COVER STORY | Tanya Smith of Geneva/Maple Park

Reveling in the Special Moments, this Loca Designer is Passionate About Expression through Branding & Marketing

GENEVA/MAPLE PARK–Widowed at the age of 26, Tanya (Meier) Smith learned early on to live with no bounds after suffering the profound loss of her first true love. That’s what makes the words of Emily Dickinson speak to her so much….it will never come again is what makes life so sweet, so she has learned to take the chance, grow, evolve, set goals, allow space to change, and always remember that the hardest decisions in life often lead to the most rewarding places!

Against the odds, Tanya opened her first storefront Addelise (named after her daughters, Addison (13) and Elise (11), at the end of the pandemic, and helps clients with visual branding, web design, print design, storefront and merchandise design. She is passionate about expressing their perseverance and desires through branding and online marketing mediums.

Now married to her husband David of 14 years, everything is about family which also includes two mini pygmy pet goats, a Quarter Horse, a Mini Schnauzer, and a cat. They are an outdoors family into motorsports, horses, 4-H, and community events.

“Despite the bumps in the road and continuous moments of self-doubt, my greatest moments are knowing I am doing something right as a mom, having my daughters come to me and share their life with me,” Tanya shares. “As you enter your 40's, you release so much of what doesn't serve you, and allow yourself to focus on what really is important.

Tanya hopes to always revel in the special moments, travel to Germany and Ireland, horseback ride on a cattle drive, and someday own a Mini Cow Farm!

-Kristen Kucharski, Photos Submitted