For others, there may be more focus on branding before launch, with proper foundations and brand expression (aesthetics) put into place. But a shift may still show up despite all that work beforehand. Whichever category your brand falls into, after a few years working within your business or industry, you may begin to wonder if […]

She is one of the few people that have always managed to make me feel comfortable in front of a camera, and I know that many others feel the same. The way I see Jennifer, a camera is simply her tool for connection, which is her truest gift. Her ability to bring out one’s unique […]

At the start of 2018, I shared some of the design trends I was witnessing, including shifts towards more social media design, more rule-breaking, and more color. As we wind down 2018 and start looking toward 2019, I’d like to share what new trends I’m seeing in the design world and how they are (and […]

To help me stay in balance, I’ve personally found a number of tools to help me—both in my life and in my work. While these may not work for everyone, I do think it’s good to play around and see what sticks. Most importantly, you need to find the tools—whether digital or not—that really help […]

When you first start out, it can be difficult to narrow in on a single ideal customer. It may also feel impossible to focus on one single offering. But that’s exactly what the most successful businesses do. They launch with a focus on a single product or service (also referred to as a minimum viable […]

Many creatives feel that they have an innate sense of style, or what they believe looks good. But for those who don’t believe they are “aesthetically inclined,” it can be hard to find their style, both for themselves and for their business. Instead of embracing their own creative style, business owners often look to trends […]

I recently read The Power of Quiet by Susan Cain and took so many great insights away from it. Without giving too much away, this book truly changed the way I view introversion. And while our society may value the “surface-level” attributes of extroversion, Quiet dives deep into what introversion really is, and how it […]

Laure Joliet is a longtime friend and colleague—in fact, she’s one of the first people I met in my creative journey many moons ago. She never ceases to inspire me in her ability to be reflective in the midst of a growing and demanding career. And while her professional body of work is truly outstanding, […]

When it comes to branding and design, most business owners want a solution that is fast and long-lasting. But design is about so much more than concept and execution. In my work with our clients at Marbury, I’ve found that a holistic approach to designing and planning a brand that lasts takes time. As designers, […]

When we first start our businesses, we’re typically overflowing with passion and interest. We’re very much “in the trenches”, focused on bringing a dream to life. We learn a lot, test everything, and fail fast. And as our specific ideas get clarified, many creative entrepreneurs have a tendency to move their business in the direction […]

Personally, I’ve seen this invoke a lot of fear around change, progression, and general growth in many businesses that I’ve worked with. The desire to take more risks is there, but so is the fear of losing their audience. So how do we, as creative entrepreneurs, allow ourselves to grow a business that we love […]

Especially if you’re just starting out with a new business or venture, I believe that creating space for sustainable self-care practices is key. This way, when your ideas start to take off and you’re drawn into the hustle of entrepreneurship, you’ll already have what you need to make space for yourself. I strive to do […]

Trust me when I say: you are not alone in this. One of my favorites for overcoming this obstacle is Stephen Covey’s First Things First. (He also wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.) Time management principles from the pros In First Things First, Covey shares his time management matrix, which is essentially a […]

At the root of it, I believe, is a scarcity mindset that there’s a finite number of clients interested in us, and we cannot pass up any of those opportunities since new ones won’t come along. But believing in abundance is crucial to achieving balance in business. Here are a few steps I’ve been taking […]

How did you get started in business? I took the leap into a creative career immediately after graduating from college in 2008. I had trouble finding full-time work where I was living in Portland, Oregon, but I was creating fine art prints from a co-operative printmaking studio in my free time. To help cover my […]

In fact, I think that it’s the root cause of the anxiety that the modern creative entrepreneur experiences on a day-to-day basis. While there are obviously larger and more important stressors involved in running a business, social media and taking in the highlight reels of other business owners is a daily, constant trigger of comparison […]