Start the Conversation

Author: Jenn

Should You Use an AI Logo for Your Business?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere, and it’s safe to say that most everyone is using it.

But should they be?

I’ve been asked a few times in the past year to take a logo that someone has generated from an AI platform, and to refine it – whether that means making the words look better, changing out the colors, or balancing elements that AI just couldn’t get right.

But here’s the thing: I have big-time ethical issues with using AI artwork. And this kind of thing has become enough of an occurrence in my business that I have to start talking about it more.

So what’s the big deal? AI can’t create something original or unique (not to mention the environmental and societal impacts of using AI tools). To the point that the United States Copyright Office and the U.S. Court of Appeals agree that AI-artwork cannot be copyrighted, because a human wasn’t the one creating it in the first instance. [Source]

What does that mean for businesses and branding?

The question I get most often when I bring this up is, “why should I care about copyright?” or the statement, “we don’t need to copyright our logo.”

This is a foundational misunderstanding, and it can cause problems in the long run for you and your business or organization.

Copyright is inherent for works for art – the person who created it owns it unless they transfer the rights. If someone were to use their artwork without permission, the creator (or rights owner) would have legal grounds to go and tell them to stop using it, and could take that as far as they needed or wanted to.

But when the “artwork” you create using AI isn’t copyrightable, you have no grounds. Which means you have no (legal) control over how your brand is used or by whom.

While the same rules may not apply for trademarking an AI-generated logo, a vast majority of small to medium businesses won’t pay the steep fees required to go through the trademarking process, leaving themselves with zero protection.

Where does AI artwork come from?

Generally, AI learning models are fed by imagery from the internet – whether that imagery was found in public directories, downloaded from paid or pirated sources, or bought and paid for. AI models learn from things that already exist.

Think about where that imagery came from…someone created it. And it’s nearly impossible to know who that someone is, and whether they were 1) fairly compensated for their contribution to the learning model or 2) whether they opted in to having their work(s) train the AI models.

Cite Your Sources

Have you ever seen an AI model that has cited their sources? If we the humans were to create a composite of things for something of value, and we didn’t cite our sources, we’d be accused of plagiarism and generally discredited. So why isn’t AI treated the same?

When you ask AI to provide sources, it throws a few dozen links in there that it may or may not have leveraged to any great extent, and it’s up to you to decide whether you’re going to trust it. There’s even a disclaimer on the bottom that says, “sometimes [the AI model] gets facts wrong so make sure to double check;” but do you?

How should AI be used?

I’m not naive; I know AI isn’t going anywhere. I’ve had to evolve my business to leverage it – it’s built into the tools I use every day, and speed has always been a factor in design and marketing. And yes, I know that as a business owner, you should always be looking for the next big thing that’s going to make running your business easier.

But AI should be a tool, not a replacement for real humans.

AI doesn’t possess empathy, and it doesn’t understand nuance. You can compare an AI prompt to writing a text message or an email that was ill-received when the intention was only positive; emotion doesn’t come through in text for most people. So how could AI “listen” to a business owner tell the story of their brand and pick up on the emotion and nuance that should be brought into the design of it? Or, know where to ask questions and get the deeper story that ultimately makes the brand?

Here’s how I use AI in my business:
- I use it for competitive research (and then go and verify what it’s showing me).
- I use it as a sounding board for content and ideas to see how they might work for my ideal audience, in addition to my circle of real people.
- I use it to check my tone on sensitive emails.
- I use Photoshop’s generative fill and expand features to remove filler, irrelevant background elements or to make a photo wider for a website (sparingly).
Here’s what I won’t use AI for:
- To write content for me – emails, social posts, blogs, newsletters, website content, etc.
- To create artwork – including patterns, icons, logos, or photos – of any kind
- For fact checking
When is using AI for logos okay?

In my opinion, never.

But what if I don’t have a budget? Use a word-only logo until you do.

But what if I don’t know a designer? Ask around, there’s a lot of us out there.

But what if I need a logo for something fast? You should probably slow down or you’re going to miss something crucial. Also, see the first point above.

Getting a logo via AI – whatever learning model or platform you use – is doing your business a disservice.
- AI doesn’t have the human touch; it can’t fine tune your logo to be right for your audience.
- It isn’t taking into account the larger strategy of using your logo.
- It’s not going to generate different usable variations for different scenarios.
And the worst part (from my perspective) is that even if you’re using an AI platform that can generate an SVG or EPS version of your logo, that file is going to be such a hot mess that you’ll have an incredibly difficult time using it again in the future. So if you start off with an AI logo to get something fast, with the intention of having a professional edit it later, you may find yourself having to start from scratch because a professional may not be able to (or may not be willing to) touch the AI generated items.

What’s Most Important?

In this era of speed (seemingly) being the most important thing, I’d challenge you to consider what you actually value most in the long run.

Is it doing the thing the fastest, saying “yep that will work,” and getting it out the door?

Or is it taking the time to do it right, and knowing you won’t have to revisit it later and spend more time (and potentially money) on it?
May 18, 2026
Anchor Your Annual Marketing Budget in Reality
A DIY Guide to Designing a Budget that Fits Your Business

When you look at your business’ budget, do you have a category specific to marketing? Or does it feel like it’s just taking away from something else? Just like with a home who’s AC has broken down – if you don’t have it in your budget, it’s going to be painful when you really NEED it. So building in a category for marketing is a smart business move. But, if you’re like most business owners, you’re likely wondering how much you should spend, what to plan for, and maybe, where to even start?

A great time to work on figuring your budget is when you’re already planning for the new year (that is something you do, right?). Creating a marketing budget to match your annual strategic marketing plan doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. Let’s walk through it step-by-step:

Step 1: Determine what you want your marketing to do for you.

Ask yourself these three questions and answer them honestly – get rid of the “shoulds.”
1. What do you want to accomplish this year?
  Use your marketing plan as a roadmap; if you’ve already followed my TIDE Framework for an Annual Marketing Plan You’ll Actually Use, this question is likely already answered! If not, then consider your goals and what you might need to do to reach them.
2. What’s realistic for this stage in your business?
  Take a look at your revenue for this year and what your anticipated revenue is for next year (if you’re not sure, this may be a good time to tag in your CPA or financial advisor) to determine a reasonable amount that you can put toward marketing.
3. What do you actually need to do based on where you’re at in business?
  Once you have clarity on your goals and the financial boundaries you’re working with, you can look at what’s required and what makes the most sense for right now to pull it all together. Maybe your website is ready for a refresh, your branding could be stronger or more market-aligned, or maybe you’re looking at growth methods. Depending on what you’re working toward, it might be time to invest in design support (so you’re not DIYing), strategic advertising (to reach the right strangers), or email marketing (to warm up your prospects and clients).
Step 2: What Categories Can You Leverage for Your Marketing Budget?

Before you start assigning dollar amounts, it helps to break your marketing needs into clear categories. When you categorize your investments, you can prioritize to make sure every dollar has purpose.

Of course, every business is different. Here are some core categories to consider:

This focuses on ensuring your business looks and feels consistent to create the best customer experience. This can include items like your visual identity, daily-use templates, brand photography and brand messaging. (If you’re not sure which pieces of your branding need attention, download my Brand Touchpoint Checklist self-audit.)

If your business has not yet launched or just recently launched, expect to allocate 75-90% of your budget to this category.

With or without your involvement, your business exists online, and it’s usually the first impression that people see. You, as the business owner, want to control your online presence so it can build trust and connect you with your ideal clients. Online digital presence can include your website, social media, directories, and search engine visibility (SEO).

Product-based businesses tend to allocate more energy/funds to an SEO campaign because they’re trying to reach strangers, while service-based businesses rely more heavily on referrals and word of mouth, and don’t need as strong of an SEO campaign.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that your online presence is ever-changing; you need to be updating your photos and content as your business grows and evolves.

I always advocate for my clients to do their own content creation whenever possible. Who can tell your story and show what your business offers better than you, the creator? Content creation can include blogging, email newsletter writing, social media campaigns (paid and organic), and video. All of these efforts are designed to showcase your knowledge and the quality of your work, and it’s hard to recreate that passion as a third-party. If you choose to outsource, make sure you’re actively involved in the process.

Advertising campaigns are your intentional (and most often paid) efforts to get in front of the right people at the right time. Advertising isn’t going to be a one-size-fits all effort; not all businesses will even need to pay for advertising. A lot of business owners think that the only way to advertise is on social media, but other options include Google Ads, paid directories, ads on/in specialized publications and websites, and, of course, physical advertising like postcards and flyers.

The key to successful advertising is to understand your ideal market: where they spend time, how they digest information, and what speaks to their values and needs best.
An oftentimes overlooked category, software subscriptions that help you market are a key piece of a marketing budget, and will likely recur monthly or annually – though some businesses can leverage free versions for the first few years. Some examples of marketing-related software that you may need to pay for include:

A Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) that will help you manage your business/client relationships in several different forms, including book of business tracking, task tracking, and in some cases, social media management and email marketing. One of the most popular CRMs out there is Hubspot.

A social media management scheduling tool (i.e. Later, Sprout, Hootsuite, Buffer)

An email marketing platform (i.e. Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Kit)

Design tools that help you create if you’re DIYing (i.e. Canva, Adobe, CapCut)

Email signature host (i.e. Wisestamp, Signature Hound)

Website Design/Hosting (i.e. Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, WordPress plugins, BlueHost, etc.)
As a business owner, you’re busy running the day-to-day operations (working in the business) and doing the tasks that are going to bring in revenue. So spending time working on the business and doing the back-end marketing tasks that take time and energy is taking away from those revenue-generating opportunities. If you’re spending an unbalanced amount of time not actively making money, then it might be time to outsource.

Here’s a real example: A business broker is going to be focused on communicating with clients who are interested in buying and selling businesses. Their focus is on in-person opportunities, networking, and finding their next client. To help in those tasks, they need an active content strategy in email or on social, and once they’re in the process of selling a business, they need outstanding materials that support the sale happening quickly. Passing these tasks on will help the business broker save time and energy, allowing them to focus on where the business needs them more: meeting new people and building relationships.

Step 3: Pick a Marketing Budget Level

When it comes to setting aside a dollar amount, the options will vary. The right investment depends on where your business is today, the goals you’re working toward, and how much growth you’re ready to support. The easiest way to approach marketing budgets is to break them into three levels. Each tier will give you room to choose what fits your business, and what you realistically need in the short- and long-term.
- Low Budget ($3,000 – $7,500/yr):
  Ideal for new businesses and tight budgets. If you are a new business, be prepared to spend the majority of this budget to get you off the ground. I would highly recommend making sure you spend the money to set yourself up the way you imagined your business, rather than starting small and having to go back and change things later (i.e. don’t settle for ‘good enough’). If you have the ability, set aside a “launch budget” and then a separate marketing budget, even if it’s smaller for that first year. This looks like:
  - You DIY most your marketing
  - You write most of your own content
  - You are not paying to advertise
  - You are strategically and sparingly calling on your consultants for help (trading time for money)
- Medium Budget ($8,000 – $30,000/yr):
  Ideal for the business owner ready for consistent, attainable growth without having to do everything themselves. Most often a long-term, repeatable budget. This looks like:
  - You outsource at least half of your content and marketing tasks
  - Consistently investing in expanding your brand presence
  - You have systems in place that save you time (some paid, some free)
  - You are trying a lot of strategies to see what works best for you and your ideal clients
  - On the higher end of the budget, you’re likely running consistent monthly ads
- High Budget ($30,000+/yr):
  Ideal for the business owners who have medium to large enterprises and are in aggressive growth mode. This looks like:
  - You outsource (nearly) all of your marketing tasks, or have brought on a marketing staffer
  - You run aggressive conversion-centric ad campaigns
  - You pursue media, PR, speaking, and podcast opportunities regularly
  - You no longer use free versions of systems because they don’t fit your needs
Step 4: Revisit Your Marketing Budget Quarterly

Marketing, and the budget that goes with it, is not a “set it and forget it” effort. You’ll need to revisit the plan and budget regularly to make sure you’re evaluating success, adjusting efforts, and amending the strategy as your business grows and changes. Checking quarterly and setting new goals annually is a great habit. Things to ask during your evaluation include:
- What’s working?
- What’s wasting money?
- Where do you need more support?
- Where can you pull back?
- Consider what you don’t know. If a marketing effort still seems like a good idea but it’s not quite working the way you’d hope, you may need a consultant to help bring your ideas to fruition in a way that’s going to make the right impact on your business.
Get Support for Your Marketing Plan, in Your Budget

As the year winds down, this is the perfect time to pause, take a breath and take an honest look at how your business performed over the past year.

Whether you’re mapping out your very first marketing plan, choosing which budget level makes sense for this season of business, or realizing it’s finally time to outsource the work that is draining your time, I’m here to help. If you’re ready for guidance, clarity, or hands-on support with any of the items in this blog, I’d love to collaborate with you to make sure you start your year with a plan that feels aligned, intentional and sustainable.

Schedule a Free Consult

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Budget Must-Haves, Nice-to-Haves, and Cost-Saving Strategies

Post Glossary
Market-aligned: Your ideal client isn’t everyone. Market-aligned means making strategic choices that make sense for your brand to best speak to the ideal person you want to work with. Click here to read a blog about determining who that is.

Email marketing: Sending out mass email to verified contacts through an email marketing platform like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or Kit to advertise, share information, promote new products, etc.

Visual identity: Often includes the things that people see from your brand, like your logo, colors, fonts, icons, and other design style choices.
Brand photography: Most often references photos of you, your spaces, your team, and the tools you use daily. It can also reference the style of photography that you use in your marketing materials (i.e. people photos, landscape photos, grayscale vs. color, etc.).

Social media campaigns (paid and organic): Social Media campaigns are the strategic curation of content that you share on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (Twitter). Organic campaigns are the ones you’re putting out for free, and paid campaigns are the ones you’re paying real money to promote to the right people. Both can be effective when done well and consistently.

Conversation-centric ad campaigns: Your campaigns have gone from being designed to show prospects that you exist to being designed to sell.
December 16, 2025
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December 1, 2025
How to Choose a Business Name that Sticks

November 3, 2025
Communicate Like a Human!
Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Let Your Personality Shine Through in Written Communication

Communication has evolved over recent years; what used to be a friendly face and handshake, or a letter in the mail, has quickly turned into text messages, social media DMs, and to-the-point video calls. It’s no different for businesses; companies now lean on social media and email for marketing, email receipts and sales confirmations.

While it’s important to be courteous and professional, that doesn’t mean you can’t allow your personality to shine through in your communication. Whether it’s an internal note to your team, an email to a client, or a message to the masses, it’s important to be clear with your message… but what some leaders and entrepreneurs forget is to be themselves.

There seems to be a stigma that when you’re communicating in a corporate environment that you have to be very formal, and essentially uptight, in order for the recipient to take you seriously, just because it’s a professional relationship.

I’m calling BS. 🐂💩

I believe the only time you need to be strict and to the point is if you’re writing something formal or something that needs to be upheld in court, like a contract. When you’re talking to a client, you’re talking to a human, and you’re a human, so communicating like a human is important!

I’ve found in my 15 years of working in the corporate environment that in most scenarios, the only way to get a client to come back is to get them to trust you (especially if you’re in any sort of relationship building industry, such as real estate, financial services, the creative industry, or any other service-based business).

The only way you’re going to get them to trust you is to act like a human: be empathetic, use your own words, get to know them, and speak to them like you care and have known them for years.

Writing Tips and Tricks to Let Your Personality Shine

In our digital world, you have to be really intentional to achieve that via the written word. If you have a bubbly personality, lean into it! Don’t be afraid to use an emoji, end a sentence with an exclamation point, or even use an acronym like LOL.

You can set the right tone for your message from the jump via your greeting. There is an absolute difference between:

Hey Charlotte
Hey Charlotte,
and Hey Charlotte!

No punctuation or a period may send out a negative tone. The comma is like middle ground, a standard greeting where no tone is really in place. The exclamation point tells the reader you are excited to greet them and have something good for them to read. It’s very much a ‘hey girl, how ya doin?” vibe. It’s up to you to decide the tone you want to start your message off with, just remember to know your client and what’s going to help build that relationship.

Your choice of words in the body of your communication is another opportunity to strengthen relationships by sprinkling your personality in your message. If you use the same tone and words in your written communication as you do your verbal communication, your audience will feel like it’s an extension of you – the person they trusted to give their business to in the first place.

Put it in Practice

For example, let’s say a client is past due on a payment; you can speak the way you normally do or send a stern, formal message. Here’s a side-by-side comparison:

“Hi Frank! I noticed there’s an outstanding invoice on your account. I know sometimes emails can go to spam or be overlooked, so I just wanted to check in and confirm that you received my invoice. Should I resend?”

This is to the point, yet informal and friendly. If the client forgot to make a payment, this gives them an “easy out” to make an excuse or make payment arrangements, but it doesn’t make them feel you are upset with them and doesn’t turn them off. Versus…

“Hello, Frank. I have not received your payment yet. When do you expect it to come through?”

This may put Frank on the defensive, causing them to react negatively by simply not replying, delaying payment further, or ultimately going to someone else next time they need services you provide.

*Sidenote, this example does not mean you should be a pushover when it comes to payments! But think about how you would respond best in this scenario.

Take it One Step Further with Branding: Do’s and Don’ts

Further personalizing your messages, especially to match your branding, is great. But can quickly become problematic. Here are some do’s and don’ts:
- DO use your logo and brand colors in your signature to tie it in with your branding.
- DON’T write the full message body in a special font and color, as it can be straining on the eye. There are instances where color can and should be used (for example, an inline response to an email), but I’ve received emails where the entire thing is a special font that is italicized, large, bold and colorful! It’s difficult to get through the whole email because it is so overwhelming to the senses!
  
  Also, keep in mind some of your readers may be colorblind and the colors may come through differently than intended. At this point, you’re standing out, but for all the wrong reasons!
- DO get comfortable with using exclamation points and bold fonts to show excitement or highlight an important part of your message.
- DON’T go crazy with it! Using too many exclamation points at once or writing a whole message in caps may be taken as screaming. Use your tools (italic, bold, & colors) to help you emphasize as needed.
Next time you’re trying to bridge the gap between corporate and personality, refer back to this blog as a guide. Ultimately, finding a balance is always the best way to go. Clear, knowledgeable emails show you know what you’re doing, that you have your clients or prospect’s best interest at heart, and that you’re the best person for the job. But you also want your clients to know you and who you are, so sprinkle in an exclamation point here or there.

You’re a human, so write like it!
October 18, 2024
Cohesive Branding is the Goal: A Case Study
Updated: Oct 18, 2024

These days, great leadership is hard to find. Many companies struggle with high employee turnover because of poor leaders and high stress environments.

Amber Waugaman, Executive Leadership Coach, is learning from her experience in environments like these. She’s made it her mission to collaborate with company leaders and entrepreneurs in a group setting or one-on-one to create healthy work environments, resulting in better organizational and financial outcomes for her clients. Whether it’s through coaching, strategic advising, leadership training workshops, or public speaking, Amber has a ton of ways she helps companies make the most out of their leadership teams.

Amber found me via a Facebook post and after exploring my website. When we met, she knew she needed help with branding, but wasn’t sure exactly what she was looking for. After a discovery call and a successful first project, one turned into many growth opportunities and collaborative efforts, and the end result is now one of my favorites. Amber’s personality, drive, achievements, professional experience, and now branding, shine through in nearly all of her documents and platforms, including social media, stationery and marketing.

Together, we worked on:
- Social Media Templates
- A Strategic Business Audit & Branded Asset Update
- A Biography Flyer
- Branded Company Stationery
- A Website Overhaul
Social Media Templates

Amber’s most important initiative was making the process faster and easier for her to continue to post on social media, and achieving a level of polish, poise, and professionalism that matched what she was offering to her clients; something she didn’t feel capable of doing on her own. She shared that she was very active and involved on her platforms, but that she struggled with the “making it look good.” She wanted consistency and simplicity, something that was branded, and something that she didn’t have to think too much about how to make it look awesome.

We worked together to create Canva templates that were very much an “easy button” for her – replace this photo and change this text, and you’re off to the races! We’ve now created nearly 20 different templates that she can pull from for both Instagram and LinkedIn (a difference in size), and each one is cohesive with the rest of her brand identity.

Strategic Business Audit for Cohesive Branding

After finishing our social media template project, I took the liberty of doing an audit on Amber’s digital presence. While she didn’t ask for this, I felt like it would be a disservice to her not to share my perspective and to give her some action items that would immediately improve the look and feel of what she was projecting on the web.

Ultimately, I found that she had great content and direction, but each place she showed up online seemed disconnected visually. There were key missing pieces of her brand in odd places, and it was clear that it was all “good enough,” but not great.

Amber took this feedback amazingly well, and we came up with a plan to fine tune many of her branded assets. This included a tweak of her logo, creating social media headers that were consistent, looking at the visual aspect of buttons on her LinkedIn, and as minute as how she was phrasing certain CTAs. We even drilled down to her future plans of a photoshoot, and how she could make that even more representative of her brand, too. (I’m excited to say she’s bought a stunning orange blazer that’s going to look killer in her new photos!)

This kind of audit – while powerful – doesn’t have much that can be shown off in one fell swoop. It’s a lot of little things that add up to a more cohesive and streamlined presence online, so that if a prospect is vetting Amber, they’re confident that she’s got it all together.

Biography Flyer

One of the things Amber shared and was excited about was an opportunity she was pursuing (and eventually secured!) to be an executive leadership coach with her alumni, Penn State. They requested a document from her that they could pass on to her new potential coaching clients, highlighting her expertise and everything she could offer.

Amber secured the content, and I created a custom biography flyer for her, which is similar to a compact resume. This document allows her to highlight her work experience and expertise, and show readers and potential clients why it’s a great idea to work with her. By incorporating her brand colors and updated logo, it visually tied in to the rest of the work we were doing. Now, not only is she able to use this for her Penn State position, she’s also able to use it at any event she speaks at, or whenever someone needs an “at a glance” reference that goes over why she’s a good fit for them or their company.

Cohesive Branded Stationery

On our initial discovery call, Amber had shown me a document she created in Canva – it was something she was using as a contract, and every time it needed updating, she had to move a bunch of text boxes around. I asked her if it needed to stay in Canva, or if we could create a Word template for her. She told me that the only reason it was in Canva was because she didn’t know how to apply the styles that she wanted in Word, and she wanted it to look good.

Now, Amber has a Word document template (dotx) that she can leverage that does three key things for her:
1. Makes it really difficult to save over accidentally
2. Saves her time if she needs to edit an older document to make it current
3. Creates a cohesive look within her client experience
As a way to show her how to use it, I created a screen-recorded video applying some of the basics from the template she had in Canva – ultimately getting her started recreating it into this new Word document. It’s all one-click style applications, and she’s reported it works great for her! She now uses it for debriefs, pricing pages, presentation resources, and more, saying “it definitely helped elevate my presence and keep things consistent.”

Website Overhaul

The biggest project Amber and I worked on together (and my favorite in this case!) was her website. We started by reviewing it; going over the elements she liked, what needed to be updated, and what she wanted to add. Although it had a great deal of information, like many of the other assets we worked on together, it was inconsistently branded.

Some of the things that made the biggest difference in the redesign included:
- Making the layers light and intentional, which made her pages clean and easy to skim through
- Adding some of her awesome branded photos and videos, and leveraging lots of opportunities to highlight the testimonials she had that raved about her process and results
- Adding an FAQ page, updating her professional speaking page, including a section to display all her certifications and the organizations she’s involved in, and adding candid photos to show more of her personality
- Including her updated logo and fine-tuning the colors and design elements for a consistent look
Ultimately, we ended up with an exquisite testament to her coaching abilities and expertise, and a powerful sales tool that Amber is excited to use and share.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jenn, my go-to marketing designer and strategist, for several months, and she has truly elevated my professional presence across all platforms. From stunning social media graphics to a polished website and bio flyers, Jenn has ensured everything looks exactly as I envisioned—highly professional and polished, which is crucial for my organizational clients. I am continuously impressed by her creativity, attention to detail, and her ability to bring my ideas to life. Not only is she incredibly talented, but she’s also a joy to work with, always offering fresh ideas and insightful advice. I can’t recommend Jenn enough and look forward to continuing to work with her as I further build my brand and online presence.
AMBER WAUGAMAN

This project was a fun labor of love! Amber had a strong foundation for her marketing and visuals but lacked a cohesive look and feel, so it was fun to partner with her in bringing her ideas to life and giving her a brand she can be proud of and excited about. We’ve continued to tackle other small initiatives, often bouncing ideas off one another as Amber’s company grows and changes; she told me that she’s building a list of projects aligned with her goals that she wants me to weigh in on and help her achieve!

If you’re interested in exploring how we might collaborate on creating a cohesive brand identity for your business, book a free Idea to Execution consultation!
September 24, 2024
Do You Want an Executor or a Collaborator for Your Next Project?
Most of the time, if you ask someone this question, they’re instantly going to say they want to work with a collaborator. It feels like the right answer, like what they’re supposed to say. However, for some personality types, they actually need someone to just execute on their ideas without a lot of push-back; but it’s hard to be honest enough with themselves to realize it. Let’s explore the differences…

Working with a Collaborator

Collaboration and execution go hand-in-hand, but in that order. You work on an idea with someone to come to an agreed upon conclusion that suits your needs, and then the person you hired executes on that idea for you (typically).

Collaboration can also look like a brainstorming session, bouncing ideas off one another, and leveraging each other’s knowledge and experience to build something new, exciting, bold, and suitable for the need and the market.

Working with an Executor

Asking someone to execute on an idea, dictating how you want it completed and what the final product should look like is different – there’s no additional input or deviation from the original idea that you (as the boss or client) originally came up with.

Most of the time, the idea person in this scenario knows all the details of what they want, even though they may not communicate them well.

How do I know who I want to work with?

Just ask yourself one question: would I be okay with the person I’m working with pushing back on my idea? If the answer is no – and you have to be really honest with yourself to decide – then you’re looking for an executor. You want to control (be a dictator, negative connotations aside) the details to a project that you either don’t have the time or knowledge to complete, and have someone do it for you, exactly to your specifications.

That’s not a bad thing, if you realize that going in. It can also, ultimately, save you some money. Hiring someone to just do what you need them to do is easy – that type of person is typically a junior level employee who’s still learning the ropes. They essentially don’t know enough to push back, and they’ll take all the experience they can get in real world situations to become a senior level expert.

Hiring a collaborator is different. They’re someone who is typically more advanced in their skills, and who can leverage their life experience, education, and training to help you get to an end result you would have a hard time getting to on your own. Convincing a collaborative personality to just execute on something for you without bringing in their own expertise is difficult, though. They’ll likely be dissatisfied in their role working with you, and can quickly become resentful.

The Fine Line Difference

In every collaboration, especially that of a client/consultant relationship, someone has to be in charge (typically the person doing the hiring) and have the final say. Some would say that is them “dictating” what they need “executed,” and they’d be right. The difference is that before they say “go” on an idea, they’ve been presented and weighed the options on the best way to get to the end result, and 99% of the time, it’s different from where they’ve started. The boss in the situation has come to the table with an idea and they’ve allowed the collaborator to help them fine tune it.

Why is the difference important?

Having enough self-awareness to know what kind of person you want to work with can save time, money, and energy for both you and the person you hire. In the design and marketing space, hiring someone to build a creative output for you and telling them, “I don’t know what I want, but I’ll know it when I see it,” is a huge red flag – designers know this phrase will result in lots of revisions and frustrations, with them ultimately creating something they’re not proud of but that made you happy. (It’s also a quick indicator that you’re actually looking for an executor, not a collaborator.)

How to Find the Right Person to Fit Your Style

It is / can be really simple:
1. Determine what type of person you’re looking for – an executor or a collaborator
2. Look for someone with the right skillset for your needs
3. Go into the initial conversation being upfront and honest with your style. When they ask you how they can help, don’t be afraid to say something like, “I’m looking for someone to (execute/collaborate) on an idea (for/with) me.”
If you’re excited about collaborating with a professional on your next project – let’s chat about it! Schedule your absolutely free Idea-to-Execution Consult!
September 6, 2024
Bringing a Brand to Life: A Case Study
Amongst the rolling foothills of Boise, Idaho, a new brand has been launched: Foothills Capital Advisory. Nabil, its founder, has a background in both law and finance, and he stepped out on his own with a passion for helping business owners succeed. Foothills Capital’s primary mission is to connect businesses facing cash flow constraints with the capital they need, even after the banks have turned them down, regardless of whether that’s to grow their business, to refinance existing debt, or just to provide a bridge and keep the lights on until they can qualify for traditional financing.

Together, Nabil and I worked on a few key initiatives:
- Logo & Brand Identity
- LinkedIn Optimization
- Business Stationery
- Website Design
- Promotional Materials
This project was exciting because Nabil had already walked away from a steady job to pursue an entrepreneurial path, creating a true start-up from scratch. He didn’t have any existing clients or income, but he didn’t lack the confidence that they would come his way. We jumped on each initiative as quickly as possible, and there were a lot of conversations had in a small amount of time to make it happen!

Logo & Brand Identity

When Nabil was referred to me, he already knew that he wanted to name his business Foothills Capital Advisory. After recently transplanting to Boise from Seattle with his family, he found that he enjoyed the slower lifestyle and the view of downtown Boise and the foothills from his back deck, finding peace in the tranquil surroundings. So, we leaned into that.

Together, we explored a modern approach to his logo, leveraging hand-drawn line art ranging from abstract, to artsy, bringing in soft curves, and eventually landing on a geometric approach to the view he’s so fond of.

The final version is a beautiful balance of colors found in nature.

Coupled with a brand overview guide and some accompanying assets – like a social media profile graphic, a brand pattern, and branded assets like a Zoom background and email newsletter template, Nabil was off to the races with his new brand.

LinkedIn Optimization

Since so many of Nabil’s clients come to him from referrals, we needed to make sure his LinkedIn profile was an accurate representation of what he does, while we worked on his website behind the scenes.

While we were developing his brand initially, Nabil had put a little “coming soon” message in his experience section, and we were able to quell the anticipation by refreshing that and premiering his new brand identity.

Business Stationery

Though a little out of order from how a typical brand identity project goes, time was of the essence! Nabil was looking into attending a conference where he’d have the opportunity to meet a lot of great business contacts, so instead of doing his website next, we jumped on creating something he could hand out and leverage – his business cards. In a relationship-heavy industry like Nabil’s, business cards are definitely still an expected touchpoint.

Since the designs generally tie together very nicely, Nabil’s business cards were delivered alongside letterhead (both something he could print, and a Word document template he could type right into), a notecard that he could use to write thank you notes, and a couple of envelopes to send it all in should the need arise.

For his stationery, we wanted to continue to lean into the geometric look we established with his logo, and incorporated diamonds with icons to share his contact information. The addition of a watermarked background helped everything to feel modern and put together.

Website Design

From there, Nabil and I started working on his website. He already had a foundation laid, as his daughter had helped him build a Squarespace site. Instead of starting over, we leaned into that framework and updated it to be something that was more in line with his new brand identity.

The content was mostly done, but Nabil had supplied a few additional pieces, and we collaborated on updating his bio to be something a little friendlier and easier to read. We used stock photography of sun-kissed foothills and Boise cityscapes to accent each page.

The final site is clean and slick, with the basics front and center, and the ability to get started obvious on every page. A large majority of Nabil’s clients are referred via industry relationships, so we were sure to include a page that spoke directly to those referral partners.

Promotional Materials

With the website wrapped up, the rush to get this brand out the door slowed down a little – Nabil had what he needed to be successful, found online, and to communicate with new and existing referral partners.

The next thing he needed was something that his referral partners could use to share with their clients. Nabil asked if we could put together a one-pager that could be shared digitally or printed. It needed to cover the key things that he can offer, his process, the fees, and how someone can get started working with him. It was a lot of information, and we wanted the piece to look and feel very intentionally designed.

This one-pager helped to get people in the door, but what then? Nabil was preparing concise summaries of his clients’ stories, financials, and projections so that he could quickly solicit commercial lenders on his clients’ behalf, and he needed those to be beautiful, easy to use, and quick to customize. The next thing we collaborated on was a presentation template that was designed in Powerpoint.

For this project, I started by looking at a presentation that Nabil had already put together to get an idea for the types of content he was using, and then I got to work building out templates that made sense for that type of content. By inserting photos that we had used on the website and leveraging his color palette, we were able to make something both beautiful and functional. The best part is that he can use this same template for anything, and it’s near impossible to overwrite it – every time he opens it, it forces him to save it with a new name.

I truly enjoyed working on this brand launch with Nabil, and he and I have continued to stay in touch for future opportunities while he’s nurturing several new client engagements. His business launched with a bang, and he’s been enjoying having pieces he’s proud to show off and leverage as he continues to build.

If you enjoyed this case study, and are interested in exploring how we might collaborate on your next big idea, schedule your absolutely free, no-commitment Idea-to-Execution consult today!
August 23, 2024
Booklets & Brochures: What’s the Difference?
As a business owner, getting your business in front of the right people is crucial. And even though we live in a digital world, sometimes the best way to do that is on paper. Brochures have been around for a long time, and are a common way for businesses to share what they do, often being used as a leave behind with prospective clients. But when you want to do something more in-depth, expansive, and useful, a booklet might be the right answer. So, what’s the difference?

In my line of work, the terms “booklet” and “brochure” are often thrown around interchangeably. But the fact is, while they have similarities, the big, key differences come down to two things: page count and folding options.

Brochures

In its most traditional and recognized form, a brochure is a trifolded single sheet of paper. It’s the kind of thing you would likely see if you’re staying in a touristy area and the hotel has a rack full of attractions in the area.

For example, I live near Kartchner Caverns. A brochure for Kartchner would likely include pictures of their most stunning formations, the national parks logo, opening hours, prices, and a brief history of the park, as well as a brief overview of why you should visit.

For a more traditional B2C or B2B business, a brochure might cover things like a value or mission statement, a bio for their founder, their services, and links to their online presence.

The beauty of a brochure is that you have the opportunity to guide the reader through an experience. For a trifold, here’s how that might go:

The Brochure Experience

Looking at the first panel of the trifold, the cover, it will typically have an eye-catching, interesting design, a powerful headline, and clear branding.

Once they open the brochure, they’re presented with two panels. Since people typically read from left to right, you’ll want to plan on them seeing the left panel first. That’s where you can put things like stats about the business, mission and vision statement, or maybe a bio. Then, on the right panel, maybe you have services, or maybe a continuation of more of that ‘high level’ information from the left panel.

Then, they can open the brochure one more time, and they’re presented with two more panels. A lot of times, those panels can be even melded together a little creatively, because they’re going to be the core offering that you’re excited about sharing. This is a good place to really sell the reader on your offer. However, you have to balance what you’re putting here with everything else in the brochure, because there is a chance your reader may not make it all the way into the brochure. They may open the cover, not find something they’re excited about, and move on. So decide on your non-negotiables, the things you absolutely want them to see, and put those earlier in the experience.

Finally, because humans are curious by nature, most people will close up the brochure and flip it over to see what’s on the back. That’s where you should have all of your contact information, website link, social media, maybe a QR code, and even a testimonial. The other benefit of having this information on the back is that if someone never even cracks open the brochure, they can still flip it over and find out how to contact you.

Brochures also differ from booklets in how they’re finished, by being folded. There are 10 common ways that a brochure can be folded, and since it’s a single sheet of paper, there’s no additional finishing needed. (Check out my blog, The Business Owner’s Crash Course to Printed Materials, for more on this)

Booklets

The biggest difference between a brochure and a booklet is that a booklet is often going to be 4+ pages.

A 4-page piece, which is typically a single sheet of paper folded in half, is a weird gray area. Sometimes it’s considered a half-fold brochure, and sometimes it’s considered a booklet because it tends to be bigger. But it’s not stapled in the middle, so a brochure is the better candidate.

More often than not, booklets also tend to be ‘full size’ – meaning they have a finished size of 8.5×11, which is a standard piece of paper (like what gets loaded in your printer). That’s not always the case, like in the case of event programs. Those tend to be a little smaller, but they’re still little books with lots of information included about the event you’re attending.

A booklet can still guide someone through an experience of information, but the difference being that someone could flip to any page to jump ahead in the story. It’s like a “choose your own adventure” book.

Finally, let’s look at how booklets are finished. Booklets are stitched in the middle – often using a couple of staples, but sometimes even with actual needle and thread. Since brochures are a single page, there’s no need for them to be finished in this way.

How Do You Decide Which One to Use?

There are three things to consider when you’re deciding between a booklet and a brochure for your next project.
1. What and is it for?
2. Who is it for?
3. What’s your budget?
What and who is it for?

Booklets are great for more robust projects. Things like a welcome guide for new clients, event programs, or even gated content on a website. They’re often something that you want people to hold onto, to reference. Also, if you’re creating something primarily for digital use with the option to print a few copies, booklets display a lot better online than something that’s intended to be folded multiple times.

Brochures are better for leave-behind pieces. They’re almost like a teaser to your business or to the thing that you’re offering. They’re not nearly big enough to provide all the details, but they can get someone interested enough to look to your website, for example.

What’s Your Budget?

Because of the size and the additional cost of finishing, booklets are more expensive. If you’re going to be going meet with a prospective client, do you want to leave them with something that cost you $5-$10+ to complete (when you break down the per-item cost) or something that cost you $1 to complete, knowing you may not ever hear from that person again?

In conclusion, the difference between a booklet and a brochure really comes down to page count and folding options. If you’re having trouble determining the best path forward for the thing you’re looking to create, let’s chat, and I’ll likely be able to point you in the right direction.
July 26, 2024
A Business Owner’s Crash Course to Printed Materials
As a business owner, sometimes you just need to get something printed. To have something physical, tangible, for a specific purpose.

A lot of times, this comes up when businesses are launching and you want to have a backstock of things like business cards, letterhead, maybe even folders. Things that make sense for when you’re connecting with new clients.

But other times, a more complex need arises, when you’re exploring an asset like a brochure or booklet, or maybe even printed swag items like hats, notepads, pens, or tablecloths.

The needs vary for every business, and the choices are practically endless, so where do you even start?

First: Determine What You Need or Want

This could be an entire blog topic with all the variables, but really it comes down to what you want the end result to look like. Maybe you’ve seen something that looked really cool that you want to replicate. Or maybe you have an idea for an end result. Either way, you’ve got to figure out the details.

For paper goods, things to think about include:
- How big your paper needs to be
- How many sheets of paper it will take
- How they’ll be finished – folded, bound, perforated, glossy, matte, satin, etc.
If you’re printing swag items, you’ll want to think about:
- Color
- Function
- Material
- What you want on it (there’s usually size restrictions)
Regardless, you need to know:
- How many you need
- When you need them (be reasonable and plan ahead)
- What you’re willing to spend
Holy decisions, Batman! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, chat with an expert that can help you navigate.

Next: Get an Estimate

Once you know what you want, you can determine how to get it. This isn’t any different than price and feature shopping between Target and Amazon. You’ll start by looking up (or asking for recommendations for) good printers for the type of thing you want to do, and then look at what they’re offering and for how much.*

Most online print shops will have an estimating tool, where you can put in all of the specs and it will spit out a price. This is (typically) the same tool you use to order your project. As you click through it, you’ll find that there are a TON of options, and they change depending on the options you choose. Your choices can also affect your total price – sometimes dramatically.

The most common things that can affect your end price include:
- Size
- Quantity (common are: 100, 250, 500, 1,000, 1,250, etc.)
- Page Count or Folds
- Rate of Production and Shipping
As a note, it used to be that when you were printing paper goods, decisions like one sided or two, full color or black and white, would change the price considerably. Now, the difference is literal pennies with most printers. Where minute details like that come into play is when you’re printing swag, especially things like engraved pens.

*For super specialty items or finishes – like perforations in a brochure, for example – some printers won’t have the capabilities to do that. If you’re not finding it on their website, they’ll often have a chat feature where you can determine if that’s something they can do, or if it would be a custom order (usually more expensive).

Order a Sample Pack

When you’re neck deep in the estimating process, you’ll find that many times, the paper types and weights might as well be written in another language.

How do you overcome that? Order a sample pack! Most reputable print shops will offer these for free, and you can usually find the link to order in the footer of their websites. They do this because they can 1) collect your contact info and market to you later, and 2) they know that you’re more likely to be thrilled with the end result.

Sample Pack from SmartPress

Some sample packs will come with a variety of items (business cards, notecards, letterhead, and brochures), while others will come like a paint swatch book. Regardless of the format, look for the fine print that details the paper weight on each item, and use how the paper feels to figure out what you like.

Folding & Finishing

If you’re working on a brochure or booklet project, it’s important to consider how you want it to be folded and finished. Did you know that there are 10 ways that a brochure can be folded? Most folks are familiar with the bifold, trifold, and maybe even the roll fold, but there are other less common and more complex options out there too.

Brochure folding guide from PrimoPrint

When working with a client on a brochure project, I like to think about how something opens, and what the experience will be as someone navigates the brochure. (Check out this reel for a demo)

When working on a booklet project, the most important thing to remember is that your page count has to be divisible by four! Sometimes, that means adding in some blank or decorative pages to get where you need to be.

As far as finishes go, do you want your piece to be ultra glossy? Would you like it to feel satiny-smooth? Or maybe you want to avoid fingerprints. All of these factors come into play with the finishes.

Good Printing Isn’t Cheap

There is a well-known budget printer out there that I usually won’t ever use or recommend.* When asked why, it comes down to two things: the quality doesn’t usually result in what I expect, and the customer service is atrocious. In the printing world, the adage “you get what you pay for” is very true.

Common items – like a standard business card – are going to be reasonably priced, generally, wherever you go. When it comes to more complex items, prices can differ greatly, and available options can too. If you know this going in, you can make an informed decision as to what fits your budget and where the best place is to get it.

Some things you should look for in a printing company include:
- Do they make it easy for you to leverage their service? Look for things like templates, layout recommendations, clear descriptions, and good pictures. Also, if their website feels outdated or clunky, it’s a good chance their equipment will be as well – they’re likely not investing in the best.
- Do they offer sample packs for free? While this isn’t a must, it’s a good indicator that they’ve thought through their process and prices and figured out how they can make the experience better for the customer.
- Do they have an easy customer support opportunity, like a chat feature?
- What are their reviews like OFF of their website? Consider websites like the BBB, TrustPilot, and even Yelp, Google, or social media.
- Are they considering or leveraging things that are important to you – like carbon neutrality, green printing options, a give-back program, etc.?
*My experience may not be the experience of others, and I’m intentionally not naming names. Get in touch if you’re looking for a specific recommendation.

Finally: Place the Order

When you’re ready to place your order, it’s about as serious as signing a contract. You want to make sure that you’ve got everything just so, because there’s no take-backsies. If something is wrong (like a typo, watermarked picture, or paper choice) it’s on your dime to reprint. Most print shops will make this abundantly clear as you navigate the checkout process.

My favorite print shops also have a real human who is checking your files before sending them to print, and some even offer soft or hard proofing options. These pros will be quick to call out concerns like image quality, lack of bleed, or missing fonts so that you know you’re getting exactly what you want.

Why Can’t I Just Print at My Office?

The short answer is that you can, but it might not be your best choice. There are two big things to think about depending on what you’re printing:

The first: in-office printers typically can’t print off the edge of a paper, because they have to be able to grab the sheet to feed it through the machine. So if you’ve got something where the color or image runs all the way up to the edge, it’s going to have a white border instead.

The second: if you have something that is supposed to be a specific size or folded a specific way… that’s on you to do. Whereas a professional printer has big fancy machines that trim projects down to size and that can fold them up in a specific, calibrated, always-the-same kind of way.

There is so much to consider when you’re having something printed that it can be in your best interest to at least chat with someone with experience. They may even be able to introduce you to something you’ve never considered that takes your project to the next level.
July 2, 2024