WEB DESIGNER AND OWNER OF MOXIE STUDIOS

Tell us a little about yourself!

Hi, I’m Joelle. I’m a web designer and developer specializing in fabulous websites for authors and speakers.  My business, Moxie Design Studios, is over 20 years old and I live in San Diego, CA with my wife and our dog, Moo.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I bake cookies, mostly. I have a budding bakery business called Chubette that takes up most of my free time these days. I otherwise enjoy drag brunch with my friends and floating in my best friend’s hot tub with a box of wine. Because that’s classy, right?

Tell us about your business. How did you get into it and why do you enjoy it?

I started tinkering with HTML and websites around 1996, but when blogging happened, opportunity presented itself! I began with a blog in 2003, then I met a friend with her own blog and we decided we wanted to make other blogs prettier – a side hustle to design blogs while we worked our corporate jobs. But after a year, it became clear we had a viable business, so we quit our jobs and started Moxie Design Studios. Eventually, we were approached by a major publisher to write a book about blog design! And almost 21 years later, I’m still going strong, designing websites for popular New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors.

What do you enjoy about helping authors on their publishing journey?

I love creating websites for authors that reflect their genre or personal style. Or both! So often, especially when working with a budget, authors will be stuck with a site that almost does what or looks how they want, but it’s never just what they want. When we work together and a project launches, I LOVE the reactions of “This is exactly what I was hoping for!” It’s the best part. 

Who are some of your favorite authors, and why?

Confession: I don’t get a chance to read as much as I used to. But when I grab a moment, I love satire/essayists like David Sedaris or escapist novels like those by my clients Cassandra Clare or Leigh Bardugo. And I have a soft spot for quirky romance, like those by Alexis Hall.

Do you have any literary pet peeves?

(not really? lol)

Anything else you’d like our authors to know about you?

I like to create lasting relationships with my clients; some I’ve worked with for over 15 years! I don’t just launch your website and fall off the planet. I’m available for maintenance, updates, questions… whatever you need. I’m always excited to help you establish your brand and web presence, so I want to be there to support it after the launch.

Where can our authors see your work and get in touch with you?

You can find me on my website at Moxie Design Studios where you can check out my portfolio that, let’s be real, probably needs updating. 🙂

Definitely check out Joelle’s work, and be sure to tell her Two Birds sent you!

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