​Recently, a friend complimented me on my skin and it took me by surprise. I sometimes forget that I’m not the younger version of me that suffered from really severe acne.
 
She asked me how I ended up curing my acne and I shared that after wasting SO much time and money on various products and over-the-counter “solutions” to try to fix it on my own, I ended up going to the dermatologist. That was the key to seeing real improvement for my acne.
 
This story is something I hold close to my heart because it taught me that when you try to go the cheap route, you end up paying for it in some other way. I ended up living with acne for years longer than I had to because I didn’t want to pay the money for a specialist. 
 
I kept lying to myself saying that it “was not a big deal” since it was just a cosmetic problem. But it was really hurting my confidence.
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I’m telling you all of this because I sometimes have clients who come to me feeling upset because they tried to create their own branding or their own website, only to end up frustrated because they’ve wasted their time. Some of them even feel like their attempts to create a website on their own might have cost them potential customers. 
 
I don’t think most business owners need to spend $20,000+ on a fully custom website with all the bells and whistles. I like to offer that “specialist” option without the crazy price tag by giving my clients a deal when they bundle a brand identity package and a new website!
 
So how does the process work? I’ll show you the steps I took with one of my actual customers, Marble City Ballroom:
 
1. Exploration - I always start by digging deep into your brand so I get a full understanding of your dream customer. This step will include a client questionnaire, a consultation call, and a collaborative inspiration board on Pinterest.

​3. Brand Design - Once we land on a design concept, I will create the rest of your branding, including the color palette, logo variations, font selection, and all of the supporting brand elements and I share it with you on a brand identity board via email.

See the live website here: marblecityballroom.com

Plus, as a complimentary add-on, I will arrange to have your website copy revised and optimized by a professional copywriter… because it’s not just about looking good, it’s about sounding good, too! 
 
Do you have any questions for me about branding or websites? Do you want to reserve a spot on my calendar? Email me at [email protected] and we can chat more about your project and timeline! I would LOVE to work with you!
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My path to becoming a full-time entrepreneur wasn’t exactly a straight line. I got laid off (twice), turned my design skills into a side hustle that brought in some pocket money, and slowly grew it into something much bigger. Some days felt exciting, like I was really making progress, and other days felt like I was spinning my wheels. 😵‍💫​

In 2022, something shifted. My business grew by 50%, and I honestly credit a big part of that to investing in Business Class, Sophia Amoruso’s business mentorship program. If you don’t know Sophia, she’s the OG Girlboss—the founder of Nasty Gal and author of the bestselling book by the same name. She built a massive brand from scratch and knows what it’s like to be in the trenches of entrepreneurship.

When I first went full-time, I realized quickly that being a designer wasn’t enough—I had to run an actual business. And that part? Not my strong suit at the time. I started learning everything I could, especially from women who had already done it, and that’s what led me to Business Class. What I love about this program is that it doesn’t just focus on the shiny stuff—it digs into the foundational things we tend to avoid (like contracts, taxes, and how to actually structure your business). But Sophia makes even the complicated things easy to understand. There are templates, cheat sheets, and real-world examples that helped me feel less intimidated and more in control.

My son Lennon has been getting into day trading lately. If you’re thinking to yourself, “wait… I thought he was like, ten years old?” you are correct. He’s not old enough to be handling  stocks and bonds quite yet. But he’s been really into trading snacks and candy at school. 

Here’s what I’ve learned: Jolly Ranchers are a valuable commodity. So are mints (they are very rare, I guess). In fact, he told me that he’s been trading mints for cookies which just seems crazy to me, but what do I know? Nothing, apparently! 😆 
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Last week, he came from school bragging that he traded a mint for one of those packaged chocolate croissants! Those are one of my favorite treats, so I asked (very nicely, of course) if he thought he could get one for me, too. The next day, he traded another mint for a croissant and he brought it home for me to enjoy. What a total sweetheart! 💗