I used to have a lot of judgements around my pacing. I tend to process things a little slower. Sure, I can be impulsive with smaller decisions, but when it comes to the pacing of my life, I find myself needing more slowness and room to let things sink in and settle. I ponder more. I like when I don't have a super tight upcoming deadlines all the time. This used to bother me because I was constantly faced with rush requests from clients and fellow brand designers that had inconceivably quick turnarounds.

Melinda Livsey, a fellow brand strategist, recently added an Un-Certified Manifesto to her site. I thought it was pretty brilliant because while she doesn't believe certification is inherently a bad thing, it can add a lot of unnecessary pressure to how we run our business.We believe creativity comes from curiosity, not expertise, she says on her page.

I'm sure you've heard about a Mood Board. It's a collage that pieces together images that you love to help you communicate what you're trying to create.

Recently, I created a Brand Vision Board, one that represents the feeling of how I see myself running and being in my business. I gotta say, I really enjoyed doing this for myself and thought I'd share what mine looks like.

It's always exciting when a new prospect reaches out to you. But by  contrast, it's a little frustrating when you find out they're not a good  fit. Why are you not resonating with your ideal clients?

Most people at this point immediately want to create new graphics or change their visual brand. And that may be part of the reason depending on how your visuals represents you... but let's take a look at a few  other steps to take before you invest money on design.

You have an idea of what you want your brand and business to look like. But how do you get from where you are now to that vision you want to grow into? That’s where brand strategy comes in. While brand strategy can take various forms depending on who you work with, I wanted to define what it looks like working with me. I have a clear process that I take you through and it looks like this…

Often we're worried about the right and wrong way to do things because we've subscribed to this idea that there is ONE specific way things can and should unfold. Do A, then B and you'll get C. What if you couldn't get it wrong?

We get a sense of achievement from just the act of setting goals. Before we’ve even taken any action. But after that initial excitement is gone and you’re actually having to do the work, what’s going to keep you going?

Often times what stops us from moving forward is fear of what “they” may think. I had a chat with one of my friends who was feeling stuck. She knew what she had to do, but couldn’t move past doing it. What will “they” think? Am I going to sound stupid? Sound familiar? But who are “they”?

If you’ve been following me for a time, you’ll know that I believe in a holistic brand strategy approach. On my home page, I briefly touch upon three main reasons why I believe strategy is important. And today I wanted to expand a little on each of those.

Making the mental shift from fear to excitement can often be difficult. In particular if you’ve never considered that the difference between the two can be a slight change in perspective. When it comes to making business goals, I often see folks in two camps: analysis paralysis or speed-racing to execute (without a plan).

We all have many values, small and large, that define who we are and what we stand for. Core Values allow us to pave the way as we make decisions for our business. How? Glad you asked!

Up-leveling your business can be really exciting. But here’s a little-known fact about branding and design: A lot of the work is done up-front. Even before you start talking colors and fonts and visuals, you have to get to know your business. Really get to know your business.