Seriously in Business: Brand + Design, Marketing and Business

It's a non-negotiable. If you want to *easily* create graphics for your business that not only look amazing, but stand out to your audience, communicate your value and reflect YOU - then you need to first create a moodboard.   A moodboard is a collection of images that stem from research that can inspire you as you create your brand and graphics. It helps you to go beyond "that looks pretty" to "I...

So many of us running our own businesses love it. But we love it so much that it's often all we do. And when we're not working - we're doing all the errands, house jobs and planning.   But I want to share with you something that I've done since I first started my business. Something I don't always WANT to do, but know I need to do if I want a sustainable, lasting and enjoyable business.   This is...

Being the “expert” in our field is a RIDICULOUSLY daunting phrase. Yet, in business, we’re told so often to claim this word for ourselves. In this podcast episode, I chat with Rachel Kurzyp on what being an “expert” really looks like NOW. And it’s NOT studying for 10 years, practicing for 20 years, and wearing a tweed blazer that does it. Being the expert can be a simple as combining your unique p...

What does it take to carry a brand from just starting out to 7 figures? Well, SO many things... But one of them? A killer brand and graphics.   Erika at The Queen of Confidence has been a client of mine for almost 3 years, and while I no longer take on 1:1 done-for-you clients Erika and I wanted to share with you how design has impacted her business.   The Co+Creation Club has its doors open RIGHT...

Let's find out your unique flavour! If you don’t know your vibe you’ll feel constantly unsure about your brand. Second-guessing yourself all the time. And the worst bit? Your audience can smell it. If you aren’t sure about your brand, you can bet your audience is even more unsure. This leads to confusion about what you offer...your audience are unsure if your business is for THEM and if they get c...

Join the Seriously in Business 4-day FREE challenge HERE . I was chatting with a business owner recently, asking her why she believed design was so important to a successful business...and she replied with a phrase that I LOVED. She said, "Because it looks like you're seriously in business.” So. Spot. On! It painted the picture so perfectly. There's SUCH a difference between those businesses that...

You open up Canva or Pinterest and all you see are SO MANY PRETTY THINGS and you're overwhelmed by choice.   Too many options.   It's all so distracting and confusing. PLUS all you want to do is use that new pretty font you found or that super cute colour.   NO. STOP.   Getting distracted has no wins for your business. The key instead is to KNOW your brand. Take time to nut it out in a way that yo...

Selling can feel so yuck - but to have a successful business chances are we're gonna need to sell (I KNOW! Shock horror!).   So what's a small biz owner to do?   Thankfully, there are actually methods we can use to sell in a way that doesn't come across pushy or rude but has service and care at its heart.   You see if you believe in the product or service that you sell, then you believe it will be...

It's no secret design can do HUGE things for your businesses success. But HOW?   Well if you're making some of your own graphics I want to let you know of 3 different ways that design can help you save time, attract clients (or customers) and feel proud of your business.   1. Create a style guide. This is a document that outlines the fonts, colours and graphic style of your visual brand. No longer...

When you first start thinking about running Facebook ads for your business it can feel overwhelming... Because you know what? It is! There's a lot of things to know! So, in this episode I bring you a special guest expert, Natalie Alamio. Natalie is a pro in all things Facebook ads and she comes sharing so much good stuff! We chat about: • What you can use ads for in your business • Why "organic" p...

Sometimes we look around at the businesses around us and feel like they're moving ahead in leaps and bounds faster than us. And I've gotta admit, sometimes it's true and sometimes it isn't. But for those times that it is true, it's often because a fellow small business owner has decided to take a leap. They've made decisions in their business that might seem scary but that elevate their profession...

You know you’re different to everyone else… so why do you try do business the same? In this episode, I chat with CliftonStrengths™ coach, Amy Pettingill, all about how we can curate a business that works to OUR STRENGTHS! Our way of relating to others, of managing time/energy…our way our doing business, so that we can lean into our best and serve others out of that place. How cool!? About Amy: Usi...

You've worked really hard on your business to create an incredible product or service - but what if it's getting lost? In this episode I want to share with you 4 ways you can make sure that when you communicate your awesome offer that people can actually read and understand it. We need our potential clients to be LOOKING at us, then UNDERSTANding what they see, and then ENGAGING with us. If people...

The statement “less is more” couldn’t be more true about design - so much so that following the idea of “less is more” around these three areas I discuss could save you time as well as give your graphics a higher chance of not just looking good but connecting with your audience! In this episode I chat about why you really want to make sure you don't get caught up using too much: • Text • Fonts • F...

Good design isn't the only thing that costs our businesses - it's BAD design we need to watch out for! What is bad design costing your business?   In this episode join me as I discuss what damage bad graphics are doing to your business that could be causing you to: • Lose clients • Lose conversions • Lose value • Lose connection • Lose to your competitors   I also chat with one of my DIY Design My...

Business can either grow slooowwwww or we can supercharge it to grow at a more exciting pace.   I know that for my business I would be in a totally different spot if I hadn't done this one thing. I think I mightttt still be in business but I'd be nowhere near the point I am today.   The secret? Investing in myself and my business skills.   And not necessarily investing when I'm ready, but investin...

Marketing is sneaky. We think it's just one little part of our business until we realise it actually encompasses almost EVERYTHING we do. How we want to be perceived, the language we use, the designs we create, our price point, our product/service, our advertising, our social media... you get the idea! In this episode, I sit down with Trish from Chromatical and she gives us all the goss on marketi...

In this episode I chat with the incredible brand photographer, Fi Mims. Brand photos are almost a non-negotiable for small business owners! We cover why you need brand photos, how they can help grow your business and build confidence, as well as make creating your own graphics a thousand times easier! Connect with Fi on Instagram at: @fimimsphotography or at www.fimimsphotography.com.au

There seems to be a lot of pressure to have a "pretty Instagram grid" - meaning a perfectly curated Insta page that looks incredible. But is it all it's chalked up to be? In this episode I'll chat about when it's important and when it's NOT important to have a perfectly curated grid. Is it something your business needs to worry about or something you can totally forget about? Here's a designer's t...

What's the perfect way to let people know that you know your stuff?   How can you build trust, connection PLUS grow your email list?   The answer is a "Lead Magnet".   If you've been in business for a little while, chances are you know what this is and have created your own.   But if you're new in the biz world and have no idea what I'm talking about - stick around.   A "lead magnet" (or freebie o...

It's easy to feel like no one sees or cares about your business. Please firstly know - you're not alone. Secondly, in this podcast episode I wanted to provide a few tips on how your branding can help combat this. You and your business are totally unique - when we let our branding and design reflect this we can begin to stand out, even in a crowded marketplace. 

Have you actually thought it through properly? I know I hadn't. There's more to running your business than performing your product or service. A key factor in long-lasting business success is thinking the real stuff through... Do you KNOW your audience? How do you want your business to grow? WHY does it exist? What makes you different from your competitors? Thinking things like this through is rea...

Life gets busy, funds are tights and you're caring for a little tacker - how do you manage upskilling for your business at the same time!? In this episode I chat with Photographer Peta on her experience of what it's been like to invest in herself and in her business to learn design. Peta joined my course, DIY Design My Biz, at a busy stage in her life but somehow still made it work! And what beaut...

Opening up Canva to see a white space staring you in the face is wildly confronting! How are you meant to fill it and make it look 1) Pretty, 2) Branded and 3) Communicative?! There's so much to consider and how do you know where to start? Finding inspiration is my best piece of advice - it gives you ideas to fill the space. In this episode I'll share with you my top 4 ways of finding inspiration....

Being a new mum is THE single biggest learning curve of my entire life. Throw that in with trying to keep a business running (and GROWING) then you have quite the challenge. In December 2020 I was so blessed to welcome our baby girl, Mahlie, into the world... Almost 6 months later I want to share with you a snippet on how that's looked and what it REALLY looks like to run a business with a newborn...