112: Growing a Business & Wealth with Katell and Jon of Reverielane

Wealth by Design

Katell and Jon, a husband and wife design team, are founders of Reverielane, a purpose-driven brand and web design firm. Katell’s experiences living in The Ivory Coast in Africa and France have honed her keen eye for design. Paired with her entrepreneurial drive, as well as Jon’s technical skills and creative spirit, led to the growth of Reverielane.

We were so excited to talk to Katell and Jon about Reverielane, their thoughts on investing and building wealth, and their long-term goals for their business and personal lives.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• [02:00] How and why Katell started Reverielane
• [05:14] What “living life on your own terms” means to Jon and Katell
• [08:39] What it means to build wealth
• [11:00] Investing and growing assets
• [13:54] Jon and Katell’s investment goals
• [17:09] Our guests’ thoughts on debt
• [18:48] Preparing for the unknown
• [20:49] Long-term goals for Reverielane
• [28:11] Jon and Katell’s underlying passions outside of the business

Reverielane’s origin story

Katell moved to the United States from France in 2010. Rather than starting a new career working for someone else, she decided to go all in and launch a graphic design business.

“When I moved here, I saw the possibility of creating something on my own,” said Katell. “And I decided to go that way instead.”

Katell took the first few years to hone her graphic design skills. With Jon still working a traditional job, the timing was perfect to launch Reverielane. Plus, starting her own business that would also work with a family lifestyle was always one of Katell’s goals.

“I’ve always wanted to make my own money,” said Katell. “Creating something that I could do from home and raise the kids, that seemed like the cherry on top.”

Jon was working with Katell on Reverielane, kind of as his “night job” in addition to his regular job. But when they both realized the potential to grow Reverielane and looked at what it could become, he decided to go all in and work on it full-time.

At the beginning, Katell and Jon had different mindsets on income and investing.

“The initial step was, ‘let’s survive the first month,’” said John. “Katell came in and said, ‘No, this needs to be our financial goal right away.’”

He realized she was right. By making space for investing in Reverielane from the beginning, they were able to look beyond that month-to-month idea of simply making ends meet. They were on a path to growing their wealth.

Living life on their own terms

Katell pointed out that running a business with your partner sounds, in theory, “very idyllic and fun,” but it’s hard work. Making that decision to have only one income source was tough, but it was how they could work towards their dreams. Flexibility was key: the flexibility to work from home, to travel if they wanted, and also to give to others if they had the means.

Flexibility played an important role in their other decisions, too. Jon and Katell chose Southern California as a place to settle down, grow the business, and raise a family, but they were always open to other options should the need arise.

“Not that you want to be moving every six months, but the mindset helped us feel confident in our decision,” said Jon. “It was awesome to get to move based on our own desires, rather than what was pulling us.”

Flexibility also influences how they run Reverielane. For example, creative work in their industry tends to fluctuate. Rather than stick to a monthly budget for the business, they budget by quarter instead. That’s a great tip for creative entrepreneurs: you don’t have to follow certain rules because that’s the way you’re “supposed” to operate a business. Be flexible and do what works for you.

Building wealth to give back

What’s in the cards for Katell and Jon in the future? Of course, Reverielane’s success is one of their goals. Offering more options to clients and customers and scaling the business is what Katell and Jon are focused on now. If, in the future, the business evolves so much that they may sell it, they’re open to it.

We asked Jon and Katell what they would be doing if income wasn’t a factor. What are their underlying passions they’d pursue if they could? Music is a big part of Jon’s life; he played cello as a kid and pursued audio engineering as a degree. Writing short fiction and making short films, creating things as he wants and as the inspiration hits would be his dream.

Giving back, as Katell mentions often in this episode, is very important to her. That may look like investing in an AirBnB to offer others a place to stay. Or it may be starting a foundation, or a restaurant.

“We don’t want to just build wealth to be ‘wealthy.’ We always want to have a heart full of generosity and kindness,” said Katell. “We want to be able to serve people, to impact people.”

This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

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RESOURCES & PEOPLE MENTIONED

• • Build Wealth and Make an Impact With ESG Investing: Episode 076
  • Ladder Life
  • Shay Cochrane and Graham Cochrane
  • Join the Know Your Numbers challeng
  • Want more help? Check out our new program, Wealth by Design™ DIY!
  • Schedule a free call with us — Are we a good fit for your financial planning needs?

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