Back in my middle school days, I couldn’t wait for the mail to come so I could browse my latest magazines: YM, Teen, Cosmo Girl and Seventeen. My favorite parts were the quizzes… I couldn’t get enough of them! With the rise of the internet came interactive quizzes! Years later, those silly “which celebrity are you” and “what’s your spirit animal” quizzes are still popular. Why do they work? They’re fun, they spike your curiosity and they make you feel like part of the “in” crowd. When your friends are all posting that they’ve been accepted into Gryffindor and Slytherin, you suddenly have to kn ..read more

I was on my way to a friend’s farmhouse — one I’d had trouble finding once before — when the cement turned to gravel and the gravel turned to a faint trail through unkempt weeds. Every part of me wanted to turn around, but I had made it so far and the GPS showed it was just around the corner. I pushed forward, bouncing over rocks and flattening the grass beneath. It’s a wonder I didn’t blow a tire or get stuck in the muck. I finally made it to the back entrance of the neighborhood, only to discover a padlocked gate. With a dirt-covered car, tear-stained cheeks and shaking palms, I made my way ..read more

Ok, so please don't think I'm a hypocrite for posting about a brand redesign the week after warning against updating your graphics due to Shiny Design Syndrome. While constantly changing your graphics can be detrimental to your brand positioning & recognition, planning a strategic redesign can actually have the opposite effect and launch your business to the next level. Benefits of an intentional redesign include: Gaining a more professional presence to show your authority status Getting clear on who you want to work with and what your business values are Connecting with your clients at a ..read more

Have you ever opened a website so gorgeous that you suddenly wanted to change everything about your own? Have you ever looked at a competitor's Instagram graphics and immediately jumped in Canva to tweak your templates? Are you constantly making changes to your fonts, colors or web theme — only to change things again when you see something you like better? Sounds like you suffer from Shiny Design Syndrome (SDS). While it's not fatal, it can cause temporary loss of clients, time and sanity. Side Effects Include: Loss of brand recognition due to ever-changing graphics, fonts & colors Client ..read more

Hopefully my last post got you excited to start delegating and growing your business! The toughest part is deciding what to delegate! If you’re tired of trying to DIY your graphics… If your designs aren’t cohesive across all social media, web and print platforms… If you just don’t have time to make your new course, Facebook ads, social media and branding look pretty & strategic… Here are 5 time-saving tasks you should be delegating: Branding Your logo, website and graphics are the face of your business. When people see your designs, do they picture you as a professional that they can trust ..read more

I’m a DIY gal, born into a DIY family. Growing up, my mom did everything for us from haircuts to Halloween costumes and everything in between. My, dad as a contractor, continues to do all of the architecture, framing, roofing, drywall, etc on his building projects. Our family motto might as well be “If you can do it yourself, then do it yourself – even if it takes twice as long.” While this stance is partly due to pride (no one builds a house quite as quality and unique as my dad), it’s also because we’re economical cheap. Why spend money when you could do it yourself for free? While the DIY r ..read more

All eyes were on me as we got started. Apparently the host had been bragging about me before I even got there — the pressure was on! I’d love to end the story with how awesome I did, but that would be a lie. I failed. Completely failed. It was a “Pinterest Party” and everyone was to bring a craft idea that they’d pinned. Mine was just a silly paper flower. Easy-peasy, right? Wrong. Oh, so wrong! I did not live up to my friends’ expectations that night! Easier Said Than Done I gained a stronger appreciation for crafters that evening and realized some things are easier said than done! What came ..read more

The struggle is real. You want your brand to reflect you, but you also want to speak to your target clients. How do you decide which way to approach your branding? Connecting with Your Clients Authentically Stop stressing over this and just be you. Ultimately, your personality is going to be revealed through your communication and how you run your business. Your blog posts, emails, phone calls, products/services, and social media posts… as hard as you try to force it, your true nature will always be at the core. So use this to your advantage and build a brand off of it! You’ll show up as authe ..read more

With three older sisters, my poor brothers were tormented with beauty sessions at least once a year when they were little. We’d tie their bowl cuts into pig tails, glamorize their faces with blush and lipstick, and layer them in our finest princess dresses! (Don’t worry, they turned out completely normal)! I put my husband through similar torture today as I forced him to take my color personality quiz. What style are you babe… sparkles & polka dots or whimsical watercolors? He didn’t even know what whimsical meant, yet, I was still able to predict which personality type he would get! I’ve ..read more

What's in a color? Ummm… a lot! Besides the general psychology behind various colors —yellow & red make you hungry, purple means royalty, green means money or earth — your colors can direct how people think and feel about your brand! My favorite thing in branding is to make sure that everything is cohesive! Your brand is a compilation of everything together – colors, messaging, logo, website, values, and so much more! With my clients, I strategically choose colors that represent the messaging and values they want to be known for. And yes, I make them look pretty while I’m at it (beca ..read more