Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS
Are you a multi-passionate designer that feels forced to niche down into one service? While niching down works for some, it didn’t work for Ariel Kuhn. In creating an all-in-one design service for her clients, Ariel offers a one-stop shop for small business owners who may feel overwhelmed with where to start in creating a website.
Listen in as Ariel explains how she decided to create an all-in-one design service and the education she invested in to back up her expertise in brand strategy, design, and copywriting.
Ariel Kuhn is a photographer and brand strategist helping new-ish small business owners feel at home in their online space. She focuses on getting creative entrepreneurs off to a solid start in their business with brand strategy, photography, copywriting, website design, and mentorship all in a single process so they can stop second-guessing and find their groove a little quicker. She knows the weight of expectations and insecurity when launching a business and aims to shake that off her 1:1 clients as soon as humanly possible so they can do what they love with confidence, like soon. She’s a homebody at heart, favorites oversharer, and if she’s not chasing her girls around, she’s re-watching a favorite show and reciting the best lines.
Offering an All-in-One Design Service
When Ariel began her business, she found that working with multiple vendors and developing the right timelines for projects to flow was holding her up. So why not hone in on the skillsets she was lacking and learn the trades she needed to create an all-in-one design service for her clients?
So she did just that. Ariel sought out the experts in every field she needed to learn in order to train under them and provide the best service for her clients.
Not only does it allow her to serve her clients through brand strategy, design, and copywriting, but it also allows for an easy option for brand new businesses to connect with a one-stop shop for their brand and web design needs. Overall, this creates an incredible customer experience.
Niching Doesn’t Work for Everyone
There is a trend and an expectation in the creative industry that you have to niche down. While that works for some people, it hinders others. Ariel realized that when she was working on projects, her clients would need all of the pieces nearly simultaneously.
She realized that she had a knack for making all of the visual components come together, then her love for writing blossomed as she was helping clients with their design projects.
If niching down doesn’t work for you or your brand, it’s important to consider how they can all work together.
The Flow of All-in-One Design Services
In creating an all-in-one design service, it’s important to create a valuable workflow to guide the project. Ariel found that there was no other place to start besides brand strategy.
Brand strategy is where a brand is finding their ideal clients and who they’re talking to. By starting with brand strategy, it allows designers to better plan for the visuals, copy, and strategy long-term.
Once she’s completed the brand strategy phase, Ariel works with skilled website template designers who are skill and have infused brand strategy into their designs. She then customizes those design templates based on the content of the brand.
This all-in-one design service eliminates the stress of trying to get so many different vendors to work together on a single design project.
Investing in Education
While there are so many free resources out there, you can become overwhelmed and not necessarily receive the best or right education. Ariel got to the point that she wanted to highlight that while she’s creating an all-in-one experience, it was still a top notch experience from an expert.
In addition to that, she was feeling somewhat nervous before she would present to her clients. She wanted to feel more confident in the work she was doing by being trained by someone who had a little more experience than she did.
That’s why Ariel invested in The Brand Strategy School with Bonnie Bahktiari. In making this investment, she was able to better communicate the value of her service, specifically when it came to brand strategy for her clients. Now she has the authority, confidence, and education to back up what she presents to clients.
If you’re curious about Bonnie’s done for you blueprint, building confidence, and having the education to back up your design work, make sure you check out Brand Strategy School! If you’re not quite sure, but are interested in learning how you can scale your business by earning more without taking on more clients, sign up now for this free training!
Catch the Show Notes
Get to Know Ariel (2:41)
Offering All-in-One Design Services (5:09)
Brand Strategy & Workflow (6:34)
Investing in Education (10:56)
Niching Down Isn’t for Everyone (14:49)
Connect with Ariel
pinterest.com/arielkuhncreative
facebook.com/arielkuhncreative
FOLLOW ALONG
LIKE THE SHOW?
IN ORDER TO PROVIDE CONTENT YOU LOVE I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! SUBSCRIBE TO THE BRAND STRATEGY PODCAST AND LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW HERE. THE MORE REVIEWS, THE MORE I’M ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS FREE-ACTIONABLE CONTENT!
Review the Transcript:
Bonnie:
Hi friend, and welcome to the brand strategy podcast. A show created to equip you with the inspiration, encouragement, and clarity. You need to build a brand of your dreams. I’m your host, Bonnie BTI, brand designer, and founder of the retreat from sustainable strategy to heartfelt encouragement. Each episode is designed to equip you with the tools you need to chase after your dreams, because you deserve a brand that empowers you to do what you love, connects with your dream clients and offers a deep sense of fulfillment along the way. So grab a cup of coffee and join the on this journey. Won’t you
Bonnie:
Friends. Welcome back to the brand strategy podcast. Today. We are talking about creating all in one design services with the incredibly talented Ariel Ariel is a photographer and brand strategist who helps newish small business owners feel at home in their online space. She focuses on getting creative entrepreneurs off to an incredibly solid start in their business with brand strategy, photography, copywriting, website design, and mentorship, all in a single process so they can stop second guessing and find their groove a little quicker. I’m also honored to share the Ariel is a member of my signature program for designers, the brand strategy school, and over the, the months that she’s been a part of this experience in this community, it’s been amazing getting to see how she serves her clients and how she pours so much, so much heart and so much consideration and so much intention into serving her clients so well.
Bonnie:
So when I think about, you know, talking about how to create a, a series of services or a, a service that’s, that really stands out to be that all in one or that kind of, you know, one stop shop sort of feel that still serves people at a high your level, even if they’re just getting started. Ariel is definitely the person to learn from and hear all about how she’s made this happen. So I’m excited to get to chat with her today and speaking of which Ariel, thank you so much for joining me on the show today. I’m so grateful to get this chance to connect with you and chat with you.
Ariel:
Yeah. Thank you for having me Bonnie. I’m a big fan of yours and your program, so I’m excited to get into everything
Bonnie:
Me too well, as we dive on in, why don’t you share a little bit about you who you are and the incredible work that you do with your business?
Ariel:
Yeah, so I, um, I actually started as a portrait photographer kind of offering all the things like weddings and babies and engagements and seniors and all the things. So, um, that’s kind of how I started. And eventually I just started honing in on what I really loved and I got a little bit clearer on really enjoying helping women who are starting their businesses, have some, you know, photos to represent what they were doing. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And from there, it grew into a little bit of a beast of a project that I started working on. Um, I started adding in some branding and some website design and, uh, I went to, I actually went to school for English, you know, came out with the reading and writing skills. So that’s a positive for four years of college degree <laugh>. Um, but I ended up using some of that English degree for the copywriting piece and it, it was very disjointed when I started, um, and I was not trained in most of those areas. So, uh, that kind of brought me to how I met you and just getting trained in some of the brand strategy so that I could offer my clients a better experience. So kind of started with photography and then honed in on, um, using that skill to kind of help small business owners figure out where they wanna go and be represented. Well kind of right out the gate.
Bonnie:
I love that you focus on helping and I also love how you call them newish Jewish. <laugh> I love that because like we’ve all been there. We’ve all been Jewish. Um <laugh> and I just think it’s really fantastic that you provide this really comprehensive level of service. Whereas, you know, it’s, it’s easy to see lots of different entrepreneurs and especially in the service industry who are nicheing down and they’re just focusing on the copy or they’re just focusing on the photography or, you know, they’re, they’re carving out little spaces where they can really shine. And I, I think that there’s a lot of value in that approach, but also if you think about, um, the season of, of life and the season of business that your clients are in, it can be intimidating. Like when I, back to when I was first getting started, it’s intimidating to, you know, hire a designer and then go out and find a copywriter and, you know, work with a brand photographer. And that can be a really, uh, really unattainable investment at certain points. Um, so I think it’s amazing that you’ve put together this service that really covers all of those bases so that your clients don’t waste their time or energy or resources, you know, kind of going to different specialists, if that makes sense.
Ariel:
Yeah. And I, I, I absolutely love people who have a niche and I learn from those people obviously. But I think that just, like you said, when you’re in that first, like not, you just started your business last week, but when you’ve been going for like a year or two and you’re like, okay, I need help in all these areas. It can feel really overwhelming to like, which part do I do first? Who do I hire first? This is, these are big investments. Do I do it myself? And I think it can get a little overwhelming. And when I first started, it was so helpful to me to learn. I mean, social media, wasn’t like as big, you know, even like six or seven years ago, but, um, just to learn from people who were willing to share, like what they knew that was so helpful to me. So that’s kind of what I wanna do for, uh, someone in that stage. Like where do I go first? What do I do? And we just kind of walk through each step piece by piece. And, and then I choose to learn from people who are specialized in those areas so that I can up level my client’s experience. So it’s not like they’re getting, you know, a second rate, um, option, but they are really getting that full experience start to end and someone to kind of walk them through, um, just be right alongside them.
Bonnie:
That’s amazing. So when you’re walking a client through that kind of all one experience, what does that journey look like? Like, are you starting with the brand strategy and then you’re kind of like building that out into design copy, you know, what does that kind of flow look like?
Ariel:
Yeah, so I, I do start with the brand strategy, uh, because the, the brand strategy is really where you’re finding your, your ideal client, who you’re talking to, how to get your clients, what they need, and we kind of work backward from there. So whatever you wanna offer your clients and who you’re talking to, we start with that visual identity, as well as all the strategy. It’s kind of like, um, like the ice below it, like there’s so much that goes below the pretty colors and the logo and everything. So we start with that. And then from there, the way that I kind of condense the experience, cuz I also don’t want my clients to have to, you know, sit for six months and wait for all these different parts is I choose to work with website template designers who are very skilled and I completely trust them as designers and they have infused strategy and the beautiful user experience of the designs. And so what I do is I customize those for my clients. So after we’re done with the brand part, I kind of combine that with the website and then write the copy in between. So it’s kind of like, because I’m working with them from start to finish, I can learn about their business as we go and pull again, what I need from there.
Bonnie:
That makes total sense. And I think that there’s something so strategic and smart from a designer standpoint of utilizing templates or utilizing some of those done for your resources. And I know that that can feel a little counterintuitive sometimes. I mean, I know as a designer myself, I, I love the crew of challenge of creating something from scratch mm-hmm <affirmative>, but just like you said, if we’re thinking about the client experience, sometimes it can be really beneficial to use, you know, stock imagery or, um, you know, stock vectors or, you know, all, of course with the proper licensing and also same thing with like with websites, templates, or even, you know, there are some really fantastic like copywriting templates out there. And I don’t know if, if those resources and assets get like all of the love and attention that they deserve, because if we think about who we wanna serve as designers, especially people who are in those earlier stages of their business, where they are kind of on the cusp of like, you know, really honing in on who their ideal clients are and the transformation that their services provide, creating a brand and creating those brand assets that copy that messaging, that web presence that can help them get out there in front of their ideal clients and have that impact and make a consistent income along the way that’s really important.
Bonnie:
And so thinking about those resources and ask sets, you can pull in that help you do that in an efficient way is so smart. So I really admire that. That’s something that you’ve thought through and that you’ve built into your process.
Ariel:
Yeah, the, the, the reason I came up with that newish is, um, you know, when you’re first starting your business, I feel like you don’t know enough about what you even like or want to do real. You’re kind of trying things out, seeing what fits really well. And it’s just not necessarily the time to invest thousands and thousands of dollars in something that may change direction in a year mm-hmm <affirmative>. So that newish is kind of, you know, maybe you’re not ready for a fully custom website, or maybe you’re not ready for the fully custom copywriting from the person who’s, you know, charging thousands of dollars for which is totally worth it, but I just try to make it so that it’s a more manageable investment, more manageable timeline. And it’s definitely more manageable on the stress side of trying to hire all those people and who do I hire first and who needs to talk to who? And, um, so I just try to make it a little bit more streamlined and a little bit less stressful.
Bonnie:
That makes so much sense. And I am, well, you know, know this about me. I’m, I’m a big advocate for thinking about the people that are at the center of the work that we do as, you know, designers, but also service providers. And so the fact that you prioritize that client experience just, yeah, makes so much sense to me. And I love that you do that now, thinking about the incredible way that you serve your clients, all in one kind of experience, were there any resources or investments or educational experiences that you invested in that help you in that way to serve your clients and make sure that they’re getting a really high level experience with you?
Ariel:
Yeah. So the thing, the thing I learned really quickly is Pinterest can take you really far, but it can only take you so far. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. So there are so many awesome resources on Pinterest or Google, um, and YouTube, like all, all the places. So you can find, you can learn so much information, but it just got to a point where, like you mentioned, I wanted to make sure that even though it, it, it is a all in one experience, like start to finish, I will take care of you even though it’s that I still want people to understand and know that they are still getting like a top-notch experience. And so what that required is me learning from people who are more niche into in those industries. So, um, for example, the brand strategy school was the investment I made in the, in my branding process, because I wanted to make sure that I understood what strategy meant and how to apply it to my clients without feeling like, okay, look, I have this really pretty Pinterest board, which is helpful, but it’s not going past that.
Ariel:
Like we mentioned like that iceberg, like the tip of the iceberg, it’s only really getting that visual part. And I wanted to make sure I understood the, the depth of what branding could be. And, um, I had just followed you for a really long time, and you’re so trustworthy as an educator. And I knew that I could trust investing in the program. So that really helped me with the, and that’s, you know, like I mentioned before, that’s where I start my project. So I also wanted to make sure that the project was really starting on a strong note and not as an afterthought with the branding. So that’s kind of, that was a big investment for the branding part of my business. And it was definitely worthwhile.
Bonnie:
I so appreciate that, that, that really means a lot to me. I, I am honored that that was an investment that you made, knowing that it would make such a difference in the experience that you were creating for your incredible clients. I know that also another thing that you mentioned that you have your, your education is in English and so brought that, that writing and reading and that communication skill into your business. So with the copywriting side of things, do you feel like that came together kind of easily and intuitively, or were there some, some, you know, opportunities to kind of Polish up those, those skills as well? Yeah,
Ariel:
I would say happy writing part. I had always been a little inclined to writing. So words come a little bit more naturally to me. I really enjoy writing, you know, even in arguments, occasionally I have to like write out my thoughts instead of verbally processing. So I’m definitely more of a writer. So that part did come relatively easy to me. And then in, in that same time period in college, when I was experimenting with my tiny little digital camera, um, and so it was like the photography and the copywriting kind of started developing in when I was in college, which now I don’t even know how many years ago that was <laugh>. And, um, it’s the, it’s more the branding and the website, user experience and design and how it all works together that I’ve developed in the last years and seeing it all kind of fuse together, like using things that I love and getting to work with people who are in, um, getting to work with clients who are in a really similar stage that I was in at that time is really fun for me. And I actually, I really enjoy it. So yeah, the copywriting part was a little more natural, I would say. And the rest of it, I’ve kind of learned and tried to hone my skills at mm
Bonnie:
Mm-hmm <affirmative> when you were thinking about putting together all of those services, so brand strategy, photography copy, and web design, did that just kind of, did those specific services feel like sort of an organic kind of fit of, of it just over time and as like you gained more experience in your business, you saw how all of those came together, or was it a little bit more of kind of a trial and error process to figure out what you really wanted to include and that all in one done for you level of service?
Ariel:
Yeah. The beginning of that whole process was a little overwhelming, mostly because there’s so much education about nicheing down and picking one thing and choose the one thing you’re good at and just kind of double down on that. And I, and while I know that that works for a lot of businesses, it just wasn’t working for me because, um, I would get, I would be helping someone with their website let’s say, and the, then they would need help writing the copy for their website or they would hand, they would give me the done for you. Copy kind of a thing mm-hmm <affirmative>. And I just didn’t feel like after talking to them, it represented them very well. So I kind of subtly edit it here and there and like changed some of the wording and be like, what do you think now? And I think that their res a lot of my first few clients, their response to like, wow, you really can captured like what I was trying to say, but way better in writing, I was like, oh, okay.
Ariel:
Like I kind of like the writing part, so that could work. And then, like I said, the photography is really where it started. So it’s just always been like visual driven for me, making sure all those visuals work together. And then the copy piece came in just because of my inclination to writing and all my, you know, diary and journal scribblings from when I was little. But I think it just, at first it was a little overwhelming because I felt like the Jack of all trades and that’s not good. And everybody’s kind of educating against that. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and eventually, I mean, honestly, I, I also booked the one-on-one call with U Bonnie where I was like, I, I went through the branch strategy school and I loved it. And I learned all this stuff about branding and was a little conflicted, like, should I just stick with branding now that I invested in it?
Ariel:
And I, but I have I’m feeling pulled in all these other directions. And that was one of the reasons I booked that call with you, um, just to help get some outside eyes on my business and some advice and mentorship in that way. So that was actually where I started to in the last like year or so, just kind of calm down and realize like I have these skills and I’m, I’m catering to someone who’s in a certain level of business. And, um, if they want something deeper or, you know, more advanced, I’m actually happy to refer them to others. So to answer your question, yes, it did kind of come over time of, you know, figuring out what would work best, but it also came with confidence that I needed in myself to just trust that I have all these skills and I can help someone and really talking to you kind of solidified that and help me feel much calmer about the fact that I had what I had to offer.
Bonnie:
I’m so encouraged to hear that. And, you know, I, I think that there is something so reassuring. And so I’m trying to think of what the best word to use would be, but we’ll just go reassuring. That’s a good one where, um, when, when you start to see how your skills and your talents and your abilities can come together to be a cohesive offer and be something that helps your clients and, you know, gives you that fulfillment that you’re looking for from your work. And I know that, you know, for you and, and, you know, it’s, I, I feel really privileged in that. I’ve had this kind of behind the scenes, look into your business over the, you know, the season that you’ve been a part of the brand strategy school, and we’ve been able to work together in this way, but it’s been really amazing on my end to see how this journey has come together and how now you’re at this place where I see you exuding this level of confidence and assuredness in that the level of service that you’re providing. And that feels look from the outside, looking in, it feels like this very cohesive and intentional done for you all in one type of service versus, you know, a, a sampling of this over here and a little bit of this over here. Mm-hmm, <affirmative>, you know, it doesn’t, it doesn’t feel like that. It feels very purposeful in that way. So I’m so glad to hear that it feels that way for you too. <laugh> yeah.
Ariel:
The, the, like the fact that I, it would just take me so long to even get up the courage to kind of present what I was doing for clients to them. And then when I did, they were like, oh, like, I don’t have to go somewhere else for this. And I don’t have to go ask somebody else for this. And I was like, no, it’s gonna be so great. And it, it is just like, so I just had such a lack of confidence at the beginning, which I think is fine for everyone to walk through, but yeah, the last year or so, I’ve really just recognized who I’m talking to. I know that what I’m doing helps them. And while I absolutely, you know, think that nicheing down and having a specialized service is so important, it’s just not what I wanted to do. And what I think would help someone at that particular stage in business. So I’m excited for the next few years and to see how it kind of grows and how my confidence will grow
Bonnie:
With it. Yes, absolutely. And I’m excited for you in that. <laugh> well thinking about how, you know, kind of thinking back to, I know now you’re in this season where things are feeling there in alignment, things are, you know, really great and you are experiencing that kind of positive feedback from your clients when you, you know, share this, this all in one concept with them. Um, but thinking back to even, you know, a year or so ago when you were still kind of exploring and experimenting and figuring out how this could come together, how did the brand strategy school, if at all play any role in helping things become a little bit more clearer for you?
Ariel:
Yeah. The, like I said, I kind of looked up a lot on Pinterest and online and just tried to figure out what I could, um, from there. Cause I didn’t go to school for any of those things for graphic design or for web design or any of that. But I would say I was definitely very, just kind of all over the place, disjointed feeling really insecure and kind of throwing things at the wall to see what stuck. So getting to go through the brand strategy to school, first of all, like it, it like calmed my nervous system down, like immediately because I was like, okay, once I go through this, I know that I will like understand what I’m doing and be able to execute that for my clients. So I would say honing in on kind of like my own messaging and then being able to pass that experience along to my clients was super helpful.
Ariel:
And then just the practical side of understanding what brand strategy means. I think at first I was like brand strategy. Okay, I’m gonna look up the three closest businesses to you and we will, you know, price accordingly. And I, I just didn’t know what I was doing at the beginning. Mm-hmm <affirmative> so I think the difference between last year and now after going and through brand, the brand strategy school has just been it’s like night and day. I just have so much more confidence. I know where I’m going. I feel like I have the, the investment in education to back up what I am presenting to clients and no longer kind of feeling like I have to, you know, go with the, go with the flow of where the client takes the project. You know, I think, I feel like I have a lot more authority when I speak and that’s, that was a big help because like I said, I think the confidence was just wasting a lot of my time cuz I was just going back and forth and wavering and a, a lot of the process that you walk through in the brand strategy school, as well as your Q and a sessions are super helpful.
Ariel:
All of that just kind of helps supplement and gives, um, just gives, gives you a lot out of like background knowledge. So you have something to pull from, I guess it’s like, you’re learning so much and you kind of file it away, um, until you need it. And then you’re like, oh, I forgot. I learned this. And it’s so it’s really helpful actually with client facing work to when you’re talking to kind of have something to backup what you’re saying and explain it with really smooth, um, conversation
Bonnie:
That makes so much sense. And I am so glad to hear that that was your experience and that even some of those kind of continuing education pieces, like our monthly live Q and a calls, I’m so glad that those are still helpful. <laugh> yeah, that’s what they’re there for. Absolutely. Because there’s, you know, it’s, it’s one thing walking through a course or a program and absorbing that content, but I personally find so much value in that human connection piece and that piece where you’re getting to ask questions and receive support and receive personalized guidance from the course creator or the coaches in a program. So I’m just encouraged to know that that’s something that is, is still helping you in this, this season, this current season, and hopefully will still help you in the future as well. Yeah. So I, one thing that I love hearing about through all of the work that you’ve done to intentionally invest in your business at the heart of all of that, I hear, I’ve heard you talk about how your clients are really at the core.
Bonnie:
You, you know, invested in the brand strategy school to not only, you know, invest in this done for you blueprint and to, you know, build your confidence around brand strategy and, you know, learn how to position yourself like a total pro with your clients. But you also were doing that to create this amazing level of service. The at helps your clients walk away with a brand that is gonna help them in those newer, you know, seasons of business. So out of, out of that, I, I can tell that you care so much about the people that you work with and I’d love to know. What do you love most about the work that you get to do or the relationships that you get to cultivate with your clients?
Ariel:
Yeah, the, the, I think the best thing about the people I work I get to work with is that they are on the cusp of something. So be, and so it’s like their dream, you know, like they’re, they’re like right on the cusp of it. Maybe they’ve been doing it for like a year or two. Maybe they’re just starting, but they’ve seen some kind of encouragement from it or they wouldn’t, you know, they wouldn’t be looking to invest necessarily. So I would say that my favorite thing about working with them is they are just in this like delicate place of, okay, it’s going really well. And I think I can make this investment, but I’m not sure. And it’s kind of like this uneasy spot to be in like, do I invest with this person? Can I trust this person? And mm-hmm <affirmative>, I don’t know if they’re gonna be there for me and maybe they’re gonna have a hard stop at the end of our project.
Ariel:
And I think that my, one of my strengths is that I really don’t, I don’t mind questions. It doesn’t, you know, I love being able to answer questions and kind of walk with them through the process, even if it’s something that doesn’t, you know, if I I’ve worked with some photographers, for example, that’s the, the service I’ve offered the longest. And you know, they’ll ask questions about even how to, you know, process with their photos and like some, some of that stuff. And I’m like, oh, I know that like it’s like sometimes it kind of surprises me. Like I’ve actually been in business for quite a while now and I have something to offer someone. And so it gives me such a, such a sense of purpose, I think, to be able to help other clients, mostly it’s women, but generally it’s women who are either stay at home moms or they’re trying to change their career, or they just want something a little bit different in their day to day and they have a, or a talent to accomplish that.
Ariel:
And they just need a little bit of encouragement or they need some direction or they need someone to kind of be right there with them. And that’s actually, I just really enjoy that part of it. So I think the mentorship kind of woven into the process of like, where do we go next and what should I do? And help me answer these questions, that stuff really lights me up and, uh, makes me feel like I have some, just some purpose in helping them do what they would love to do. So it’s like I get to kind of help launch someone <laugh> and, um, that makes me really happy.
Bonnie:
That’s so incredible. And I can just hear in, in your voice, the way that you’re talking about this and the way that you are, you know, just describing this kind of transformation that you create for your clients and alongside them, I can hear that it’s just such a positive and fulfilling experience for you and for them, which is mm-hmm, <affirmative>, that’s the best, right? Like when we’re, when we get to do stuff that we love and stuff that, you know, like fills us up. And we also know that we’re having a positive impact in the and businesses of our clients as well. Mm-hmm <affirmative> I love that for you. Well, one question I always love asking at the end of every conversation here on the podcast is all about encouragement. So what kind of encouragement would you wanna share to fellow designers who are tuning in today, who are excited about, you know, marrying their skills and kind of taking multi passionate, uh, ideas and concepts and bringing them together to serve clients intentionally and cohesively like you are?
Ariel:
Yeah, I would would say, I would say I definitely went through a process of like a brain dump process of just writing everything down that I wanted to do everything that’s that your ideal client needs, maybe at that point and you kind of start, uh, trimming back the things that maybe, okay, I don’t love this, or they don’t exactly need that. And eventually you trim down this massive list of everything they need and everything you wanna do, and you trim it down to just a few things that kind of overlap and then it will create this cohesive service that you’re able to offer. And, uh, in general, just for being multi passionate, I think I just went through so many months and maybe years of feeling bad about it. <laugh> and feeling like the shame of having too many ideas and you have too many things.
Ariel:
And while I don’t think it’s necessarily smart to go after everything all at once, but I think if you’re really feeling pulled in a direction that, you know, you’d be able to help someone with multiple offerings or something to that effect that you can, um, just work toward that and get some advice and some mentorship along the way to hone that in. And I would just say to not feel don’t feel guilty or shame for having too many ideas because, you know, they were put there for a reason. And I really think that the world needs some of the stuff that people are covering up sometimes. So
Bonnie:
Totally that’s such incredible encouragement and such powerful advice to, I think that there’s something so freeing when we remember and when we like really, really absorb fully the idea that there’s no one way to do it, there’s no right. You know, best practice. There’s no like one size fits all wet to grow your business or to launch your business or to run your business. And so I think that in my experience, as an educator, over the years, I’ve seen people get stuck and they get stuck in those shame spirals or those cycles of guilt or self doubt when they think that there has to be some quote unquote right way to do business and I’m doing it quote unquote, the wrong way. Right. <laugh> and that is so, and I mean, Ariel, let me know if you can relate to that at all. But I think that that idea of there’s a right way and a wrong way can be so limiting and kind of stifling.
Bonnie:
And that’s where we get stuck in and feeling those negative feel and, and thinking those negative thoughts about the way that we’re running our businesses or the kind of entrepreneurs that we are. So I think that one thing that I wanna sort of like pull out and really highlight in the encouragement that you shared is that there’s no right or wrong way to run your business. There’s the way that works for you. And the idea that you have so many multi passionate thoughts and offers and interests are not a bad thing. It’s a good thing. And if there’s a way, like you said, Ariel, to pull them together into a cookie cohesive service that meets your ideal clients where they are who’s to say that you shouldn’t go for that. I, I know that there are a lot of really fantastic, well intending experts out there who are, you know, preaching the power of meshing down. And that’s great for some people, but if that has not felt like a good thing or the right thing for you may, you know, maybe we should maybe it’s time that we give ourselves way more permission to, to carve our own path in a sense.
Ariel:
Yeah. I was gonna say the thing, the thing that I really love about the people I choose to learn from, because I think eventually it gets to a point where you’re like, okay, I really like, you know, this, person’s saying a lot of really cool stuff, but they’re not necessarily a life that I want. I think eventually I just got to the point where I, I wanted to trust someone to teach me that would definitely give me some pushback and some advice and mentorship. And, um, that’s kind of why you learn to know, to know that you don’t know everything, but I think there’s also a point where you want someone who’s going to help encourage you in your giftings or to encourage you in where you want to go and help you find a way to get there. And that was something I really appreciated about you, even on our call, I kind of always, I would get on the call like very nervous and like, okay, I’m gonna tell you that there’s 400 services that I have. And I would like to <laugh>, I would like to hone them in. Um, but you’re just so kind and, and encouraging of helping find a way to make them work. I would just encourage, um, anyone who’s kind of trying to figure out what to do with multiple scales or how to kind of marry things together, to just find someone that you trust to help you. Who’s also gonna be encouraging to you and help you figure out how to get to where you wanna go.
Bonnie:
Mm that’s really great advice. There’s something. So I, I, I speak from personal experience here. I’ve found that we, whenever I have had, you know, a million in one ideas bouncing around in my brain, chatting with someone who I know has my best interest at heart mm-hmm <affirmative> and who is gonna give me the honest feedback. Yeah. Even if I don’t like it. Right. Yeah. Right. That’s the kind of person that helps you kind of like make, make some sense out of all of the, all the things and all of the ideas. So that’s a really great advice that you just shared to, to find someone who can, who can be that for you and support you in that way. So we’ve covered so much great ground in today’s conversation. And I know that those who are tuning in, they’re gonna want to be able to follow along with you see the incredible work that you do, that brands that you’re building for your incredible clients and, you know, follow along on that journey. So where can people connect with you online?
Ariel:
Yeah. So my, um, usually on the Instagrams, uh, so I am at Ariel, M Q K U H N. Uh, that’s kind of my mix of personal business. And then from there, and you’ll be able to get to anywhere else that you need to go. So my website is Ariel q.com. And, um, like I said, kind of Instagram’s my hub. So you can just kind of get everywhere from there. <laugh>
Bonnie:
And friends as always, I’m gonna have all of Ariel’s details in the show notes for today’s episode. So if you wanna hop over to brand strategy, podcast.com and click on the link for the latest episode, you will see everything that we’ve talked about today. Kind of a, a recap of our talking points, a transcript of this conversation and all of her links, so that you can follow along and connect with her in that way. And, um, if you are curious about the brand strategy school, and you’re wanting to see if this could be the right next step for you, as you grow your graphic brand or web design business, I would love to point to you to a complete free training that I have that can help you get a sense for whether or not the brand strategy blueprint, my signature method that I teach to help you create consistent income as a designer, position yourself as a pro and experience more joy and fulfillment along the way.
Bonnie:
If that could be a good fit for you, you can actually go to BS for Bonnie design training and grab your free spot to this totally free Netflix style class. And of course, if you ever have questions about anything that we’ve talked about today, please feel free to reach out. You can always find me on Instagram at Bonnie joy, Marie and Ariel. I’m so grateful for you and for you sharing your experience with us today, your story with us and painting this beautiful picture of what life can look like when we pursue creating services that are our beautiful use of our skills and our gifts and our talents. So I really appreciate you coming down the show today. Yeah.
Ariel:
Thank you for having me Bonnie. And I appreciate everything. You’ve just pulled to me as a creative and as a business owner, and it’s been, um, it’s been a really good last year, so thank you so much.
Bonnie:
I so appreciate that you are so welcome and I’m so grateful to have had the chance to work with you in this way, through the brand strategy school, and hugely grateful that our paths have crossed. So I, again, am so grateful for you coming on the show and chatting with us and friends. For those of you who’ve been tuning in, I’m grateful for you as well, your support and your tuning into the podcast mean so much to me. And, uh, as always, I am cheering you on from Waco. Thank you so much for joining me today, friend, before you go, I would be so grateful to receive your feedback on the brand strategy podcast. If you enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general has helped you grow your brand. I’d really appreciate it. If you left us a review in iTunes, your
Bonnie:
Positive reviews enable the brand strategy podcast to continue to grow and reach like-minded creatives. Just like you. Thank you for all your support and encouragement as together. We pursue building brands with purpose and intention until next time and cheering you on from Waco.
leave a comment