How to Evolve As a Brand

Well, things might look just a little different around here.

I’d like to say not much has changed, but there are a few big differences. Fonts, for starters. All three fonts I was using have been retired and replaced. The key icon has changed to the spark (or star, still undecided on that) I painted on my studio walls earlier this year. I added in a gorgeous cerulean blue (my absolute favorite) that emphasizes clarity, strategy, and reflection and will focus more on navy than inky black for my darker neutral (navy is all about loyalty, intelligence, a touch of sophistication, and trust). There are some elements that are still evolving, like nuances in graphic elements and the neon highlighter color that used to be just for Tiny Brands. 

The backstory behind this visual rebrand: 

I was encouraged to take myself through my own brand strategy process, so over the course of an afternoon I typed out answers to all 40 or so questions I typically ask my brand clients and discovered a few things that I hadn’t seen before: 

• Seeking beauty in the ordinary. I have always known that beauty matters to me, but I couldn’t ever articulate why in a way that didn’t feel surface level. Through writing about The Inspired Foundry, I discovered that it’s the beauty in the ordinary, the everyday, the seemingly unimportant moments that inspires me. The more I look for beauty, the more I find it. And the more I look for beauty in my clients’ stories, the more I find it and am able to reflect that back through their branding. This results in a brand that feels super true to them and their vision.
• Not trying so hard. Because of that ordinary kind of beauty, I felt like I needed to tone down my own visuals a bit. When I looked at them, I saw someone trying really hard to be cool and neutral and not look like everyone else in my industry, except that somehow I totally did.
• Refining and finding myself. This process finally allowed me to get excited and freely evolve into the dichotomies I find within myself. Like, riding the line between a masculine and feminine brand and not trying to be one or the other. Or, knowing that I love embroidery and old school label makers as well as Macbooks, flowers, good tea, Studio McGee, and Swedish folk music. Interesting combinations, unexpected juxtapositions, not feeling the need to be all vintage or all modern or not trendy or only neutral. I wasn’t truly living out my value of freedom with my old branding. It feels much more freeing to me now.
• The bottom line: The brand strategy process helped me see how much of myself I was leaving out of my brand, how much I had evolved since starting the Foundry in 2020, and how much I want to be a champion for all creatives who feel stuck in a box of their own making.

Here’s what I’m hoping you see out of all of this: 

A softer, more easygoing brand. An immediate invitation to creativity, introspection, dreaming, inspiration, and permission. A place where you can bring your hopes and dreams as well as your fears and perceived limitations and know you’ll have someone to hold all of that and transform it into something beautiful that helps you build your business. 

I also expect my brand to show that creativity and strategy are not mutually exclusive. You need strategy to have a wildly successful business, and you need your particular brand of creativity to truly bring it to life. It’s a both/and kind of branding I’m going for, and I’m so humbled to have evolved into it. 

So as you move through your business in the next day or two, I invite you to notice where you’ve put yourself in a box and what your evolution into more freedom might look for you and your brand. Post a comment or send me an email — I’d love to hear what’s on your mind as you chew on these ideas of evolution, freedom, creativity, and strategy.