Like her clients, Kim spent many years hiding her pain and dissatisfaction behind a perfect façade and impossible expectations. As a therapist and proponent of Brené Brown's methodology, she knows how much joy and satisfaction are possible when we do the scary, hard work of figuring out what's important to us and chase after those desires. This led us to our big idea of "Chasing Courage," allowing us to shift from her previous business name, Courageous Leadership, to her personal name while still keeping the essence of what Kim's all about.

Our strategy keywords are courageous, wise, and ease. The color psychology of slate is integrity and intelligent, pool is serene and spacious, and goldenrod is grounded and supportive. Her colors were pulled from existing brand photography that beautifully expressed the calm, reassuring mood of her brand which supports her clients on their path to creating a more joyful, peaceful life.

branding & identity, behind the scenesMichelle ClaytonMay 24, 2023

Brand Design for True Grace

With 30 years of experience as an Occupational Therapist, Mary Ellen knows the importance of holistic health—not just your body, but also your mind, spirit, and soul. As a spiritual director and health coach, she works with truth seekers of all faiths looking to find their way on the spiritual path. She's especially attuned to supporting those recovering from an addiction, disability, or facing life-threatening illness.

With this in mind, our strategy keywords for True Grace are sacred, whole, and joyful. The color psychology of peony is warmth and action, thistle is spiritual and wisdom, and sage is health and restoration. Her color palette is fun yet soothing, a perfect reflection of Mary Ellen and the safe space she creates for her clients.

branding & identity, behind the scenesMichelle ClaytonFebruary 15, 2023

Brand Design for The Nerdy Keeper

If you're a small business owner who hates doing your bookkeeping, I can't wait for you to meet this week's brand reveal. You probably know the drudgery of wasting your Saturdays buried in receipts and balance sheets and the anxiety of wondering if they're really balanced or not. 🥴 And let's not even talk about the dreaded tax man...

branding & identity, behind the scenesMichelle ClaytonJanuary 18, 2023

Brand Design for Everyday Effectiveness

Gwen Bortner is an Operations Strategist who believes support makes a huge difference between what you do and what you wish you did. At Everyday Effectiveness, she helps women define and stay accountable to the right goals—ones that work for them, not someone else—so they can get out of overwhelm and enjoy their entrepreneurial journey. Hop in for a fun, little road trip behind the scenes of this week's reveal!

branding & identity, behind the scenesMichelle ClaytonDecember 8, 2022

Brand Design for VetCoach International

Helping women sparkle and shine is at the heart of what I do, and working with women who are all about that sparkle makes it so much fun. Filling emails and Voxer messages with emojis is also a love language I share with many of my clients, including this week's reveal. 🎉🥰🦋

branding & identity, behind the scenesMichelle ClaytonNovember 9, 2022

Brand Design for The Solid Bow

Nichole Forsline and I met when we both joined Racheal Cook's CEO Collective,* meeting in-person at the quarterly retreats and even sharing a hotel room! She's the most beautiful human, has more energy than I could ever muster, and has built an incredibly successful business over the past decade called The Solid Bow. Now 10+ years into business, Nichole knew it was time to upgrade from her DIY brand to a visual identity that's as high-quality as her products and first-rate customer service.

branding & identity, behind the scenesMichelle ClaytonSeptember 21, 2022

Recovering from Creative Depletion

It's taken me a while, but I wanted to continue a conversation I started in May about "Recovering from Stress Overload and Creative Depletion." If you weren't here for part one, you can read about my journey with stress here. As expected, it struck a chord with so many women, and I was grateful but sad to hear that many of us have been struggling with ridiculous levels of stress in our lives.

business resources, behind the scenesMichelle ClaytonSeptember 8, 2022

Brand Design for Furey Consulting

Carole-Anne Furey and I first met when we worked together over 20 years ago at the same advertising agency—she in the finance department and I on the creative team. Over the years we lost track of each other until we reunited through a mutual friend at a local networking event, both of us now out of "corporate" and running our own businesses. (Never underestimate the value of long-term relationships!)

branding & identity, behind the scenesMichelle ClaytonAugust 24, 2022

Brand Design for Diana Murphy Coaching

Diana Murphy is a coach for successful CEOs and business owners who can’t see any way out of the overwhelm and constant stress of working harder and longer. As one of the early Directors of The Gallup Organization, best known for creating the StrengthsFinders test (I'm a huge fan!), she knows a thing or two about building businesses from your strengths without burning out. She's an absolute powerhouse and a delight to work with and have in my corner. You're going to love this behind the scenes!

branding & identity, behind the scenesMichelle ClaytonJune 22, 2022