The real story behind my new branding.

FULL TRANSPARENCY: I was terrified to rebrand the web design division of our business, Learned Reality. Everyone had known us one way. So many questions caused anxiety for me. Will I confuse my current clients, will people recognize us still? Will people hate the name? Will it come together? How do I do this design for myself? What about my current and successful search optimization(SEO)? Will I lose traction on the site traffic I already have?

Even more nerve wracking: Images. Of me. Ugh :{

I knew in my heart I needed to take the deep dive and just do it. I constantly preach "simplify your message," but our own business website was complicated. Our voice was muffled because we offer several services and our clients not only span the country, but the type of clients we have range between sole proprietor/operators to corporations with 500+ employees. These different sized operations need different messaging and the marketing strategies are quite different.

So How Did I Do It?

I put myself in the shoes of every client that walks through my door. Their ideas that are somewhat ethereal, seemingly impossible dreams, with no idea how to make those come to fruition. There is a framed saying in my office that I found during this process that brought me a lot of comfort:

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” -- Mandela

In the past I had felt that way with so many projects...(yes, I have shed actual tears over them, thankfully this usually signals a creative breakthrough!) and then there I was, feeling those things for my own new brand & website. I knew I had the right process in place for my clients, and I had to trust this for myself. Am I the only business owner that has a hard time providing for myself what comes so naturally for me to provide my clients!? If this is you, I would love to commiserate! :D

Each time I shared bits of the new branding with friends, colleagues and family I received back so much support to keep at it, and this grew into my own little cheering squad. It kept me pushing through, along with keeping up with the other projects I had in the works. I worked daily on the design of the site and forced myself to dig deep into who I am and what I really give as an exceptional value to my clients.

Secret: If you're dreading your photo shoot, find a creative and patient photographer! Thank you Kelly Kirksey!

What's Next?

What I have launched now, truly represents what I bring to the table. Do you have a dream brewing? Do you have a hobby that you want to build into your livelihood? Are you ready to rebrand or brand your business? If so, I would love to sit and listen to you talk about your dreams for a website and experience the passion for what you do. I am committed to working with businesses that I can bring that exceptional value to and contribute to growth. If you're scared to do it, it probably means you should!