transcript

Brand Vision Workshop

So welcome, welcome.

0:04:07 Let's kind of talk about how this is going to go. So what I'd like to do is if you've been through the guide, you've seen there are a lot of exercises and prompts as well as just some general information about building a brand.

0:04:23 And I don't necessarily wanna repeat everything, but I did want to kind of bring the prompts and put them up here in case you're seeing them for the first time.

0:04:31 We won't have time to sit and take time with each prompt today. But we can a, we can kind of talk through them and then if you want a more guided experience as you go through the guide, you'll have the replay and you could pause after I put the prompts on the screen in the replay so that it feels like you're not doing it alone.

0:04:49 And then a couple of them we will take more time and there's a visualization if you've been through the guide that I think is really fun to go through and have someone take you through it instead of just writing through it.

0:04:58 So you can see what's useful for you. And then in terms of the how the guide is structured, the kind of last third is sort of the, the information if you're trying to actually design the brand yourself.

0:05:13 And we're not gonna go too in depth with that today because a lot of it's just technical information and advice that if you read through the guide you can do that because I really want you to first spend the time thinking through these core ideas that is going to inform your design.

0:05:31 You know, a lot of people when they're thinking about designing a brand, their first step is probably to go to somewhere like Pinterest.

0:05:38 And if you take nothing else away from this, I want you to realize that that should not be your first step. 0:05:45 Really thinking about positioning and how you come across to other people in terms of your brand, the more true you are to you and your message.

0:05:54 And the more intentional you are, the more that will resonate with the people that you really wanna reach. And that starts in here and not out there.

0:06:04 But I am gonna show you how to bring in inspiration intentionally as well. So let's see, let's check in on our poll.

0:06:11 Yeah, so we're kind of split across all the different things in terms of not sure where to start having one and needing a refresh and working on it.

0:06:20 So that's great. You're all in the right place. And again, just be sure to pop any questions you have along the way.

0:06:26 In the quest, ask a question section. For the most part we'll probably get to those at the end, but if something's relevant to what we're discussing, then I may answer it in real time.

0:06:38 We'll see how it goes. So I'm gonna start sharing my screen and pull up the slides that are kind of designed to go along with the guide that you already have.

0:06:48 So just give me a minute here. Okay. If someone could let me know if you're able to see my screen, that would be helpful.

0:07:03 Although actually now I can't tell cause I'm over here. But hopefully you can see my screen gonna pop to the beginning.

0:07:13 So yeah, welcome to the brand vision workshop where we're gonna discover this together. I call this a brand discovery process.

0:07:21 It's the process I take clients on as well. And this'll be kind of a fun journey that we can embark on. 0:07:31 I just wanna see if I'm able to check on the chat here. Yep. Okay, awesome. So I'm gonna pop back over and then get going. 0:07:39 I can't see the chat while I'm presenting so I'll try to pop back here as I'm able to to check back in.

0:07:47 Okay, so to get started I really, like I said, I think when you're building your brand, it's not about what's trendy or what you should be doing or what everyone else is doing.

0:07:58 I think the most successful brands begin with what's unique to you or your business. So let's take a moment, begin in alignment and check in.

0:08:08 I want you to just think for a moment about any questions, fears, or concerns you might be bringing with you today about this process as well as what you want to learn, explore, or expand upon.

0:08:20 I, you know, what's got you excited. Anything that is really sticking with you, you may wanna note right now. For yourself.

0:08:28 You can also put it in a question or a chat if you want to and think about what does the idea of building a brand bring up for you or where you are in terms of your brand bring up for you.

0:08:41 For some people this can really have kind of a negative connotation especially if you are someone who is doing something creative, you know, it's so much tied to yourself that it can feel a little icky to like say that you have a brand.

0:08:58 But I want you to reframe that throughout this process. And but also be aware if that's a sticking point for you so you can kind of explore that further.

0:09:08 And then I just wanna think, want you to think about what brought you here now, what brought you here today so you can be mindful of that and take from this what you need.

0:09:17 I'm gonna check the chat here real quick before we dig in. Okay, I think we're still good. Okay, so let's kind of continue here.

0:09:34 So part one in the guide is the foundation, which is really what all of this is, right? Before you're worrying about visuals, before you're worried about marketing or social media, I think you really need to have a strong foundation.

0:09:48 But as much as you may think you need a brand or have heard you need one maybe you don't know exactly what all that entails or you hear some designer jargon, which I probably have used before and you don't know what the differences are.

0:10:03 So a brand while you may be thinking of a logo and colors and things like that, is actually more than that is how your business is, excuse me, how your business is seen or perceived, what people are saying about you.

0:10:18 That overall perception as well as how you show up and the impression that you leave behind. So it's a lot of intangible things that your visuals are part of, but they're only one piece of that.

0:10:30 So the good thing about that is if you're worried about building a brand, you can tell yourself, Hey, I already have one.

0:10:37 It's just a matter of taking stock and thinking about that more intentionally. So then a brand identity is what you may think of when it comes to branding or brand and that's the visuals like your logo, typography, color, and all that fun stuff.

0:10:52 And so I put here that building an intentional brand is about creating an experience that calls your audience to action.

0:10:58 Cuz it's not just all about you and what you like and what you want to portray, but it's also about that experience you're creating for the people that you wanna reach.

0:11:09 Because if you have a business or you're trying to sell your work or your touring with your book or something like that, then you also have an audience.

0:11:17 And so, and that can be intimidating sometimes, but you can also look at that as a collaborative thing of how do I get my personality in here and also speak to the people I really wanna speak to.

0:11:31 So then the brand foundation, how I look at it is this part needs to come before this part and I think this is really most important because you can do it more intentionally.

0:11:42 So it's about you and why you're doing this. It's about who you're serving or who you're selling to, it's about what you're doing and then your vision going forward, especially if you're running your own business or you just have a small team, you likely have a really personal stake in this.

0:11:58 And so it's better to acknowledge that and incorporate it than try to separate yourself too much from it. So we're gonna really spend time with these today and then we'll kind of touch on these last parts as well.

0:12:09 And then you can go deeper in the guide. So I'm just gonna check back in the chat real quick, see how we're doing. So then that part two, your why, who you are, why you're doing this, and why it matters. This I think is just one of the essential steps to spend time with because even though you may have thought about this when you're first starting, it's easy to get distance from that and to forget that.

0:12:39 And if you're ever feeling like you're overwhelmed or overworked or just fatigued, getting back in touch with this can kind of help reignite the excitement you may have had to begin with. And it also will help you get back on the path that you wanna be on. So in your guide, I have these prompts and so I just kind of wanted to talk you through these prompts and why they're important.

0:13:04 So I always like to start with the reasons you started this or chose this path or it found you. And that doesn't just have to be business-related, although obviously there are practical reasons of I didn't want a nine to five job, I want to support my family, I want this freedom and flexibility. But you know, it's all interconnected. So really digging deep into that and really in the guide you'll see, you probably have seen that I give you a whole page for that because I really wanna thank you to think through every reason. And then you can think through how they're connected. You can think about what, what's most important to you and that will vary for everyone. And then once you've kind of thought about that, you can ask yourself, well, why this in particular? Why was it not like, say you're interested in both writing and art.

0:13:53 Why did you choose art over the writing for this season? Why did you not go for this other thing even though you had multiple ideas? 0:14:02 Why not something else? Why this right now? And then again, asking why this matters to you. And of course a lot of this may sound repetitive, but I find that when I'm journaling through something or reflecting on something, the the more ways I can ask a similar question, the more I can unearth and discover that even though you think you know the answers, you may surprise yourself.

0:14:24 So spending time with these can really be a worthwhile pursuit. And then the question that I asked you at the beginning of this workshop, why now? Why are you feeling like you need to build your brand? Why are you feeling like you need to refresh it? What's changed or what's new? Because those can be some good indicators about where you're going and what you'll wanna be sure to include with this.

0:14:48 And then you know, if you're just starting out, you'll have less to say here, but I like to think about your past, your present and your future, where you started, where you are now and where you want to go. 0:14:59 And seeing those all in one place and mapping that trajectory can be really helpful to see if what you have are putting out there still resonates or if something needs to be adjusted.

0:15:09 And when you're thinking about applying this, again, it doesn't have to be just that you're applying this to your visuals, but you can think about how you're showing up the things you're sharing, what you're saying, what you're doing, maybe even what you're offering. Because like I said, your brand encompasses so much more than just those visuals. And I think what you'll notice too is that there may be something that keeps coming up for you. 0:15:33 So really pay attention to that. And if this spurs an idea or an insight, kind of keeps some of that in a separate place so that you have it to come back to take a sip of water and check in here.

0:15:50 Hopefully I'm not going too fast, but you will be able to come back and pause this. The replay will be available automatically. 0:15:57 So when we're done with this, you could start right from the beginning if you wanted to. Okay, so part three, your people and how and why you connect.

0:16:13 If you have been in the marketing area, if you've looked into marketing for yourself, you've probably heard of what's called the ideal client avatar. And while you'll see some similar questions and ways to frame that, I also think that your audience and your people can be defined much more broadly than where they shop, what they look like, the actual demographics.

0:16:37 I like to think about the psychographics as well in terms of how they think, what they're drawn to. So I call them because of the way I run my business. 0:16:46 For me it's my kindred spirits because my business is not for everyone. And chances are yours isn't either. Because if you're trying to market to everyone you really reach no one. 0:16:58 But if you really can dial into who you're trying to attract, who you want to speak to, who you wanna help, that's going to really narrow in your messaging as well.

0:17:07 So you can start with what's already existing, the people who buy from you and support you, who they are, what they're like, and why you connect things you have in common things that they seek you out for. 0:17:20 It can be a mix of what you're good at. And also, you know, some tangential things about your life that, you know, maybe you're all parents and you understand that unique journey.And you can also speak to that. It can be so many different things. It can be people that hold similar values or people that just like your unique perspective on something.

0:17:45 So when you're talking about your ideal customer client, but more important than if you can picture them to me is what are they looking for that only you can offer? 0:17:54 And that doesn't mean that what you offer has to be completely reinventing the wheel, but what's your, your take on it? 0:18:01 What do you do differently? Why do they seek you out? And this, you don't have to necessarily imagine unless you're brand new, but even if you're new, you probably got into this because someone told you that you had something of value or, and you recognized in yourself and you started to hear this confirmation.

0:18:18 So what is it about you that they seek you out? Why you over the next person or the next business? And then where are you connecting? Where are they finding you? Where are you having conversations? Where do you align in terms of values? Where do you intersect with what you can offer and what they're looking for? And then once you've kind of thought through all of that, what, and knowing what you've learned, are you meeting your people's needs?

0:18:46 Are you meeting their goals or the desires with what you offer and how you show up for them? And if you are, that's great, lean into that more. If you feel like there's a disconnect, go out and ask them. And not just ask everyone, but ask the people you really want to be connecting with, how you can help them. And it doesn't mean that you have to create something that you're not interested in, but listening and hearing what resonates for them can probably point you to something that you're excited about as well.

0:19:17 And so then after you've thought about who you are and what you're doing this for and how, and who you're serving, then it comes to the, the main thing that you'll be talking about when you have a business is which is what you do and how you do it. So if you have a business name, it's good to spend some time thinking about that. Or if you don't have one, you can kind of brainstorm around that. But that can evoke different ideas for you. And then beyond the literal name, thinking about what your business or brand embodies, and this can be beyond what you actually do or what you offer, but those intangible things, those core values, those pillars, the things that you come back to again and again.

0:20:06 And then you know, the, the age old, how you describe what you do to a stranger and not when you're like, I gotta do this again. But when you're excited about it, what do you say when you're resonating with this person? What do you say? And then again, how does this connect to who you are and what you feel called to All of those things together kind of make up what's unique about you.

0:20:28 So it's always good to spend some time checking back in with that if you haven't in a while or if you haven't before. 0:20:39 And then thinking about what's working again, if you're new you might be thinking more aspirationally, but if you've been doing this for a while, while even if it's been a few months, it's good to take, stop thinking about what's going really well right now what's worked well in the past and what people respond to most as well as what's gotten you most excited about in the past or an idea that you've had that you're really excited about. And then what is the one thing in your business that really embodies the spirit the most of what you do and why? And like I said, why has you excited? Those things again can be indicators about a pivot or a shift or leaning more into what you're already doing.

0:21:25 And then the opposite of that is what you could change or expand. So thinking about what you want to improve what you wanna stop doing, especially if you're first starting out. Maybe if you're an artist, you're trying all kinds of different media or you've done a bunch of different styles or maybe you've offered commissions and that's becoming a time suck and you really just wanna lean into the things that you're, that are more self-driven. If you are a service provider, maybe you have a whole a la carte service menu and you're in your industry but you'll do pretty much anything within that.

0:22:06 But some of those are taking energy away from you. I think what you don't do is just as important as what you do and those things can help define you. And then asking always, what do you wanna build upon the things that you are excited about? How can you do more of that? How could it shift or evolve? And I know that's a lot. So like I said, we don't have the time necessarily to answer these one by one if you're journaling, but if anything does come up for you today, I hope you'll jot some notes down and then you can revisit this as well.

0:22:44 We'll take a moment here just so you can kind of catch up. If you could let me know in the chat how you're all doing. 0:22:54 If anything's come up, it looks like we do have a question. Okay, Emily asks, In regards to audience, when there are things I love that my audience isn't responding to as well as they do to some other things, I haven't looked as liked as much. Where do I focus my intention attention? That's a really good question, Emily. And you know, I think that'll vary. Sometimes it really can be a clue that something's not working and in that case maybe you have someone trusted within that audience that you could actually get their feedback.

0:23:29 Cuz sometimes them not responding just means they haven't seen it. We all know right? That especially in online spaces that people have to see things again and again. So part of my answer would be if it's really something that's calling to you, leaning to it further and keep showing up the most important thing is that it's not something you've only shown once and then you decide that it, my audience isn't responding to it, I wanna move on.

0:23:57 Unless it doesn't feel good to you, but a lot of times they can't, you can't be known for something if they've only heard you mention it in passing. And as much as you may be thinking about it, you may not be talking about it as often. So I would say keep showing up and sharing consistently and kind of track that over time. 0:24:18 But if it's something where you really have given it a good amount of time and you're not getting a response from it, then I would say getting feedback would be helpful.

0:24:29 And if it's someone in your audience, then you can kind of just get their feedback right off the bat. If it's someone who is just like a trusted friend or advisor make sure that you give them some contacts in terms of what you're going for and so that they understand that you're not just asking their opinion in general, but how it'd work based on what your goals are.

And maybe it's that you mix it up like some things we do that aren't the most profitable, but we love them and so you just keep on doing it.But you still mix in some of those other things that people are liking more. And I know you're a visual artist too, so in terms of that, you know, everyone has different tastes and I think that's pretty common. 0:25:13 That's something you just, you know, dash off people really resonate with and sometimes it's that you really touched on something more cuz you didn't overwork it or overthink it.

0:25:23 Sometimes it's just that they need more time. So I hope that's helpful. I don't think there's one right answer, but I think like many things it can be a both and, and let me know in the chat if that helps. <affirmative>, she says yes thanks. I think I need to give it more time. That would be my hunch as well. Especially in terms of online marketing. Think about how many times you've scrolled through Instagram and liked something but didn't actually tap like, or didn't take the comment, the time to comment because you didn't have the time or the times you've been thinking about purchasing something or enrolling in something and it's all in your head here, they don't know you're thinking about it and you might buy it at the last minute.

0:26:17 So I think giving things the time they need is always worthwhile as well as just trusting your gut. If if it starts to feel wrong for you and you're not getting those responses, then feel free to release it. Okay, take a sip of water. Has anyone started working through the prompts and had any that they were stuck on or anything that surprised you?

0:26:54 Maggie says yes. That's such good advice. People and images make impressions all the time, even if I don't make time to comment. Yeah, I think when you're thinking about how people engage, remember how you engage because there's so many things that stay with me that doesn't mean I necessarily interact on screen, I might just take it with me. 0:27:17 Looks like they have another question. Let's see. This person asks, Holly asks, how do you handle feeling like you have two different styles or target customers?

0:27:30 That is a really good question. As a graphic designer, it's actually really common that you have two audiences. The trajectory I see a lot of designers take is that they first start designing for clients and then they get into education and sometimes they're actually educating other designers. So they really do have two different audiences. So in terms of target customers, I think first think about meeting them where, where they are ask yourself are they in the same places?

0:28:04 Because if one of your target customers is on Instagram and the other only interacts with email, you can think about it that way of thinking about sort of the vessel you might put them in and how you would reach them. 0:28:17 And you are gonna have to adjust your messaging in general. But it's also true that even when I'm not in someone's audience, I still may be an enthusiast for them.

So I still like seeing those things that maybe don't pertain to me or not something I would buy, but I might still like to share about it. So you can think about that too. And then in terms of styles, if you're talking about artwork we've actually been talking a lot about this in the Creative Voice mastermind, which I'm running with Deanne Reeves who's here and a lot of the mastermind members are here.

0:28:51 So it's something we've talked about a lot. And I know you are an artist Holly, so I'm assuming when you're talking about styles, that's something you're thinking about too. But what we've kind of come to as one working in collections helps or like working like in a season where you're talking about one of those styles over a good period like sorry, I started reading Emily's comment at the same time.

0:29:19 I'm talking you're talking about something over a sustained amount of time rather than kind of switching from day to day of this style, that style, this style, that style. I think it helps for people to see things a few times and then you can kind of vary it. You know, some people would say really lean into that one style, but if you're really called to both those, I think then thinking about again, just like you're doing for your brand, you can ask these questions about your work of what, what is the common thread here and how can I connect these with the story that I'm telling, even if the visuals look different.

So you'll know what's best for you, but I think, you know, as long as you share along the way, people will go along that with that journey for you, with you. And I also think that people are quick, people outside of you are quicker to see those connections sometimes than you are if you're the one making that work. So I don't think it means you have to eliminate one or the other unless something just really isn't resonating for you and your audience.

0:30:24 And Emily says, I guess I'm getting a good response that's more that it doesn't feel like it's selling. I'm talking about larger, more expensive work. So it makes sense that people need time to commit. My small stuff sells great and quickly, but in reality it's always easier for someone to drop $80 than $800.

0:30:42 Absolutely. And even though it's, you know, a different industry for me, I have different price points for people that are at a different stage in their journey of their business. So even though they may be part of the same broader audience, people are at different stages of the journey. So you can think about how do I meet people at this stage?

0:31:03 How do I meet them at this stage? Because possibly that $80 collector collector may become the hundred dollars collector a few years down the road. 0:31:13 So you can kind of speak to both of them and just find, you know, that connection point that would resonate with both of them as well.

0:31:23 I hope that's helpful. All right, so I'm gonna come back to our prompts and I'm gonna let that garbage truck go by. And then in terms of brand building once you've kind of gone through all this, then it start time to really start thinking about what are your goals in creating or refining your visual brand. And then if you're really feeling like, Oh, I need cohesive visuals, I need a logo, I need those things before thinking about should or need, think about what could they help you accomplish?

0:32:02 Because you can have the most beautiful brand in the world, but if it isn't intentional and if it isn't designed to attract something specific, then it's really just not going to do its job. And that's kind of where the difference between design and art can come in, that although art has a function and a purpose too, but design is often solving a problem or meeting a need or speaking to a certain desire or something like that, sending a message.

0:32:32 So thinking about that before you even get to the visuals is really helpful. And then thinking about, okay, so if you're building your brand, hopefully you know, and if not, I'll tell you now that a logo, a color palette, typography, none of that can contain everything that you have to offer. You really think about it in terms of facets and how you would turn something. So it can incorporate one aspect of what you're wanting to convey.

0:33:04 So I think it's helpful to really think about what you're hoping to convey and what you wanna include and maybe even prioritize that. Like think about what is the first thing I want, something to feel, do or experience and make sure that whatever you're putting out there can speak to that. And then you can kind of layer things in with different fonts, with different colors, with graphics that you bring in with a mark, with your voice, with your words and things like that. So that you can build up that fuller picture over time. I know we were kind of chatting, so check back here.

0:33:37 Okay. And then after you've done all this, this is where we kind of start to think about the market which I know can feel really uncomfortable for a lot of people and I like to really think about it in terms of less about competition and more about contrast because to me what's great about this new business space that we're creating with Instagram, with artists representing themselves, with people making their own businesses, where before there were only big businesses is that we get to do things differently and we get to support each other instead of compete with one another. 0:34:25 So in that way we can celebrate our differences. So that's just my little caveat about competition in the market. But it does, that said, it does help to start by thinking sometimes it's easier to complain, right?

So I like to say, well, what is something you dislike about your industry? But don't just leave it at there. 0:34:47 At that actually ask yourself why. Like if you're seeing a lot of people do a certain thing and it's not sitting right with you, always ask why. And of course it'll tell you more about you than about them because there's no one right way. There's just what's the right way for you? And asking those questions and really interrogating it will help you get to the core of well, okay, if not this, if I don't like this, what do I wanna do differently? Or what am I already doing differently? So that leads to the next one of how does or could that shape how you show up and what you do off or sorry about the typo leader, how, and then that can lead to then how do you distinguish yourself visually?

0:35:26 What are some visual cues you can give to show people that we're not going that route? And then again, overall what makes you stand out?

What do you intentionally do differently? So you can start by recognizing those differences. But then you can also embrace them. 0:35:43 You can say, No, I don't do it this way and here's why. Or Oh, I realize I don't do this. Why is that okay here I'm gonna embrace it and reframe it. So once you've done that and thought about things in general, then it gets helpful to get specific.

0:35:59 And so I always recommend you pick maybe three businesses doing something that you're trying to do or something similar. And I think you can mix it up. You can do businesses you admire and maybe a business that is just not for you. It doesn't mean they're doing anything wrong, but it's just not how you would do it. 0:36:15 And then ask yourself what you respond to and why. And in the actual guide there are like columns in places so you can kind of compare and contrast and kind of map it out visually.

0:36:30 And again, just wanna remind you if you're in alignment with your core vision, there's no such thing as competition. There is an audience for everyone, someone's looking for you. And the more you actually show that, the more likely it is that they're going to find you. So now we kind of take all of that and this is where we translate our vision into strategic action.

0:36:56 That's where the intention comes in. So likely by now where you're doing this in real time, you would have kind of a whole mess of notes. And this is a good spot to really kind of look back to underline things that keep coming up to kind of separate out what key, what's most important, and kind of list that out so that you can move forward with intention. So then you can ask yourself what if anything is missing in your brand or business that might keep you from getting where you want to go? And is there anything you can do now to change that? I think that's really important because if you're feeling the need to do this, it's, it's possibly because something is already missing. So if you can identify that, then you can turn that into action instead of just feeling like something's off. And then based on what you've discovered, what's one thing you can do today to better align your vision and mission with your business?

0:37:56 I'm really a big believer into breaking things down into small actionable steps and taking away the sense of overwhelm and this big looming thing and thinking about one thing that's going to make a difference that you can do and check off your list. And then when you've thought about some of those smaller steps, then you could kind of look ahead and say, think about what you would like to incorporate in the coming months, in a year long term.

0:38:23 If you followed me for a while, you know that I really like to think seasonally I do some annual planning, but I can, I have the most impact if I break it up by the season and it gives me a little bit of fluidity and flexibility to adjust. And then it makes those daily things make more sense as well. And then getting into the part that you may be actually signed up for, which is envisioning your brand identity and the guide goes pretty in depth with that.

0:39:00 But I, again, I wanna bring it back to some intentional questions so that before you're seeking inspiration externally, you're really thinking about your own intentions. So based on what you've already got, how would you describe your brand feel or vibe? And then what do you hope your brand identity, meaning the logo, your website, your marketing, your type, your colors conveys to your audience? And that might also help you come up with some of those adjectives as actually all these will. What do you want people to feel or experience when they first encounter your business? 0:39:38 And thinking about where that might be, where is it most often? Are you doing more in person events? Are you doing art shows?

0:39:45 Are they coming first to your website? Are they coming first to your social media? And how can you think of that as an actual tangible space? 0:39:52 And if it were a space, what would you want them to feel right off the bat? And then what do you want people to know when they first see your new branding?What is that? What first impression should they have? So you can kind of analyze all this, but what I recommend is actually taking the time to close your eyes and Kind of just see what you see, what, what kind of impression do you have with all that in mind or what do you think this would look like?

0:40:26 And if you're not a visual thinker, you can actually use this as a prompt and journal through it. I think if you're doing that and if you're actually imagining this before you're seeking out the inspiration, then you can find visuals that will help support that vision that's already your own.

0:40:46 Okay, so I wanna check in with everyone before we do this next part. Any questions coming up for you? Anything you'd like me to go back over before we move on? Okay, So this visualization is in your guide, but I think it's really nice to actually go through it together because instead of writing through it, you can kind of just, if you're comfortable, close your eyes and really see what comes up for you. This is one of my favorite exercises that I do with my clients and we do it right on a live call together. So it's sort of just what comes to them. They're usually smiling so much and yeah, so this is one that's just fun but actually can be really practical to apply in terms of your visuals.

0:41:43 Okay, so you don't even have to be looking at the screen right now. I'm just gonna talk you through this. So take a moment, take a breath, think about what you've discovered already and let's imagine together. So it's one year from now and it's been everything you envisioned it to be for your business. You're ready to celebrate with everyone that's helped make it a success. And there's no budget and your imagination is your only limit. You can travel, it could be right at home. We don't have to think about practicalities unless you wanna turn this into a real party, but worry about that later. So let's start with thinking about where are you celebrating? Is it close to home? Is it far away? Are you inside gathered around a kitchen table? Are you outside sprawled across a lawn? Are you at a winery? What's the venue like? Is it really simple? Is it rustic? Is it minimal? Is it refined? What's the feel of the place? And then what's the mood? What's the mood of this event? What's the mood of the place? What's the lighting like the decor? What's the ambiance? Then what time of day is it? 0:43:08 And as we said, this is a celebration, but who are you celebrating with? Is this just a big gathering of everyone that's had a hand in where you've been this past year?

0:43:19 Is it all your customers and clients? Is it your family and friends? Is it your business support network or is it just you? Is there a theme to this event? Are there any special activities? What's it feel like there? Are there party favors? 0:43:44 What are the place settings? Is this casual and everyone brings something or is it catered and really elaborate? What do you notice?What impression does it leave for you? What, what's it look like when you look back on this event? What do people say about it after?

0:44:14 So I hope this visualization has you smiling a little bit and has you thinking beyond just the nitty gritty of your business. If you want to, since we're a year out, take a moment and look back at what's happened in between now and then. What are the highlights? What do you remember most? What did you leave behind? What's the gap between here and there?

0:44:56 I'm gonna give you a minute to just jot down anything that came up for you because you might come up with more ways you might describe your brand, it might make you realize something you wanna add. 0:45:09 It might have even sparked some visuals. So I'm just gonna take a minute if you have anything come up or if anyone wants to share something in the comments, feel free.

0:45:31 And I'm gonna switch over to the actual visualization in case you need it. And then I'm gonna set a timer for just two more minutes. And again, you can really just be visualizing this all or you can be taking notes and writing things down and feel free to share as you're comfortable in the chat.

0:47:50 Okay, thank you. If you tried that with me, I hope it brought something enjoyable for you and maybe gave you some ideas about the impression that you want to have or just something to aspire to. Okay, so once you've done all that, then it's finally time to get to the visuals. And as you've already heard, we talk about becoming your own source of inspiration And so I think that means coming armed with the tools you've created here, the brand filters, the impulse behind your business, the impression you want people to have and those informing your visuals.

0:48:42 And in terms of what good brands have in common, for me it's comes down to these three things, simplicity. And that doesn't mean the design can't be intricate or detailed, but the presentation is clear and everything has a purpose and conveys a clear message.

0:48:57 Again, for me it comes back to intentionality because if you have a clear vision then everything else falls into place too. Unless you should think simplicity means you can't be personable. The next one is a clear personality. So using color and your style and bringing it all together so that someone can quickly describe your brand and the design should serve that. And then a sense of unity that all the pieces and parts of your brand should work well on their own and as well as stand together. Like they're part of the same family, they should be in conversation with one another. And when you're first starting out, it's likely that it will feel like a patchwork and that's okay, but as you're trying to become more intentional about it, that's what you can think about is how can these items be in conversation with one another and how do they reach towards that common goal that I have for them?

0:49:49 And that can be using things like color, typography, illustration, photography. So when it comes to being your own source of inspiration, once you actually start finding inspiration, whether that's Pinterest, whether it's collecting packaging from a market, whether it's a fabric swatch you find in your home ask yourself why. Just like with everything else, ask yourself why you're drawn to something and get specific. I'm trying to see if I have my process book out here.

0:50:25 But what I like to do is actually print off some of that inspiration and I like to paste it in a sketchbook or a notebook and then write next to it what it is I'm responding to so that I remember and that will help me go deeper. Cause if I just look at it, I may be, may know that I'm drawn to it subconsciously, but if I actually make myself write it out, it really helps me to figure out what about what about that I'm drawn to and that helps me shape what I'm doing as well.

0:50:59 And then learn from what you don't like. Like I said before you may have a hard time naming what it is you want in your brand to look like or what you really respond to, but I bet you can very quickly think of something you can't stand visually. So if you actually ask yourself what it is you don't like about it, then you can then think about okay, well what's the opposite of that? And then ask, do I respond to that and why? And does it make sense for what I'm trying to do?

0:51:27 I think that can just be really helpful and kind of a fun exercise to turn something that feels negative, positive. And then as you go, like I said, take note, acknowledge your inspiration. Like don't pretend that you're not looking at it but actually be grateful for it and then go deeper. What about it? Maybe it's one thing, maybe it's the way this person is using line, maybe it's the bright colors, it's likely if you can break it down in the components and pick what you like best from that, that'll help you figure out what you can do unique to you.

0:51:58 And so then asking yourself how you can learn from and expand in your own direction. And then in the guide itself, once we've kind of gone through some of this, you'll see that I have ways for you to evaluate your inspiration. 0:52:16 So you can pick a couple brands or a couple design examples and ask yourself things like what ties these visuals together, What draws me in?

0:52:25 Who would be drawn to this? Cuz that's really useful to right? Like whether you like something or don't like something is not really helpful unless you're in the audience that it's intended for. So thinking about the audience always is useful. And then asking yourself what story does this branding tell? What impression am I getting? What parts are unique, what unifies the individual elements? And then thinking about what you don't like, you can kind of take that exercise and turn it around.

0:52:57 And then going on to brand keywords which I talked about. I think having those adjectives will help you nail in like a visual direction a little bit easier. And can't remember if we are, oh here we go. I've also included this brand filter word bank for you, some keyword samples so that if you have a hard time really describing it to start with, here are some that are drawn from my actual clients in terms of the feel or look they wanted to have. It's really common for a business to just say professional or an artist to say creative. But if you can actually be more specific with that, then your brand can be more specific as well.

0:53:41 And then when you think of these words, they are abstract. So take time to note what actually that would look like for you. So I have information in here for you to create a mood board and the different types of mood boards. Again, how I search for things and then what to collect too.

0:54:02 One thing is that people tend to just fill a Pinterest board with logos that they like, but I would actually challenge you to include as few logos as possible and actually search for things that are more like an expressive palette. So things like texture, color, fonts, illustration, photography, things that evoke a mood or a feel that can really get you excited and get you brainstorming in a different direction.

0:54:28 And again, what to avoid. Like I said, logos you also see on Pinterest there are a lot of sample mood boards at rand boards and that's just too broad. You wanna really get specific. And then just like I said, I recommend searching away from the computer. Obviously sometimes it's easier said than done but you can look around your home and you can go shopping and you can find things out in the world that can inspire you just as much as or more than something that is probably recycled quite a few times when it comes to Pinterest.

0:55:00 And then I've got some image sources for you too so that if you are looking online and then we'll kind of talk about putting it all together. I do my mood board in a grid so that I don't have to make it collaging and Artie because sometimes I get focused on that and I'm not really paying attention to just what I'm actually putting together. So that can be a good hack for you. Let's see. So kind of what I was showing you in the guide, I like to start with before I do the actual image searching, I like to have those brand keywords or like I call them filters, like the lens that you're looking through for your brand and you can search for those words and then be looking for those things like the textures, the photos or things that have that feel instead of just typing, you know, like wellness logo or something like that.

0:55:56 And so then these are kind of the, the main visual components of building a brand. So you'd have your brand keyword or your filters, sort of your ethos. You can have your brand values or pillars as well and let that inform your visuals. And then your inspiration board. I really like having an inspiration board because then I'm not just like looking through a really big Pinterest board and it's just helpful to kind of narrow that in.

0:56:28 One tip, if you're the type of person to share a lot on Instagram or somewhere like that, unless you're getting all your photos and inspiration from a stock photo site or you can definitely narrow in each source of inspiration. It can be kind of bad form I guess to actually post that. If you can't credit, just like I know many of you here are artists and you wouldn't want some someone sharing your artwork without crediting you make sure you can credit it or I just tend to not share that part of the process publicly at all.

0:57:00 It's helpful for my clients to use as a gut check, but it can get a little dicey whether people are comfortable having you include their images in a mood board which is kind of a tangent, but it's just something to be aware of. 0:57:14 And then typography and color I think are just really big components in terms of building your brand visuals, even if you don't have a logo, if you have well chosen fonts and colors that can get you a long way and less is more. 0:57:31 With this you could just pick one font that has multiple weights, meaning it has like medium, semi bold, bold italic and things like that. 0

:57:41 And you can do a lot with that with just one font that has those variations and colors. Like think about contrast cuz usually one of the first places you're going to use color would be somewhere on a website. So you wanna think about a color for links and buttons that will stand out and contrast a color that you know is your main one or two that are your kind of primary brand colors that evoke a feel. For example, I've got this kind of purplely and this green that you see repeated throughout. You can do a lot with just a little and thinking about tins, tones, shades and hues to kind of bury it within the same family.

0:58:21 And then in terms of a logo, that's one thing I don't touch on a lot in the guide because I think it can be hard to DIY that well. I honestly think if you've really chosen a thoughtful typography or maybe you're an artist and you've used your signature, something like that, you can go a long way with that until you're ready to invest in something more robust if you chose choose to go that route.

0:58:47 Obviously you can DIY a logo, especially if you're a creative person that knows how to use some of that software. But I would just say hold it loosely, don't feel so attached to it that if you're ready to elevate your business and you've experienced growth and you find maybe your brand is not quite resonating anymore with where you are I think you can acknowledge that that logo served you well and still leave it behind when it's time. 0:59:14 So that would be my caveat for that. So once you've done all that, you've chosen your fonts and colors, which real quick I am gonna pop over the guy just to show you what else is in here in terms of selecting those.

0:59:35 It would take hours to really go through all of the resources that are here and the best practices. But I do include some resources for you so that you can browse fonts and things like that. 0:59:48 And I even break down the different elements of types so that if you see some of that you're aware of what it means and then some of the type turns terms that'll be helpful.

0:59:59 One that's really your friend is letter spray, letter spac. If you use a square space website, you can actually adjust that and that means the space between each letter form, you can kind of spread it out or you can bring it, make it more condensed and bring it closer together. And then letting and line height is the space between lines of text, whether they're really, there's a lot of space or if they're really close together.

1:00:22 So that's just helpful in terms of if you're designing your own website and you want to customize the typography, that'll feel a bit more refined for you. And then I have a breakdown of the different type styles so that you have an example of each and how you might select some of this and what it might look like to work within a couple font types and how I like to set it up.If you do like a preheader, a header, a subheader and body text, that can kind of help you see how those kind of converse with one another.

1:00:54 And I really do think about it as a conversation with all these visuals is how they're relating to one another. 1:00:59 So even if you don't know the terms, you can kind of get a feel of like, yeah, these seem like they're in the same family or Ooh, these aren't quite relating. And it's definitely okay to have contrast, but there still needs to be a relationship. So there are tips for pairing and there's a lot of tips for color.

1:01:15 Here's some color terms if you're not familiar with it. Some resources for picking color palettes if you just don't know what to do, Some common color associations. So all of that is there for you to peruse and if anyone has specific questions about that and you're already working on that, you can let me know. We can talk about it at the end as well. We're getting close here so there'll be time for more questions and chat at the end if anyone has any.

1:01:45 So then the biggest part is establishing consistency, which we've already talked to that idea of just showing up again and again and not changing just because you're not getting a response, but kind of committing to something and being confident because you chose that with intention. So once you've kind of come this far and you've gotten everything, you can use that time then to evaluate look back on all the insights you've collected and see how that relates to what you've actually chosen for your visuals.

1:02:17 But also remember that done is better than perfect. We could keep adjusting and fine tuning forever, but if it's gonna actually keep you from showing up, it's not doing its job. 1:02:28 So put it out there and adjust if you need to. And then I kind of touched about on this before, but just use caution if you're getting feedback. I see those huge Facebook groups like Rising Tide Society where there are thousands of members and someone posts a logo and says, What do you think? 1:02:45 Do you like this or not like this? And I just find that to be really kind of useless because those people don't know you, they don't know your goals, they don't know your audience.

1:02:56 And so yes, you can get some gut reactions and maybe sometimes something is just objectively not gonna serve your purpose. Like for example, if you've chosen a script and no one can read it, that's useful feedback you can get from anyone. 1:03:11 But in terms of your brand vibe, who you're trying to reach and all of that, really seek informed feedback, Ask them questions.

1:03:19 If I'm trying to reach an audience of this or I'm trying to have my brand feel this, does this seem to resonate with you in those terms? I just, that's a tip that I hope you all will take if you are creating something yourself that otherwise you're gonna get a, I like this or I don't like that, or You should try this.

1:03:39 But they're not necessarily coming from that intentional place that you created it in and that isn't going to help you. And then in terms of making changes, you probably have heard that like a brand should be somewhat timeless. And I do think like once you've done this process, you should kind of lean into it for a while. 1:03:58 And what I mean by that is don't just because you're seeing everyone on Instagram use a certain style or you're seeing some trend on Pinterest for logos, you don't need to abandon ship and just go with that.

1:04:13 But if you're business is actually evolving and changing and maybe like you're elevating from where you are and you've increased the level of service, you've narrowed in on who you're reaching and your brand doesn't speak to that anymore or it doesn't enhance what you're actually out there doing, that might be a time for you to actually refresh your brand or revisit things and see if they're still serving you.

1:04:39 So that's kind of how I look to things to evaluate them. And then in the guide I've also included information about how to create a brand board or style guide. And that will help you with consistency as well because you can put the fonts and colors and any design elements you've chosen all in one place. 1:04:58 You can even include things about tone of voice or how you show up and things like that. So that you have a good idea of just quickly like, Oh yeah, this is what I'm going for.

1:05:11 And that doesn't mean you can't actually use, you know, trendy templates from Canva. You can actually go a long way using those and applying your brand colors and your brand typography. And I think social media is a place where you can kind of change things up and experiment because it is more temporal. You can be trendy because it's not something that's going to last. But on your website you wanna be really cohesive and co consistent in your print materials and things like that.

1:05:40 So there is information about creating a brand board or a style guide and what you might include and how you might approach this. So take a look at that if you'd like to do it. And there are brand guides you can search for on Pinterest and that is actually useful to see how, I mean the big brands out there publish their guides a lot of times and that's really helpful to see how they're showing up because you know, this is a silly example, but the one that's coming to mind is McDonald's will go with the trends, but their logo hasn't changed hardly at all. So seeing how other brands do that is helpful.

Okay, So once you've actually established that you've got your guide, you've built your foundation, your biggest task is to just keep showing up in a way that's true to what you've already built. So having that guide, thinking about your keywords, thinking about what you've established and checking in with that regularly, I think is really useful to either see what's no longer serving you or get back to what really does resonate. That's kind of how I recommend approaching things. And of course with everything in selling your work or building your business, you can evolve and change at any time.

1:06:56 As much as I say be consistent, people aren't paying that much attention. If something doesn't feel right and you wanna change, go ahead and do it and just keep building that up again.

1:07:08 Are there any other questions? Cool. So then Let's see. Emily says this is good stuff. Thank you. Maggie says, I love that advice. It's okay to change your mind. Yes, absolutely. As much as I'm telling you to be consistent. You also have permission. It's your own business and just like I'm saying, create this something that's true to you, shift and discard what's no longer useful.

1:07:47 Just remember to clue people in, welcome them into that process. People love hearing about process. They love hearing why you made a decision that you know, you can just bring them into that and it's okay to evolve and you can even like have your set brand style but expand within it in terms of things like pattern, in terms of graphic elements and things like that.

1:08:10 So if you're keeping your type and color consistent but changing some of the visual stuff that can work too. Maggie says, I love kindred spirits. I'm thinking of that as I continue to find my people. Yes, I it really Anna Green Gables fan here. I've always been a fan of kindred spirits and wisdom friends and if I started this business because I didn't want what the corporate world had to offer, why not embrace that and lean into it more?

1:08:36 You get to decide, you get to make your own rules. Just make sure they're clear to you. Holly says, This has been so helpful, I can't wait to dig into the guide more. I'm so glad Holly. And I'll pull up the next slide just so thinking about next steps and as you go through the guide on your own, if you need more guidance, please feel free to email me or message me if you get stuck.

1:09:00 I know that you haven't necessarily been through the guide in entirety, so if something comes up in the next few weeks as you work through it I am definitely here for you. Happy to chat. If you need something more in depth, I do offer one-on-one consultations and I can give you feedback or just answer questions, help you select a font or something like that. We can do that. And if you really decide, I have, I've taught these workshops in person and sometimes there's always one or two people who are like, Oh, this is a little bit more than I wanted to take on on my own.

1:09:39 And if that's you or you've just grown to a point where DIY doesn't make sense to you, I obviously do this for a living and I would be happy to help you. I have Shelly says, Haha, that will be me and totally fine friend. I still think even if you're going to hire this out, whether we work together or you find another designer, having thought about all of this ahead of time will just get you so much further and get you closer to the brand that you wanna have.

1:10:08 But I do have VIP intensives where we work on this through the period of a day to really build your brand, brand foundation or say you did this part but you just need help adding to it. 1:10:19 I have that as well. And since you signed up for this guide in this workshop I'll discount the amount that you paid, but actually even if you were an early bird and paid the lower price I'll discount the 47 and I'm just gonna round up to 50.

1:10:34 So $50 off if we work together in the future with that code. V v w friend. Let's see. I know it's kind of highlighted funny there and this is not, you know, some pitch to say you have to work for me. 1:10:50 My goal is for you to get the tools that you need. If you wanna do this to yourself. I hope you for yourself, I hope you feel empowered to do so and hopefully relieved that you don't need to build this cookie cutter brand, but if you do need help, there are multiple ways that we can do that.

1:11:07 And like I said, you have a question, just email me, I'm here for you. So this replay will be available for you so you can feel like I'm talking you through it when you go to actually write this out and answer the questions. 1:11:20 And I'm also looking for ways to continue to support people. I'm considering doing this as kind of a mentorship where maybe we go through this in a period of six weeks, kind of divide into thirds and meet with a group and go through things in real time together.

1:11:38 So if I really just thought of that last night, so, but if that sounds like something you'd be interested in, let me know. I'm still kind of thinking through it and I really appreciate you giving me your time today and trusting me as you embark on this process. And so thank you. I'm gonna hang around for a minute in case there are any more questions, but if you need to duck out any time, feel free and enjoy the guide. I just put a link to for the brand intensives if you wanna learn more about that. Thank you, Nikki. Thank you Maggie. 1:12:18 Thank you Holly. I am so glad you were here today. Thanks Trisha. And if you're watching the replay in a 10 live, thank you too. I'm here for you in spirit. Thanks Gabby. Okay, so it doesn't sound like we have any more questions, so I will let you go, but just reach out, you know where to find me. All right, Thanks Deanne. Bye everyone.