A year ago I was working as the creative director at a photography production company just outside Philadelphia. I knew I was bumping my head against the ceiling there, and I'd been getting the itch to start a business of my own for a while now. But with a newly purchased home and our wedding-planning well underway, I knew it would take time and some serious preparation before I could finally take that leap.

Podcasts to the rescue!

At the time, I had a pretty hefty commute that was proving to be one of the most draining facets of my work situation. I mean, few things will make you feel like you're wasting your life away quite like sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic twice daily. Luckily, that's when I finally discovered podcasts.

I adore music, but I'm jamming constantly while I work and I wanted something more productive for my drives. Podcasts really couldn't have popped up at a better time for me. When I was feeling trapped by my circumstances, podcasts were my lifeline. They gave me hope, helped me clarify my brand strategy, kept my outlook positive, and made my daily commutes a lot less dreadful.

So without further ado, I'm sharing my favorite podcasts with you. Some are more serious than others, but all of these podcasts have been total game-changers for me. I hope that they'll be a light for you in your own journey too!

We've made it to the final part of the Instagram series—yay us!! I started this whole thing off by covering why to separate personal and professional content and how multiple Instagram accounts can help. Then we went deep on the idea of curating what you share and why it makes such a profound difference for your brand.

QUALITY & CONSISTENCY ARE EVERYTHING

The more you share targeted content on a platform like Instagram, the more magic it will work for your business. Today's post is all about streamlining how you share so you can post even more killer content without driving yourself nuts. The key is creating standards for quality and consistency, then harnessing systems to support them.

Please note that I'm sharing the apps I use here. There are many other alternatives out there worth exploring. Do some research and play around, but in the meantime these have worked wonders for my brand's Instagram feed. So without further ado, let's dig in!

Welcome to Part 2 of Harnessing Instagram for Your Brand! In Part 1, I shared the in's and out's of keeping your personal content separate from your brand's Instagram account—why I do it, what my experience has been, and how having a 2nd account has set me free in a lot of ways.

Keeping your brand's feed strictly professional is absolutely one way to practice curating your feed. You're probably wondering, why should you curate your Instagram feed anyway? Well, I'll give you some stellar reasons to start curating today, and we'll dig even deeper into crafting your branded Instagram feed. Let's dig in!

A couple weeks back, I opened up to you guys about my belief that absolutely nothing is ordinary. My theory is that it's just a matter of shifting your perspective to discover the magic in your everyday life. Sounds great, but a bit vague, right?

Well, we're going to dig deeper and explore how you can channel this philosophy into your social media, specifically on Instagram. This is going to be another two-part post (I know! It's been a while) so buckle up. I'll share my own strategy, some practical examples, and recommendations for harnessing Instagram for your own brand.

Whether you own your own business or not, we all experience overwhelm sometimes. Our culture is constantly applying the pressure for us to ramp up, do more, work harder, and optimize every minute of our lives. And to be completely honest, most of that pressure comes straight from our own heads.

We're constantly telling ourselves that we're not doing enough—that we're not enough. I'm just as guilty of these feelings as anyone else. There are definitely times when I let stress, anxiety, and expectations—my own and those of others—get the best of me. But over the last few months, I've been really trying to take my own advice and slow down.

Creating Space for Renewal

For those moments when you're feeling tired, uninspired, and drained the solution isn't always to keep pushing on and grinding yourself down. Sometimes the best way to get back on the right track is to slow down and create some margin from your usual routine. How will that help? These 6 steps to slowing down will show you just that and more.

I don't know about you, but I can't get enough of HGTV's Fixer Upper. From Chip and Joanna's gorgeous renovations to the adorable Gaines family, I know I'm not the only one that's contemplated packing up my belongings and moving to Waco. Just kidding (not kidding).

Fixer Upper has won the hearts of would-be homeowners all over the country and beyond. And how could they not with those precious kiddos, heaps of shiplap, and all of those farm animals!? Their businesses have grown tremendously over the last few years too. From their beginnings with a realty and reno business, they now also run a cozy b&b, a booming online shop, and a larger-than-life marketplace in a converted silo. They've even got a book on the horizon!

Are y'all ready to take on branding lessons from Fixer Upper?

Considering that the Gaines family has completely enchanted our homes and hearts, there's a lot to be learned from these beloved biz owners. So what branding lessons can you learn from Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper? Read on and find out, folks!

I cannot believe it's been two months since I officially quit my full-time job to take my brand design business full-time. It's definitely been a whirlwind, filled with personal victories and a lot more adjustments than I was anticipating. Much like my two week check-in, I want to take this time to pause for a bit and look back at my first two months of owning a creative business.

My Two Month Takeaways

So what's new since my last check-in? Where have I struggled? What's been going well? What have I learned? Read on and I'll tell you all about it, dollface.

Don't ever let anyone tell you print is dead. In this digital age, having something tangible to represent your brand is more important than ever. Designing stunning stationery is one of my absolute favorite facets of brand design. Not only is lovely stationery nice to hold, but it can make some powerful statements about your brand too!

Let's dig into some print terms, my favorite print methods, and what you need to know about them. When it comes to stationery and collateral, the sky is the limit and there are LOTS of variables to consider. So for simplicity's sake, let's limit the discussion here to business cards.

Now that you've started your creative business, I'm sure you can't wait to share your magic with the world. The problem is that as a business owner, there are so many other responsibilities that now fall on your shoulders. Let's be honest, at first you'll be wearing all of the hats. As a result, it can be hard to find enough time to devote to the actual work you want your business to be known for.

What can you do to fight back? Save time wherever you possibly can. Hustle smarter—yes this means saying “no” a lot more so you can say “heck yes” to what's truly important. Another way to hustle smarter is to implement systems. There are tons of apps out there that can help your workflow work better. Use these systems to save time and make sure the facets of your business play nice with one another.

Saving on Systems

I know what you're thinking.

Melissa, I don't have the money to invest in fancy apps right now. I'm just getting started!

Believe me, I hear you. Being relatively new to business ownership myself, I've done a ton of research to find the best bang for my buck. What I've found is that many great apps are scalable for your business, meaning you can start using them with very little investment (or even for free!). Once your business and your needs grow, you can scale your subscriptions up too.