Although my website is new, I’ve been freelancing for years now. It took me a long time to formalize my work, partially due to time constraints (I went from being in school to starting my first job to getting married to having a baby fairly quickly) but mostly due to fear. Could I keep up with the others in the biz? Had I earned the right? What if I invested time and money into putting myself out there and then failed?
And then one day, I realized that fear simply wasn’t a good enough reason to not do something. I didn’t just decide to create a website. I decided that I needed branding too.
I fully believe that branding is a nice-to-have when you’re just starting out, but I also know that my ideal clients (maybe like you?!) are highly visual people. They care about pretty things, just like me. And it’s important to me that you know that I connect with and respect that.
Insert Kate Hammer! I learned about Kate while reading Elsa Massey’s blog, Simply Elsa, whose branding she designed. After some Instagram stalking, I realized that she’s also behind the branding of other people I admire, and I knew I had to reach out.
From our first conversation, it was apparent to me just how professional, thoughtful, and creative Kate is. She asked all the right questions in order to understand my (sometimes hard to verbalize) vision and never ran out of patience. As a creative, I also appreciate how she allowed me to be highly involved in the branding process and truly respected my opinion.
If you know me, you know that the inspiration for this branding is obvious. In fact, when I told my dear friend Rachel about this new undertaking, she said, “I’m guessing navy, light blue, white, nautical stripes, hydrangeas, natural textures. Not unpolished but not pretentious.” Seems about right, doesn’t it? What can I say—at least I’m consistent!
I want this website to feel like an extension of myself because to me, business is personal. The hydrangea is a really big part of that. It’s been my favorite flower for a long time, since I discovered it on my beloved Martha’s Vineyard. It was my wedding flower and is in much of my art at home. When our family dog passed away, we planted a hydrangea bush in his memory. Kate worked so hard to design the perfect custom hydrangea, and I could not be more grateful to her for that.
My best advice for someone needing branding? Look for someone who gets your vibe and knows your market. Their inherent knowledge about what you like and who you’re trying to attract will make the process so much faster, and you’ll likely end up happier with the finished product. I know I am!
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