Why I'm Launching Without a Logo
For a long time this feeling had been weighing on me—the feeling that I'd outgrown my website and branding. They no longer felt like a good stylistic match for my business. They lacked the depth and complexity I pride myself on building into my clients’ brands. Not to mention, I just plain ran out of room.
Times They were A Changin’
You see, my business has evolved a lot since 2016 and the things that were important to me then were getting in the way of more important areas where I feel called to grow today. I launched my Illustrator Essentials course last July and realized that I had no space for it. I had all these exciting new offerings in the wings and nowhere they could call home.
All of these factors told me one thing. It was time for a change.
New Site or Bust
As you might have guessed, things didn't move as quickly as I would have liked. In typical business owner fashion, new projects and to-do’s kept coming and my shiny new website slid farther and farther down the list. That is, until I invested in professional photos.
Once I upgraded from a cropped version of one of our engagement photos to my first legit photo shoot (by the crazy talented Kate Grewal), I felt totally empowered. I ended up with a whole folder filled with amazing photos of me and my work that totally aligned with my brand style and where I saw my business going. That was the spark I needed to get going on the new site.
What matters is that I've got a new online home with plenty of room for growth.
Originally I had plans to create a second website to test everything out and perfect all my styling, etc. in the background so I could make a seamless transition with hardly any downtime. But that was just taking way too long. And let’s be honest—sometimes what you really need is a little urgency and accountability. So I took my old site down, threw up a “Coming Soon” page, and away we went.
Launching Sooner
It's a little less than a month later, and I don't have my new logo or even a true portfolio built out on my new site. But you know what? I'm launching anyway. I chose a nice typeface for my name and my instagram is curated enough to serve as a mini portfolio. It's good enough for now.
The new site is worlds ahead of my old one. It's got so much more depth and complexity, expanded services, an ongoing list of the resources I use to run my business, a shop in the making, and answers to ALL the questions. Not to mention, it's so much more aligned with who I am today and where I'm excited to see my business grow.
Besides, it's way more important to me that I have an accessible online presence that's available to guide others in need. I can test and finesse the rest as I go. This site is me stepping into the light and really owning my expertise from here on out. And that starts today.
Coming Soon
All of that said, I'm clearly not done here. Not even close. You can bet I'll be working on a shiny new portfolio and revamped branding in the background. I'm excited to make these moves very soon, but in the meantime what matters is that I've got a new online home with plenty of room for growth.
See My Rebrand Firsthand
If you're interested in watching my new branding unfold and essentially peeking over my shoulder while I design, listen up! I haven't quite worked out the details yet, but I know that my Illustrator Essentials students (and eventually my Balanced Branding students) will be getting a behind-the-scenes look at this process from start to finish.
The next round of enrollment for Illustrator Essentials opens up in July and I've got a bunch of other exciting things in the wings waiting to be released over the next several months. So as always, stay tuned!
