From Corporate to Design: Deborah Zellweger | The Untold Founder Stories with Priyesh Tiwarkar

What does starting again look like after ten years in a corporate career? Deborah Zellweger left her job in IT sales to pursue design. She had savings, completed a design bootcamp and hoped to join an agency in London. Getting hired proved harder than she expected, and projects for friends gradually became the beginning of her own business. In this episode of The Untold Founder Stories, I sit down with Deborah to explore that transition: the first paying client, the interview that changed how she presented her work, and the uncertainty behind building a new career. We discuss: • Leaving a well-paid corporate role to pursue design. • How helping a friend during lockdown sparked a career change. • Turning early unpaid projects into paid client work. • Learning to explain the thinking behind your design decisions. • Why she wishes she’d approached her existing network sooner. • Building relationships by meeting clients in person. • The role of family and partner support when starting out. • Brand strategy, visual identity and understanding what clients actually need. • Using AI while keeping your own judgement and voice. Deborah shares what worked, what she would approach differently, and what she’s still figuring out. CONNECT WITH DEBORAH LinkedIn:   / deborahzellweger   Instagram:   / deborahzellweger   Book a conversation: https://calendly.com/deborah-zellwege... ABOUT THE PODCAST The Untold Founder Stories is a weekly podcast hosted by Priyesh Tiwarkar about the people behind businesses and careers. Through conversations with founders, freelancers, consultants and other professionals, we explore how they started, the challenges they faced and the decisions that shaped their journey. Subscribe for more conversations and practical lessons from people building something meaningful. ABOUT PRIYESH & ONCREATION I’m Priyesh Tiwarkar, founder of Oncreation and Web Services, a website design and development company working with UK agencies. We provide website strategy, custom design, development, testing and launch support across WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Framer and Next.js. As a white-label partner, we deliver under an agency’s brand while they manage their client relationships. Explore Oncreation: https://oncreationandwebservices.com/ Connect with me:   / priyesh-tiwarkar   #TheUntoldFounderStories #CareerChange #BrandDesign