I get it. I mean I really, REALLY get it. Because that was me on Monday night.
Frustrated, confused, overwhelmed, stuck, tired. Feeling like a fraud, imperfect, afraid, like I'm letting everyone down. Fed up with answering “I don’t know!” to every question.
I felt all of it, and I imagine you have too.
“The cobbler whose children have no shoes." You know – when you’re so great at working your magic for clients but neglect making the same transformation for yourself? Yeah, that. It sucks.
If you haven’t guessed it yet, I’m a big fan of improving productivity and efficiency. After all, that’s what branding does when you finally have all the core visual pieces that will allow your business to really grow. You stop wasting time tweaking all the things and start spending more time and energy where it’s needed most — attracting and serving your clients.
Read MoreIt may sound strange to say that branding and parenting have anything in common at all. However, when we consider what we want the end result to be for both, there are a couple truths that quickly rise to the surface.
(And, for the record, you don’t have to be a parent to understand this. Anyone who spends any time around kiddos – whether that's as a neighbor, friend, auntie, volunteer, teacher, or coach – will see that this is true. So that pretty much includes all of us!)
Read MoreAre you completely over the “oh-my-gosh-it’s-January-1-and-I-gotta-make-all-the-plans-and-set-all-my-goals” freak out phase yet?
Well, are you? Good. Me too.
Yes, I’ve done some planning, and, yes, that can be a really good thing, but I’m not always the best at it. (One week I’ll meal plan and the next week we eat pb&j. Just sayin’.) It’s definitely something I’ve been aiming to be more intentional with lately, but the first 2 weeks of January can feel like so much striving sometimes.
Over 2017 I read a short stack of books, all of which I liked. But there were 3 special books that have made a huge impact on me. Since the question of the month on Facebook seems to be “what books do you recommend?”, here are my top 3.
Read MoreI know I talk a lot about what to include in your branding. Your strategy. Your hierarchy. More of “you". Your logo. Your fonts. Your colors.
But have you thought about what NOT to include? Because what’s NOT in your brand is as important as what IS in it.
White space (also called "negative space") is the blank space between all the other elements. It allows the important areas to "pop,” helps determine hierarchy, and gives your eye a quiet place to rest.
And if you think it’s important for your brand, it can absolutely transform your life.
Read MoreYou’ve spent the past few months scrolling Pinterest, pinning drool-worthy brand boards that grab your attention and, let’s be honest, make you a little jealous. You know you need to make your brand look more professional and use colors and fonts that reflect who you are, but how exactly do you do that?
You’re thinking about working with a brand designer—someone who creates visual brands all day every day. Well, except for quick trips to refill her oversized coffee mug. (Decaf, please!) Before you work with one, there’s some important homework to do.
Stop scrolling Pinterest, and answer these four questions first.
Read MoreI don’t want to make you jealous, but I really have the best job ever. Actually I have the best clients which make this the best job. Ever.
I have women who share their dreams, goals, and mission with me and then trust me to translate them into authentic, attractive, meaningful brands. They are honest, brave, talented, and do so much good in the world that it’s my crazy pleasure to work with each and every one of them.
But I haven’t been very good about sharing that work with the rest of you. I’m a pretty private person, so to show off finished projects feels a little like, well, showing off. But it’s not about me. It’s about them. So if you’ve wondered what the “behind the scenes” looks like in the branding process, or if it all just sounds like artsy fartsy mumbo jumbo, then hop on in and take a look. This one’s a beauty, both the branding and the owner!
Read MoreWhen I say the word “simple,” what comes to mind?
Do you think of minimalism or black and white? Or those cute capsule wardrobes? Or maybe you equate “simple" with “easy."
What if I told you that, at its core, simplicity is none of those things? Those may be the result of simplicity, but they are not the starting point.
If you’d like to understand what simplicity is and how to achieve it in your brand (& your life), then keep reading.
Read MoreAs an entrepreneur or small business owner, I dare say you're no stranger to fear. Sometimes those fears weigh you down for a time, sometimes they propel you forward, and sometimes they just are — like an uninvited guest that you're aware of but try not to pay too much attention to.
But sometimes that fear wiggles its way right into your branding. What should be fun and creative and colorful causes a mild sense of panic.
Don’t believe me? Keep reading and I’ll show you how it shows up and what you can do about it!
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