I now envy the Irish Exit-ers

I used to judge those people—whether friends, family members or colleagues—who would quietly exit the party without saying goodbye. I never expected that they needed to plant a firm hand shake or hug every single soul there…nor kiss every baby’s head like the pope. But to the ones closer to them…come on? Why didn’t you respectfully say good night and maybe even close the night with a compliment to the host? 

I suspected being an introvert was the reason. So, is it—you introverted introverts or extroverted introverts? Me, a double extra large extrovert with extrovert on the side wants the secret sauce. 

Not until recently, I flipped that mentality around. I realized that people pleasing was my obsession, and that the lack of people pleasing for those sneaky escape artists was a gift. A special talent in fact. How could I NOT go around and “please” everyone by saying all the sweet nothings to them before I depart? 

I was the one with the skeletons in my closet, not them. I commend those, in fact. You tear down the social norm walls of “I don’t care what they think about me” and go onto your own business. 

Amazing. How do you do it? How did you learn that, or unlearn that? My mom is quite the people pleaser. Almost overbearing, but I know it’s all out of goodness. She means well. It’s a nurturing quality to worry. I absorbed that personality trait from her and it hasn’t made me a bad person. It just made me more anxious from time to time. 

Well, I’m changing gears now, as a 49-year old that is slowly adding introvert to my life resumé. I find myself quietly exiting events and gatherings. It feels good too. I know I’ll see them later. It’s OKAY JEFF. Just walk away. 

I don’t even know where the phrase Irish Exit or Irish Goodbye came from, but it’s helped me shrink my need to people please. 

I even apply this to my clients. Or even my client’s audience. Be you. You can’t control other peoples’ opinions, judgements, feelings and preferences on how one should act or present themselves. I suggest my clients to take more risks, as long as it’s an act of selfhood.

Do you partake in the Irish goodbyes? How do you feel, whether you do or don’t? I’d love to know if you travel these introspective journeys too. 

And now…..(door quietly shuts)….

There’s no such thing as sour…

This morning I picked fresh blackberries for the first time this year and dropped them into the bowl with some boring Cheerios soaked up with unsweetened almond milk. The berries of deep purple hue looked perfectly ripe—but every single damn one was sour. However I didn’t take the rest out. Maybe it was stubbornness. Maybe hope. Maybe both.

I kept eating, waiting for one to surprise me with a burst of sweetness. None did. But I finished the bowl anyway.

Oddly, I didn’t feel regret—I felt clarity. Sour is a taste I’ve come to understand. Even love. It reminds me that not everything that feeds us is sweet at first. Sometimes it takes sitting with discomfort to find the real value underneath.

(And here it comes…a metaphor!)

I can say branding is like that. Many things in life is like that.

Sometimes a new brand—or whatever comes new to your routine or unexpected—feels awkward, uncertain, maybe even a little off. You're hoping for instant "sweetness," but what you get is complexity. Resistance. Growth.

But stick with it. Even when you’re unsure. Even when it feels unfamiliar. Because buried in that shitty uncomfortable shift is where your boldest clarity, voice, and vision live.

And if you toss it too soon, you might miss the one idea that changes everything.

If you’re in the middle of a brand shift—or thinking about one—let’s talk.
Sometimes all it takes is an outside eye to spot the value you’ve already picked.

My strengths as a brand designer and strategist have all the sweet, salty, umami, sour and bitter receptors needed. Even spicy to eliminate pain points. You never want one perspective. Let’s brainstorm after our next bowl of cereal. Mine will be Cinnamon Toast Crunch!

There’s more than just one issue under the hood…maybe…

I know we are all skeptical when it comes to trusting a mechanic, or any type of tradesperson with a skillset we don’t have or put our blinders to. We have enough on our plates. So we get it done and it’s not the most fun time. All we can do is trust the person and situation.

We ask for an oil change and what do we get back when we are at the coffee shop anxiously awaiting their callback? We get a laundry list of “considerations” to take care of soon. Brake pads, wheel alignments, a belt of some sort and those damn air filters. Can’t they filter themselves?

So what do we do? We say “fine” with a discerning grin. Might as well get it done now, because I don’t want to do this next week.

What’s my point? Not to say “trust them, they are the pros”…because let’s face it, there are scammers out there just trying to get an extra buck.

I would say to either do your homework ahead of time, so you don’t have those nervous anticipations. If you’ve chosen someone you trust, sometimes the best move is to let them do their thing. I mean, they are the pros, so treat them like it and they will show you much more than just respect back.

When I do brand design for my clients, there is usually more I want to do for them than just a logo. Because there’s more to a brand than just a logo. There is a strategy behind your idea, your plan and execution. Have you looked at all your options when marketing yourself? Personal notes for clients after you do business? Vehicle wraps? Ads and outdoor signage? No, not your nephew flipping the arrow sign either.

Come to me, and trust I know my shit. I’m not here to squeeze another hundred out of you. The efforts I make will have you coasting longterm. Premium oil, new belts, fresh filters and happy tires.

I am up front and transparent as can be. You can trust that.

Slooooow doooooownnnnn…

Just a friendly reminder to sloooow down in life. Stop and smell the flowers 🌸… or watch a snail cross your path (literally) 🐌 .

The slower you go, the more meaningful the trail you leave behind — and with way less slime.

Lately, I’ve been carving out time to unplug 🔌 and dive into deeper creativity 🎨. Deep focus is my new jam. Meditation has been a huge help — grounding me in mindfulness, whether it’s how I use my time, nurture relationships, or just be in my space.

How do you slow down?
Find it tough? Try sending a letter ✉️ through good ol’ snail mail instead of a quick text. The act alone might shift your whole pace.

How clean is your house?

If you are home right now, do me a favor: take a look at three things: the baseboards of your your bathroom, the sides of your dishwasher door and the top of your picture frames and tv. Pretty dusty, gooey and filthy huh? It happens though. 

We tend to focus on the messes that are right in front of our eyeballs 👀 . Then we do a quick clean of the counters, sink, mirror and (hopefully) the toilet 🚽 often. We vacuum the main areas of the house, but don’t always get the extension hose out for the corners. We’ll just do that next time…yah. Sure. Then once it’s done, we move on and feel better. But what if we cleaned the entire area more often? Would we feel even better? More complete?

Maybe todays focus can be on the small things. The small tasks. Taking care of those dust bunnies lurking in the cracks, one by one. 🐰 Then, we can have everything nice and clean as a whole.

Let’s look at your company’s brand. Any little things you ignored for some time that can use some attention? What about that personal connection you wanted to add for your clients, such as custom thank you cards? 💌 📫 And those powerpoint decks have had the same backgrounds for some time. What about the Canva templates you use that ended up with way too many colors, extra fonts and styles to your brand? Whoa, it’s a bit much. Let’s update that. Those little things are part of your entire look, and needs to have consistency for your audience.

Better yet, have you just been squeegeeing over your own logo for some time and haven’t even noticed if it still connects to you and your audience? I am making a push for companies to consider a rebrand, because lets face it–we are all not that gratified by our overall look. And we change and change often with the times. 

I’m happy to sit down with you and give a detailed visual brand evaluation for you. This involves researching your biz, your industry and competitors. Then diving into the overall look and feel. 

Respond here what you’ve forgotten to clean for many a years in your house. Would love to here the nastiness. No judgements here! 

Let’s talk art shop!

I treat my clients like my dog…

Wait, what? Yes, you heard right…and it’s a good thing. No, I don’t make them sit, lay down or roll over. Only if they want. Woof. 🐶

My dog is spoiled. I mean SPOILED.

I will put winter gear on in my already warmed-up car during the cold spells, so Forrest can enjoy all the sights and smells out the car window. I mean, I can’t say no to those puppy dog eyes.

He gets much mileage on those four legs daily. Runs, walks and hikes.

He gets a morning shoulder and back rub everyday. Don’t judge.

And finally, I have no kids. So of course he gets ALL the attention.

So…do you treat your clients like you would your dog or someone important to you? Maybe not to a certain extent, but perhaps having that mentality builds trust and comeraderie. I like to turn any transaction by first building a relationship or even a friendship that could last for years.

Tell me what you do to spoil your clients. What sets you apart from your fellow competition? Oh…it’s a secret? I get it. Lips are sealed if you happen to spill the beans. 🫘

Here are some ways I spoil my clients when branding logos and more for them:

🤙 I STILL do unlimited revisions at no extra cost. Foolish on my part? Other designers may think that, but I don’t believe so. I never want a client to settle on a round of logos they are not comfortable with, especially if their budget doesn’t allow more spending room. 

🤙 I also have a design concierge service that checks in and makes sure your brand is consistent on all platforms. A week later, a month later and longer. And if you have any edits you need that takes me less then 10 minutes…free.

🤙 I "pimp" you out by posting about your business on my social media platforms and website. I also refer you to anyone I run into that needs your service or product. My clients are top of mind, and it helps that I know their skillset to the max while I worked on their visual brand story.

👴 25 years of experience now. Over 40 years of artistic expression flowing out of this body, and I still and will always start on paper with pencil/ink. 🎨 Sometimes my clients get the original drawing. They even framed it! Could be worth millions after I die! Don’t die before me is all, and you’ll reap the rewards. 🤑 😂

You got to the end of this without swiping past? Good dog. Happy Weekend.

Make Every Day a Friday!

Now let me be super clear regarding the title of this message: do not…and I repeat DO NOT slack off like you usually do on Fridays. And no, happy hour doesn’t start at 11am every day. This is merely a mentality or a “mantra” I’ve used for myself and it’s also helped quite a few friends during their times of frustration on the days that aren’t Friday. Or Saturday. Or whatever day of the week is your favorite. Perhaps it’s a Wednesday. Make every day a Wednesday then! In my best practice, I’ll tell you why and how….

Why

I just don’t want to hear “I hate Mondays” or “I’m having a case of the Mundays” like in the best comedy ever Office Space. That bit of small talk is worse than two introverts meeting for the first time and discussing the weather as their first topic (although I don’t mind bringing up a snowstorm or two). 

How

This has been my mantra ever since I left the corporate world and cannonballed into freelance. It’s freeing. There are no restrains or handcuffs when you can visualize your day(s) of reckoning into a day of “it’s actually not that bad.” Try this: either meditate, lay on your yoga mat or go for a walk (not in that predicted terrible snowstorm that turned out to be 1” of snow) and set your intention to putting any fears of frustrations away on that fateful day. 

Another thing you can do is to toss one of the tasks that pisses you off onto another day. Don’t stack up one day of complete sh*t and make another day the culprit. Spread it out, but in small amounts. Put an hour in the books on Tuesday to heal the wound of Monday, say.

Just don’t turn this into a lazy lifestyle. I suggest journaling/monthly/weekly/daily planning. That helps you organize not only your priorities, tasks and action items, but also can set an affirmation and tone for better times to come. 

Okay, I’m done. Happy Friyay, ya’ll! And Saturday! And Sunday! And Monday! And so on….

Choose wisely (but really just slow the ƒ*#* down!)

Did you know that we make around 35,000 decisions a day? Not surprised. Most are small, automatic choices and the rest are deeper, conscious decisions. I saw this hand drying option at a local brewery (surprised I was at another brewery?), and thought deep about the decision. Too deep perhaps. Well, not about my decisions but how many of us make choices and why we chose what we chose.

I always opt for the dryer due to it’s economic efficiencies (however I get how you may want to avoid the feces particles on the exit knob left by stinky pants by using your paper towel as armor). I also made the decision years ago to slow down and take my time, so taking 30 extra seconds to dry my hands is fine with me. Well…of course unless the stink is just too much, feeling like a trapped astronaut that accidentally slipped one out is not fun. I get it. Exit immediately.  

I offer this: try taking some time to think of your decisions and why you came to that conclusion a little more in life. Was it rational or was it lazy? Did it make you feel good afterwards, or was it a slip and you’ll fix it next time? 

When it comes to your brand identity, did you make a conscious decision to hire an experienced designer that specializes in visual storytelling and has an art background (ahemm…meeeee), or did you decide to go the fast route and hire that Fiverrr kid to create you a $50 looking logo? 

Whatever decision you made, you’ll probably end up with me in the end. Not being modest at all…I just know what a $50 or even a $250 logo looks like. Probably not your personality, your voice or your soul. I care about you! You deserve a better option. You get to choose. 

Come see me and we’ll make good decisions together!

5 Tips for Reviewing Designs

I can’t imagine how it feels to have a vision for your business and not be able to design it yourself. To have to rely on someone else to create it for you seems nerve-racking. That’s where I work hard to calm the storm and try to fit in your shoes. I’m a size 12, so if I have to squeeze in there, I’ll do it! 

My number one goal when building one’s brand and delivering a visually compelling story is to make sure the process is FUN. I want my client to feel like they are a child opening that first present under the tree from Santa. This is a relationship wrapped with empathy and excitement, not a “transaction” full of stress and doubt. It’s art after all!

To avoid getting stuck, here are some pointers on how clients can help us help them when reviewing logo designs in any round:

1. Be a sponge. Let it absorb. Take your time…grab a glass of wine (okay, a bottle) and visualize how these designs can look on your website, brochures, signs and even reversed on an image. If you can’t visualize that, ask me and I will show you by mocking up some examples! Try to give yourself more than a day or two to get back to me. Even up to a week, but caution….overthinking could occur!

2. Phone a friend! Maybe I give you new ideas you never thought of. Maybe this blindsided perspective needs a few more sets of eyes. I’d recommend asking family, friends or colleagues who’s opinions you value to help nudge you one way or another. 

3. View large first. When you receive the file, there are usually 2-4 designs per page. This allows you to compare a little easier. Viewing them nice and large on screen is super ideal, so you can see all the fine details. So I beg you to open the PDF on your desktop monitor, laptop or tablet first! You could take it a step further and print them out and view them from a few feet away. Make sure your screen and printer are color calibrated like your phones are (meaning they should print the same as you view on screen). I would recommend viewing on phone and compare colors to the desktop.

4. Feed me! Give and you shall receive. Round 1 is not always a victory lap. But I cannot make much progress in Round 2 if there isn’t enough constructive feedback. I recommend giving an eagle’s eye to every design–even if it’s one you didn’t care for much–look for font styles, colors and characteristics you may take away from them. Mixing design elements is possible as well. For example, favoring the font from design A, but joining it with the icon from design D may look good. Us designers are also capable of giving more iterations of a concept. Just ask!

5. Give us love. It’s okay to give us artists some warm fuzzy encouragement or a pat on the back. (I suppose my love language is words of affirmation) Even if you are not at all in love with the designs, saying something like “thanks for all these concepts, but I’m not quite resonating with any of them” would be great for our own nerves. I’m just as anxious waiting for your email response to any of the rounds given as you may be. 

Now having read these tips, we can celebrate our victories of being on the same page! This leaves a lot guesswork and time back in our pockets. Karma is on our side!