When we started chatting with Moenja, she melted our hearts. 

If you’ve been following Readcity for a little while, you’ll know that we LOVE supporting startups and Moenja’s new business, Moonsign, is exactly that.

Moenja’s sweet excitement for her business brought us back to the early days of Readcity and how we felt when we first quit our day jobs to start following our dreams.  A little wary, full of excitement and buzzing with a whole new sense of faith.

Moonsign is a brand new ‘venture for Moenja but don’t be mistaken, she is already a master of her own craft. You just have to take a quick squiz at her portfolio to see that!

I think we can all relate to Moenja’s story.  Read on to learn more about this beautiful business lady.

Tell us a little bit about your business Moonsign

“Moonsign is my freelance graphic design business.  I actually only started one month ago!  After I applied for a partner visa I thought that this is the time to finally start settling down here on the beautiful Gold Coast.

I already had a lot of people asking me for graphic design work so I thought why not make it official and offer this service to more than just my friends.  It is surprisingly going really well!  I am far away from where I finally want to be with this
business but I feel this startup is taking off nicely.

Oh, and a fun facts about the name… My name Moenja (pronounced: Munya).  It is hard for people in Australia to say, so I always say ‘just call me Moon.’

The name Moonsign comes from the mix of Moon and Design.  And at the same time it sounds like Moonshine, which is a bit cute.”

What has inspired you to choose this career path?

“Coming from an artistic family and being surrounded by art and music all day made it easy to get into! When I chose to go in the graphic design direction and started studying, I loved every minute of it. I can spend hours and hours creating new designs, ideas and drawings.  For me it doesn’t feel like working!”

What do you find most challenging about running your own business and the most fun?

“The most challenging thing is definitely finding clients and having a regular income. This is something I am still really struggling with as a newbie. But I am trying different techniques and I am slowly trying to make my name bigger here on the Gold Coast.

The most fun part is, of course, the fact that I am my own boss! I am not a typical 9-5 person,  so having my own business gives me the opportunity to plan my own
days.  For example, I get a lot more creative in the evenings and I might not be able to make use of this in a regular job!”

What do you get up to in your spare time?

“I love nature, so in my spare time I try to go to the beach… Into the mountains. I love
having dinner and drinks with friends. And I love to travel. Having my family and close friends back home in Holland can be really hard but I try to see them as much as I can.”

What do you love most about having your own business?

“I love spending my time on something that I have created myself. Something that I love
to see grow and I can spend hours and hours researching to improve myself and my
business. I have set goals for myself and I love working towards these goals.  I am
trying to enjoy every minute.”

Who is a girl boss you admire and why?

“My mother! My mum came to The Netherlands as a refugee from Morocco. She didn’t speak a word Dutch and didn’t know anyone. She always dreamed of having a big property with a lot of land, where she could create her art, grow her own fruit and veggies and doing something for other people. After years of working really hard she made her dream come true and started a ‘care farm’ for people with autism.”

You can contact Moenja through the Moonsign website, follow her on Instagram and get chat over Facebook.  Come on now, don’t be shy!

Have you read up on our other interviews?  Macrame queen Emilia Lorena, video extrordinaire Rosie Van and Spell Gal Mel Carrero to name a few.  Do you want to feature your business?  Get in touch!