Rotanz Design

POV: Raising 2 kids, keeping my biz afloat and continuing to search for the ever elusive “balance”.

On any given day you can find me nursing my baby 7-8x and then deciding whether nap times will be used for work, cleaning the house, working out, basic hygiene, lunch, gardening or sitting down and doing absolutely nothing for a hot second. If my oldest is home from daycare then there’s a chance I’ll get a unicorn moment when they’re both napping, but I know never to bank on it. I may not get a break, but at least I’m really loving play/art time lately 🥹

So my life update is: I’m working part-time with my ongoing clients and trying to soak up this wild and beautiful season of motherhood. In other words, I’m trying to have my cake and eat it too. It’s not pretty, but it’s working for our family (shoutout to my husband and medication for getting me through postpartum insanity 🫶🏼). Shoutout to all the other mamas out there too! I SEE YOU!

Carmen will start daycare in the new year so feel free to reach out if you know you’ll have design needs in 2026!

After Hurricane Helene, the true impact of the destruction has finally set in. So many lives were lost, homes were ruined or washed away and the infrastructure has been severely damaged. Our hearts are breaking in Western North Carolina as we absorb and process this disaster.

Small businesses and creatives are the lifeblood of this region and what makes this area so unique and vibrant. The culture, the art, the food, the beer and the people are some of the reasons tourists flock here… especially this time of year. While a lot of businesses were lucky to avoid flooding, tree damage and other structural issues, many are left facing so many unknowns since the water system is under repair and may be for a while. Without running water, many businesses can’t operate and are unsure how to support their staff and keep up with their overhead. There is a lot to navigate with insurance claims, lack of flood insurance, applying for aid and loans, bills, clean up, lost products, and just an overall anxiety about the future and economy in general.

With all this uncertainty, small businesses and creatives are scrambling to figure out a plan. There are SO many GoFundMe’s setup for these types of businesses and it can be overwhelming to know where to go. The region has significant needs, and I know many want to support the individuals who make it unique. This post highlights their individual fundraisers. Some on this list are my clients, some are friends, some are businesses I love or have been following closely during this disaster and others have been shared with me. I’ve also shared a few other nonprofits and organizations that are working directly in the community to provide critical needs like water, food and healthcare.

Please share other businesses and artist’s fundraisers with me so I can add them to the list (you can email me at katie@rotanzdesign). I’ll update as frequently as I can.

Don’t forget to support those that are able to operate too! Thank you in advance for your support.

Here's the link: https://www.rotanzdesign.com/blog/support-wnc-businesses-artists-helene

My little biz is 7 years old today! Thanks for being part of the ride 😎✌🏼🥹

Phase I of my new website is live! Is it finished, nope, but if I didn’t launch this now I honestly don’t know when it would happen. While I still have quite a bit of work to do on my site, it’s in a good place. I also had to follow my own advice that I give to my clients: let’s just launch the d*** thing! It’s easy to get cold feet and feel like the website has to be absolutely PERFECT, but the beauty of web design is the ever evolving nature of it. I can improve, update and expand over time.

It’s been a breath of fresh air to get my new brand out in the world and feel proud of my website again. Feel free to check out the live site! rotanzdesign.com