I have a client stuck on one of the hardest decisions in branding … choosing the right colors. 🚨
Here’s a bit of context behind how we got here:
> The brand is in the agriculture industry.
> The brand products are developed with equal parts nature and science.
It’s not about which colors look “better”… it’s what they communicate.
There’s a clear direction I’m leaning—but if this were your brand … which direction would you choose?
Excited to share a recent branding project I completed with Radius Design Studio for the Wave group, an agricultural product manufacturer.
Working together with Annalisa Williams from AgNexus Consulting , we explored a number of new branding concepts before deciding that due to the existing brand’s equity and recognition in the market, it made more sense to evolve and elevate the existing artwork instead.
We refined the brand artwork, making the signature W more distinctive, added new typography and colors, and expanded the brand package with fresh new supporting visual elements.
The finished brand package included concepts for how to use the new brand in future marketing projects like business cards and presentation slides. Thoughtful suggestions like this helps the new brand come to life. We’re already working with the client on building out some of these projects.
Does your branding need a kickstart in the new year? Send me a DM or leave a comment, and let’s talk!
⚡️ Here's a QUICK WAY TO CHECK if your web design firm is paying attention:
Check the footer on your website.
Does the copyright year say 2026 ... or 2025? 😣
Yes, it's a small detail.
But great web design and maintenance is about HUNDREDS of small details. When those details are handled with care, it quietly tells potential clients:
"We'll be just as careful with all of YOUR details."
I’m excited to announce my FIRST STORE PRODUCT!
One of my favorite design projects has always been designing merch. Especially t-shirts. There's something exciting about creating a design, holding it in my hands, and seeing people wear it. I still remember one of my first designs back in college, for our campus ministry group's intramural team. (And I still have the shirt!)
I've been thinking about starting my own line of merch since even before I started my own business 2 years ago. I think it's only fitting (pun intended), to kick this off with a design to celebrate the launch of my entrepreneurial venture.
There's probably a lot of other people out there like me who, after making one of the boldest (and scariest) decisions of my career, are standing on the other side and excited about making it this far.
This shirt is meant to give us a chance to show off our corporate rebel status, and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit.
The shirt is available in multiple colors and in men's and women's cut. You can customize the year so it's personalized too.
If you're an entrepreneur, I'd love for you to share your short elevator pitch for what you do in the comments for everyone to see.
P.S. Order your shirt here:
(If you're looking for an easy way to get involved in the print on demand world, check out Printify!)
What I’ve learned after TWO YEARS of entrepreneurship
It’s now been TWO YEARS since I left my corporate job to start my own graphic design studio. Here’s 7 LESSONS I’ve learned about entrepreneurship:
✅ 1. Be a STUDENT of entrepreneurship. Many of the struggles of being a small business owner are the same, regardless of the type of business. If you have a difficult problem, look around at how other people are solving it. You don’t have to figure out everything on your own.
✅ 2. IDENTIFY, prioritize and complete Quadrant 2 goals (important, not urgent.) where you are working on the business not just in the business.
(see: Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
HOW I DO THIS: I use an ongoing task list in Evernote, and set goals in different categories at the start of the week. I also set Quad 2 goals each month.
IS YOUR BRAND IN TROUBLE?
Hidden inside your brand might be a few innocent design decisions that are sitting back, just waiting to explode.
These mistakes can cause problems when using your brand on different platforms, in new projects, and with unexpected audiences. This can hurt your credibility, damage your brand’s reputation, and cause production problems you never saw coming. And ALL of these will cost you time, money and a LOT of frustration.
Here’s my UNPOPULAR OPINIONS 🔥 on TEN MISTAKES that can DESTROY your brand:
1️⃣ Your brand uses more than ONE FONT.
2️⃣ Your brand NEEDS to be in color to work.
3️⃣ Your brand’s typography ISN”T ESSENTIAL to the brand.
4️⃣ Your brand comes in ONLY ONE version.
5️⃣ Your brand is not as SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.
6️⃣ Your brand uses a gradient. Period.
7️⃣ Your brand uses more than TWO colors.
8️⃣ Your brand IGNORES color psychology and associations.
9️⃣ Your brand FOLOWS design trends.
🔟 Your brand was built USING AI tools.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with any of these?
Let me know in the comments and let’s talk about it!!
HOT TAKE: 🔥 Your MOST PRODUCTIVE hours aren’t when you’re working the hardest — they’re when you’re IN FLOW. 🌊
Flow is that elusive state where you're firing on all cylinders, ideas and creativity are flowing, and what feels like 15 minutes of work might end up being hours.
If you're working in your career sweet spot, you hopefully experience a flow state in your work on a regular basis.
But ...
Sometimes it takes more than just doing the work you love to hit your flow state. Can you find flow ON DEMAND?
Yes. (short answer)
Here's 5 ways I regularly use to help find creative flow.
1️⃣ Take care of SMALL TASKS first. 📋
2️⃣ REMOVE as many distractions as possible. ❌
3️⃣ CLEAN OFF your desk. 🧼
4️⃣ RESPECT warm up time. ⏱️
5️⃣ RECOGNIZE what works for you. 🔊
One of the most important parts of creative flow for me, is having the right music. I've been slowly building specific playlists that are my favorite for creative work. Here's a link to one of my Spotify playlists, if you'd like to check it out.
https://lnkd.in/g5_gRnEN
What about you? Which of these methods do you already use, and what’s your go-to method for finding flow?
DESIGN TIP for non-designers: 🔥
STOP using different colors for the SAME design/content element.
This applies to:
✅ WEBSITE BUTTONS
✅ TEXT HEADLINES
✅ ANY element you use more than once
Designers are constantly talking about consistency because VISUAL CUES are an easy way to teach users how to UNDERSTAND and DIGEST your content.
A visual cues can be as simple as making all buttons and text links the SAME COLOR (like LinkedIn does with light blue)
"Oh, I see, blue means click here." 🔵
Other examples include:
> Using the same BRIGHT color on all headlines within a multiple page document to show what you should read FIRST.
> Using the same SUBDUED color on all smaller copy, to show that you can probably read this LAST.
There's a LOT of crayons in the box. The best designers know when to use the right ones. (and when to leave the rest in the box.) 🖍️
»
DESIGNER FRIENDS:
What are some other ways you use color to help improve your user experience?
“I’m sorry, your time is up.” ⏰
Not the closing words you want for your pitch.
But last week at @harborandunion 's Funders Pitch Showcase, several business owners heard exactly that. Each owner had 3 minutes to pitch their business case to a panel of judges and the audience.
7 Pitch Presentation MISTAKES We Saw Over and Over ❌
1️⃣ Not enough PRACTICE.
The most painful presentations were obvious they hadn’t practiced in front of anyone before. Practice ensures there’s enough time, helps you transition smoothly, and know what to say.
2️⃣ TOO MUCH information.
After one presentation that was cut short, the moderator had to forward through his unused slides. There was still 10+ slides left!
3️⃣ Lack of FLOW.
The best presentations followed a clear structure. They opened with an introduction, identified a problem, and explained how they would solve it. They gave enough detail to give you confidence in their solution, but leaving you with curiosity to learn more. The closing was a specific, clear CTA.
4️⃣ Weak stage PRESENCE.
If you’re starting a new business, you need to learn how to be a great public speaker. You should be confident in front of small, medium, and yes, sometimes large groups. Public speaking is a skill you should be constantly practicing.
5️⃣ POORLY designed slides.
Your audience looks at your slides more than at you. Give them as much attention as your written content.
Here’s some slide mistakes I noticed:
> TOO MUCH content per slide.
(50 words max per slide.)
> READING slide content.
(Slides should compliment the presentation, not replace it.)
> SMALL text that’s hard to read.
(Test your slides in the space. Can you read them from the back of the room?)
> ESOTERIC content.
(Don’t assume your audience understands your content like you do. This includes industry terms and acronyms.)
There were some excellent pitches, but like any entrepreneurial skill, delivering a winning presentation takes practice and refinement.
And design is a big part of that. The right visuals don’t just make slides “look good”—they help your message land. If you’d like help elevating the design side of your pitch deck, send me a DM. I’d love to help!
Today I participated in our CrossFit gym’s annual Members Only competition. Thankful for this incredible community of athletes who show up day after day, working hard and pushing themselves and each other to be the best, and for the great friendships I’ve built with people in all ages and stages of life. It’s hard to believe I’ve been coming here for almost 4 years now!
Thanks @crossfitnashville ! This community is like nothing else, come check it out!!
