times along the way before landing on Design You Marketing, with a clear mission: to help entrepreneurs and small business owners bring their vision to life through their website.
On top of that, I get to be part of Boston Business Women as a Marketing & Sales Team Member, which has been such an incredible experience. I love working with a community of driven, passionate women and helping them grow their businesses—it’s so inspiring!
Q: What is your favorite part of your work / running your business?
A: One of my favorite parts of what I do is connecting with entrepreneurs and hearing their vision. There’s something so inspiring about seeing their excitement and passion. It makes me just as excited to help bring their ideas to life through their website and marketing. Whether it’s through my business or my work with Boston Business Women, I love being surrounded by driven, passionate entrepreneurs who are making things happen.
Q: What is a typical day in your life like?
A: My mornings kick off with getting my kids ready for school. Depending on the day, I might squeeze in a quick run first or head straight to the office. Once I'm there, it’s a mix of designing, editing websites, or working on Boston Business Women projects and daily tasks. After that, I head home and keep working while I wait for the kids to get off the bus. Evenings are all about family and involve relaxing, spending time together, and getting the kids ready for bed. Rinse and Repeat!
Q: What are your hopes and dreams for your business?
A: My hope is to scale my business beyond just client work. I want to build a solid foundation offering website templates and other resources to help business owners that are just starting out. I’d love to step back from handling every task myself and focus more on strategy and growth. I also want to continue working (and growing) with Boston Business Women. I love working with a strong community of female entrepreneurs who support and uplift each other. Basically, I see my business growing into a place where I can focus on helping others succeed.
Q: Are there any other businesses or people who inspire you with your work?
A: I’m lucky enough to be inspired every day by the amazing women in Boston Business Women and their incredible stories they share. Their passion and drive push me to keep growing, too. Also, working with Kristina Tsipouras Miller has been incredibly inspiring; watching how she’s built and expanded her businesses has motivated me to keep pushing forward and striving for new goals.
Q: Are there any words of wisdom that you live by in your work?
If your work isn’t bringing you joy, trust where your instincts are leading you.
About Editorial Mini Sessions
Editorial Mini Sessions are 15 minute portrait sessions based on the backdrops and lighting styles Diana uses when photographing magazine assignments.
If you’re interested in signing up for an Editorial Mini Session, please email dianalevinephotographer@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list, where you’ll receive all the upcoming dates and details! Each Editorial Mini, Diana chooses a different backdrop and lighting that she uses when photographing magazine covers and features, and books 15 minute photo sessions so that anyone can join for beautiful, creative, magazine-style portraits! You can learn more at dianalevine.com/editorialminisessions
Diana’s Editorial Mini Sessions take place at various studio spaces in the Greater Boston, Massachusetts area. These Mini Session days are convenient for people who live in the Greater Boston or MetroWest Boston area, including: Newton, Needham, Wellesley, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Natick, Westwood, Weston, Wayland, Sherborn, Dover, Medfield, Sudbury, Waltham, Ashland, Southborough, Concord, and Lexington.
At Diana’s Headshots Mini Sessions and Editorial Mini Sessions, she regularly photographs executives, attorneys, medical professionals, psychologists, realtors, business, marketing and communications specialists, journalists, authors, wellness and fitness instructors, designers, dancers, stylists, creatives, and professionals of all backgrounds in the Boston area. She uses the same studio lighting she uses for magazine editorial portraits, and retouching is included with all final selected photos.
About Diana
Diana Levine is a Boston based editorial photographer, specializing in portraits for magazines, headshots, branding portraits, families and children. Her clients include Boston Globe Magazine, Boston Magazine, BC Law Magazine, Simmons Magazine and more. She has photographed notable personalities such as Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys, Usher, New Kids on the Block, One Direction, among many other musicians, actors, politicians, athletes and more. You can find her full portfolio at dianalevine.com
Behind the Scenes
Behind the scenes from my Editorial Mini Session with Sarah Conti!
