Frequently Asked Questions

I find there to be two approaches to the branding process: Applied and Identified.

Applied branding is where professionals work with templates, archetypes and generic personality tests to “apply” generic branding to a person or business. The expectations of both clients and service providers are fast turn arounds and cheap deliverables.

Identified branding is a customized approach that “identifies” the essence of a person or business and infuses it into every detail of their life and work. It’s highly customized, client defined, personified, and strategically designed. The understanding in this approach is: It takes time, its an investment not an expense, and results in intoxicating clarity and iconic authority.

While I’ve come up with these terms over the years, I pride myself in taking an identified approach. Running a branding studio that offers sanctuary, incubation and amplification of your iconic essence. Never to be told who to be or what to do but rather refined, infused and honored over time.

A strong brand is what sets you apart from the rest of the world and has infinite possibilities and advantages. It not only creates differentiation in the marketplace and strategic positioning to attract your ideal clients, but it’s also a visual medium that expresses who you are, what you do and how you do it. A cohesive brand allows you to control others’ perception of you, your reputation, and your relatability.  A unifying element to bring consistency, cohesion and charisma to a person or business.  The master key to the know-like-trust factor. The ability to be top of mind and like a photo, is worthy of a thousand words.

Branding follows the universal rule of three: Whatever you put out into the world, returns to you three times or three-fold.

Enhancement in all the priceless variables like money, time, and energy.

Money: As the saying goes, “if you think good design is expensive, you should see the cost of bad design.”  Branding is an investment not an expense.  It helps save you marketing dollars, unnecessary ad spend, endless rounds of costly revisions, lost capital in uncertainty and more!  You could invest $30-60,000 renovating your master bathroom that might make you an ROI when you sell or be outdated by then.  Or, you can invest in your branding which is investing in your business.

Time: Like a general contractor overseeing a remodel, you have me to oversee all the moving pieces of the branding process, from intention to integration. With my years of expertise to help you avoid putting the cart before the horse and provide instant connection to vetted resources you will need along the way. Most importantly, you will become an expert in efficiently (and effectively) explaining what you do, proving your credibility and establishing your professionalism. Clients and prospects will easily know, recognize and refer you.

Energy: Offering support, perspective, organization and a level of detail you can’t get anywhere else will work to relieve feelings of being fragmented, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Confidence in having a curated, cohesive and intentional presentation of yourself and your work.

I find the biggest ROI is the freedom to be you, do business “your way” and become so iconic you need no introduction when stepping into new opportunities.

• For my iconic and creative eye, I don’t do basic.
• I’m not a “yes” man.  I don’t sugar coat s#*t or affirm every idea you have.
• I tell you what I think based on doing this passionately for 7 years, day-in and day-out.
• I know what works.
• I have a perspective of you, you can’t have.  The same way you can’t see your own eyebrows.  I am your mirror.
• I’m tired of “fixing” and “reviewing” what other creatives do and hearing about all the money, time and energy clients have lost when they could have just called me in the first place and avoided that waste and heartache.
• Your success and our results builds my portfolio, why would I do anything less than great work for us both!?
• I am damn good at what I do.  *There, I said it.

I would also like to add a direct quote from a current client (Claire Jones to be specific) who reviewed these FAQs for me and said: “I’d like to see the term “comprehensive” or “done for you” more because you are so detail oriented, you really do think of every element!”

By identifying your iconic persona and the essence of your business, brand and life.

Your iconic persona is your alter-ego, accomplished-self, best-self, or future-self…however you choose to think of it.  The version of you that has already accomplished everything you’re working on, planning to do, and/or dreaming of.  The “you” who knows, with full confidence and conviction, what to do and how to do it…most authentically to you.

It’s tapping into yourself with full clarity, potent accuracy, and concentrated authenticity.

It’s you being you without any limitations or hesitations!

Saying what you want, when you want.

Doing what you want, when you want.

Being what you want, when you want.

Having what you want, when you want.

All because you can and with a brand to support it.

No wishy-washy manifesting secret-vudu.  Just consciously and intentionally curating the business and life you want.

Some of the common signs and reasons I see that will make us a good fit:

• You’ve worked with other creatives who missed the mark.  What you got doesn’t really look or feel like you.  It’s not what you envisioned.
• You have a vision for how you want to take your business to the next-level but you’re not sure where or how to start.
• You have a solid book of business and a brand you put together years ago because you “needed one” – logo,  website, business cards, etc.  You now realize what’s possible and you want to do it right.  You want to make a statement with it.
• You’ve secretly had an unsettling awakening… you are meant for more!  You have no idea how but you can not continue the way you have been.  You’ve had a clear vision or dream of what’s possible and until you see it through, you may never be satisfied again with what you have.

The short answer is – yes, you need both. Think of your brand as the building blocks of your business and marketing as the sign out front directing people to your business. Here’s the long answer:

Branding  = 

Is everything from the visual to the experiential details that represent who you are, what you do and how you do it.  It’s the identity that personifies your company.

The “process” or branding process is about identifying the details that make you and your business unique and iconic.

Next comes the “design process.” Intentionally curating the creative building blocks used to design the look and feel of your business (your logo, colors, fonts, photography, website and symbolism).  When done correctly, these details should be inspirational for the business they represent and considered the ultimate attraction factor for the target audience.

Personified Branding = 

Is my customized branding approach.  It’s self defined and inspired by the client as my muse.

Marketing = 

Marketing is strategically sharing the message of your business and brand with your audience and ideal target market.

Specifically, it’s the voice, vocabulary, and language of your company delivered through various mediums.  Media referring to distribution channels like social media, podcasts, newsletters, blogs, sales pages, etc.

The marketing process is strategically assessing a company’s goals, core message and audience to best assess which mediums to choose in accomplishing their desired goals.

Strategically, I have a 70/30 Rule.  70% = Of your branding should be inspired by and visually represent your ULTIMATE vision. That big-hairy-fat-goal you’ve chosen to dedicate your life to. That idea or dream you may never accomplish but no matter what you do can not stop thinking about. The dependent variable. The “WHAT.”

30% = Of your branding should be inspired by and visually represent the modality you are choosing to execute the 70% with. The independent variable. The “HOW.”

Allow me to use my business as an example: My 70% = Helping others find a sense of identity that can never be stripped, dumped, fired, or diluted… only refined, applied, and honored. My 30% = Being a branding studio.

Of course, your business will change! Of course, you will evolve! Of course, you need flexibility in your branding!

YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO “REBRAND” every time your business sneezes, launches a new branch of business, or changes business models.

Branding with too much specificity for who or what you are today will limit you in the future during growth phases. All you should have to do is infuse your branding to your next-level 30%!

I like to say “the client is my muse.”  After an intense and thorough discovery process, I take all of our meeting notes, documents, identified brand strategy (values, vision and mission statements), and pinterest boards as my inspiration.  Then, like the metal detector of detail I’ve been called, I scan through to find the “iconic details” that make up the essence of you, your business and brand.  From this I curate and customize your brand identity and creative standards (SOPs) for everything we create moving forward.  I will establish and define what is “on brand” for you.

Happily!  It’s similar to finding the common denominator in a math equation or an umbrella term in linguistics.

Projects will vary based on scope of work.

Generally speaking, Brand Design: 3-6 Months

DISCOVERY

• Review
• Discovery
• Strategy
• Persona
• Perspective
• Messaging Marketing

CREATION

• Brand Design
• Brand Presentation
• Graphic Design
• Photo Shoot
• Website Development

INTEGRATION

• Integration & Implementation 30 Days
• Assembly of Brand Binder

Results of our partnership that can be the expected:

• Defining your target audience, competition, iconic persona, values, vision and mission statements.
• Curating your process so you know you have everything you need for the success you want.
• Naming and trademarking your business.
• Creating moodboards, identifying symbolism and outlining creative briefs.
• Selecting colors, fonts, and textures.
• Creatively directing logo design, brand photoshoots, website design, and creation of other brand assets.
• Refining your messaging and marketing.
• Supporting you and/or a team to integrate our efforts into the business.

Often and most talked about is the unexpected lifestyle shift that’s inspired along the way, that’s conscious, intentional and symbolic:

Conscious because it’s mindful, decisive and detailed.
Intentional because it’s protecting the aesthetic of you being you.
Symbolic because it’s like a photo, worthy of a thousand words.

Living life with iconic details and mindfully questioning “what is most on brand for me?”

I’ll let the results speak for themselves… head over to my portfolio to see my most recent client case studies.  Each one showcasing a client project with, strategy used, outcomes and results, services applied, deliverables and more.  You will also find a sample of the style guide or visual references to flip through.

>>>View Portfolio<<<

Anything is possible!  The same way you walk through a model home to invisinon what it would be like to live it.  Admiring the knobs and countertop option boards.  Allow my virtual studio (aka website) and various client case studies to inspire you to dream what’s possible for your business.

You want simple, let’s keep it modern.  You want luxury, let’s make it grand.  What’s possible is whatever you dream and share with myself and the team.  Offering a higher price point, enhancing your customer experience, creating employee advocates and brand ambassadors.  Referral and return clientele, undeniable credibility and professionalism.  Massive growth and scale.  Yes!  What else!

It’s not everything and the kitchen sink or Mary Poppins magic around here but why not what you’re thinking or something better!?