Today we’d like to introduce you to Terri Penshorn.
Hi Terri, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When I graduated from college with a Chemistry degree, I went to work in a Biochemistry lab at the Univ. of IA. It was NOT for me. On a weekend shopping trip with my sister, I happened upon a college fair at a local shopping mall. Right outside the store we were going to was a booth for an Accelerated Pharmacy program at Drake University. I had thought about going to pharmacy school when I was in high school, but didn’t have contacts to talk to about that, and my family circumstances prevented me from going to a university that had a pharmacy program. I never did get into the store– instead I spoke to the school rep and took home all the papers and application. I discovered I was missing one prerequisite class and by God’s grace I was able to take that class on my lunch hours at my Biochem lab job, right in the same building! That next summer, I moved to Des Moines, IA and started school. I graduated with a B.S. in Pharmacy and worked for almost 7 years in that role. When I had my first son, I retired from pharmacy. Soon after, more little boys were added to my life and I chose to take on the SAHM role. As they grew up and got more independent and capable, my mind got restless and I wanted to use my brain more. I had missed out on the advent of people using computers at work and home, and that didn’t feel OK. I thought everyone knew how to use them and I didn’t. I also wanted to do something to help others, be creative yet perfectionistic, and for my job to be portable. So I landed on website design and development. Back to school I went. I ended up getting a 2 year degree at a local community college in IT, and then started my business and started teaching myself how to work with various website building platforms. This summer ( 2026 ) will be my 6th business anniversary.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My road has had ups and downs. The biggest ups are my willingness to stick to something and learn how to figure it out, to be humble and not over-promise, and to find good people to have as peers.
The struggles I have mostly relate to project scope creep and me developing boundaries to protect myself. I like to help people, and some people will take advantage and ask me to do much more than our contracted project for no extra charge.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Red Balloon Web Design is a small independent website design/development agency that really specializes in clients who are solopreneurs or have tiny to small businesses. My motto is “easy to talk to-affordable-quality work” and I really embody that. I understand 100% about being techo-phobic and being overwhelmed yet really needing to have an online presence. So I hold hands, explain things, go at the pace the client is comfortable with, answer questions about WHY this or that, assist in getting images or copywriting via my network contacts, and gently help to create or modify a website.
I have worked on several website building platforms — WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddyWebsites — and have the knowledge and skill to add in custom code for donation portals, payment portals, adding videos, adding animation to websites, linking to sales pages in Amazon, Barnes&Noble, etc.
I am most proud of the breadth of people that I have assisted with projects and how I have helped bring new charitable and business ventures to life. My projects have given visibility and renewed purpose to business people and on-line exposure to various charities. To be honest, its been a blast! Where else in life do you get to help a death doula, a pioneering medical device company, a Hebrew cantor, and Santa Claus?
I work hard on my projects and I understand that small organizations cannot pay alot of money for my services. I am flexible in my payment plans and my fees are intentionally reasonable so that I can help the people that reach out to me.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
My industry will probably be overwhelmed by AI bots, but I do think there will still be a need for real people listening to clients’ requests and wishes and being able to make it happen. AI doesn’t have the heart and soul that Red Balloon Web Design does, and I hope that people can see that and value personal relationships as they build their businesses or charities.
Pricing:
- $75/hr. for website on-demand edits
- see website for details for new builds or remodels
- $200 to build out Google Business Profile
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.redballoonwebdesign.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redballoonwebdesign
