My first bright idea.
Read MoreMotivational Monday!
Good Morning everyone!
It's been a minute since I last shared a Motivational Monday post but sheesh, we all need one as we're smack in the middle of a scorching summer!
Today I want to talk to you all about the importance of DEFINING yourself. By this I don't mean for you to say "I'm an accountant, I'm a hair stylist, I'm a stay-at-home mom, I'm a veterinarian" I mean for you to TRULY define yourself at your core. Remember when you were a kid? What were some of the things that stood out to you then? Did you like to color excessively, did you talk non-stop, did you enjoy running just for the sake of running? What are some of the things that stood out (then) and that as you're thinking of them (now), bring a smile to your face?
Let's dig deeper. As children, we're undoubtedly influenced by our surroundings and by what we are told by our parents. Boys are typically encouraged as future cops, doctors, firefighters, for girls well...there is a different terminology used like dancer, signer, princess and sometimes a nurse. I'm not going to go into how I feel about theses stereotypes but rather I'm going to share the perspective of all of us being SCIENTISTS.
That's right. We are all scientists since birth. As toddlers we observed, hypothesized, tested, discarded, and tested again. We did this constantly with everything that came our way, toys, paper, anything that we could stick in our mouths...but think about it, this is exactly what WE have been doing our whole lives! We have observed, and tested jobs, relationships, hobbies, etc. At what point did we settle for the label of a profession?
Today I want to encourage and REMIND you that you are a scientist. That you need to not be defined by a job label but rather apply your TRUE passions to your job.
I'm a Creative Director. My job allows me to apply all my core passions as an artist, as a storyteller and as a problem solver. I study all marketing approaches for my clients and I create solutions to their marketing needs. While doing this, I get to express myself, tell a story to help define their brand and illustrate it visually as needed!
So what if you share my same passions but you have a job as a cashier? I encourage you to apply your passions to WHATEVER your current job is. Ideally you find the perfect job to suit your interests, but if your circumstances keep you at your current job, then think of ways to incorporate your core passions. If you're that cashier with my same passions in life, then DRESS artistically (fashionably), ENGAGE your customers and remember their names (storytelling) and as you're performing your cashier tasks, think of ways that your employer could improve sales by tweaking employee performance or adjusting sale tactics. (problem solver, which might actually gain you a promotion!)
I hope that this post has made you think fondly of your childhood goals and invigorates you to apply some of those core passions into your current job.
Have an amazing week y'all! Be kind and SHARE the KNOWLEDGE WEALTH by sharing this post on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, your mom, your boss, your neighbor. We all need the extra Whmp! to our week!
Much love and respect, Klevergirl
twitter: @klevergirl
Instagram @klevergirl
Colors make a hue-ge difference.
When I began working with my current employer, we started exploring our brand, it's components. We soon realized that our logo was weak not because of it's design, but because of the colors. The original logo was to be kept in its shape, but it didn't stop us from enhancing the colors. a small change in hue and the logo looked renewed!
With this in mind, it is very important that when you start to determine the look/feel of your brand, that you have a good color palette chosen. Depending on your industry, the colors should convey and reflect the feel of your business.
Where can you find color inspiration? Again, depending on your industry, the right colors can really improve the overall image of your brand!
When asked what is the process that I take when I get started and/or where all the ideas come from. My response is almost similar to what all other creatives everywhere: Inspirations comes from EVERYTHING!!!
I'd like to share with you a little trick I use to come up with color palettes...
Look at some images you just absolutely love, even if you can't quite understand why and start extracting the colors from it. For example, the image above is a print I came across and LOVED! Not only are the images young and playful, but the color palette is just as "cool and cheerful" as the images. This is a prefect for a spring project or a children's shop...?
I do this technique pretty much for all things that capture my eye.... here's another...
From this image, I captured (with photoshop dropper) the very faint but lovely pinks and taupe colors of the image. This color palette would work well for....a hospital, a spring wedding invitation...even to paint a nursery!
Next step: Creating a fun project with the colors!
If you have any marketing/branding questions, leave a comment and I can respond in a blog post for you! Thank you for reading, please "like" by clicking the small heart at the bottom, and share with your friends via Facebook or twitter. Thank you!
Why is Branding Important?
The answer to this is simple: EXPECTATIONS. Along with developing a brand, you are developing a set of expectations. Coca-Cola, Apple, Rolex, Disney, McDonald's, I don't need to explain what we expect from these companies, their brand says it all.
It is imperative that if you decide to create a brand with YOUR name/talent, you are able to meet the clients'/consumers' expectations. Associating your name to a brand can become stressful and often times, a burden. Think of Tiger Woods or Lance Armstrong who's brand suffered when their personal lives created negative impact for their brand. Their sponsorship and/or patronage took a toll when their personal lives were in turmoil.
Another relative example is Steve Jobs. Even though APPLE is the brand, his face represented the company and the company's stockholders found themselves scrambling for years when his health started to decline. It is a challenge to retain the authenticity and honesty of a company when so much of it relies the creativity and vision of it's founder and creative core.
We are inspired by the power of story telling and KD&F Studios is all about telling YOUR story. We intend to do the same with your business, to enlighten you with the potential that lies in your brand.
To learn more about what we offer, visit our Collected Works section or send us an email today!
What is a Brand Anyway?
Branding. What does that mean?
Simply put, branding is a promise of quality.
Have you ever thought of having your own business? What would it be? A new fragrance, a restaurant, a pastry shop... whatever it is, there is a sense of responsibility of making the best product of its kind, otherwise, why do it?
Branding is born along with your idea. To create the perfect brand to go with your product, you have to ask yourself the following questions:
1. How would I define my product? – i.e. does your fragrance/restaurant/pastry shop have a secret or unique ingredient? How can I showcase this?
2. What is the overall feel or look I'd like to convey? – Love at first sight is the best kind of love, that's what you want from your client. You want them to see it/taste it and fall in love with it immediately. How can you achieve this?
3. Am I committed to my business? – Branding is a huge commitment. As I previously defined it, branding is a promise of quality. There is a sense of pride that lies within each brand so as you are building your brand (with time and practice), stay true to your business roots and remember why you began your business in the first place. A client always senses the honesty behind a product, stay true to your product and your brand and your business will blossom.
We are inspired by the power of story telling and KD&F Studios is all about telling YOUR story. We intend to do the same with your business, to enlighten you with the potential that lies in your brand.
To learn more about what we offer, visit our Collected Works section or send us an email today!