I’m excited to announce my partnership with Emily Ley Creative that marries effective, authentic, powerful visual branding with clear, purposeful, dynamic strategy: Making Brands Happen. Emily and I saw a great need for creatives to be able to have a seamless, simple way to bring brilliant ideas and unique brands to life. This partnership has been a long time coming and the second all the pieces aligned it was like fireworks. There are so many options out there, but none of them encompassed everything our clients needed …and got it done in an efficient time frame …and for a fee that allows you to make it happen with confidence. Making Brands Happen is the answer.
We’re only taking 6 clients per month and we’re just about full for the next three months. So, jump on it if you want a new brand or a rebrand for 2011. Reserve your spot now before we are all booked. The process is easy, fast and we’ve made it affordable with flexible payment plans because money is one of the biggest things that holds people back from making more of it!. The results will blow you out of the water!
The process begins with an in-depth review and strategy development sessions. Then, ELC comes in to develop and design a visual identity – including a new color palette, logo, fonts, patterns, graphic elements and collateral to tie your identity together. Just a few sessions – and four short weeks – later, you have a seriously strong, transformed brand and marketing strategy, as well as all of your design files and a Style Guide to carry your visual identity consistently across multiple platforms.
Some notes on branding: Your “brand” is the combination of your visual identity and your client experience. Most people think that having a great looking website, slick business cards and a few color-coordinated collateral items means you have a great brand. While those things are key, they are just your first impression. A great visual identity creates attraction, trust, and gets your foot in the door. An extraordinary client experience and brand culture create lasting powerful success. A great brand has a heart, integrity, purpose and consistency. A great brand anticipates desires and always OVERdelivers to the client. A great brand doesn’t sell you a product; it sells you a way of life. Would your ideal client want to live your current brand’s way of life? Is every aspect of your identity – website, business cards, social media, blog format, collateral, email correspondence, watermark, packaging, workflow, voicemail greeting – building up your brand, or are you just getting by? That’s what I’m here for – to help you evaluate where you are now and where you need to be to make big things happen in your business. Once we target the heart of your brand, what makes you tick and what will help your ideal client see your ultimate value, Emily steps in to create a visual identity that really sings. It’s pretty simple. Brand experience + brand image = powerful branding.
Whether you know exactly what you want or you are just in the first stages with a new idea… whether new to the business with loads of questions or a seasoned pro that needs a branding facelift… whether photographer, planner, writer, designer, stationer, or any creative professional… let us know what you are thinking and we will help you fill in the missing pieces. Just remember – all big ideas start somewhere. No matter what path you choose, you just have to start. ‘A year from now you will wish you had started today.’ Life is too short to play small. Your dreams are too powerful to just think about them. Act! You never know where that leap of faith will take you. All you have to do now is take that baby step to BEGIN.
Remove the word trying from your vocabulary. You’re either doing it or you aren’t. – Ralph Marston No more excuses. You have a choice to be remarkable. We look forward to making it happen for you.
LC
To kick off this new year ahead (only 37 days left in 2010 – wow!), we’re giving away a mini Making Brands Happen package. One session with me to dig deep into where your brand needs to go and one session with Emily to develop your brand board. Start 2011 with a bang! Leave a comment here telling us why you want this and what you want to make happen in 2011. Ends January 7th.
UPDATED to add: Congratulations to our winner! Due to the success of Making Brands Happen for our clients, we now offer three different levels of service. All the details: Making Brands Happen.
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95 Comments
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on at
I can’t commit! I keep going back and forth between bright colors like pinks, greens and yellow and then back to the vintage look. I can’t figure out how to make them work together to be cohesive. I keep hitting a wall and instead of ordering my marketing material, I’m stuck in an indecisive state. Why I want this? So I can actually get something accomplished. My goal for 2011 is to have a cohesive look that reflects my work. I hope it happens!
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We plan to go to print next year, so to have such talented creatives examine our brand would be a HUGE blessing!
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I want this because I want to start 2011 with a SOLID start!!! In December, it will be my business’s one-year anniversary. I know I have come far, but have so much more to go! I know the business lacks many important aspects to get it where I want it to be and one of them is a solid brand vision. This year, I started with commercial and portrait work and our work shifted to weddings, where we booked 3 weddings- and we have booked 6 for 2011 so far. I know that may not seem like much, but we have doubled this year’s and we are not even in 2011 yet! That gives me excitement but also alerts me to how rapidly a business can grow, and I want to be prepared to over-deliver and reflect a solid vision so that my business will grow in the direction that I want. There are many factors to the business vision, so I am trying to reach out and grab on to each factor, making it work in a balance and successful way!
Money (or lack of) seems to be the one factor that gets in the way the most, but I will not let that bring me down, I want to make it happen in 2011, I want my business to be solid, successful, and reflect the true ‘me’!!! Thanks for the opportunity & for all you do!!xoxo!
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I think I’ve found the one. For the past two years, I’ve been waiting for the perfect team to fulfill all of my branding dreams and I have a hunch you’re it! I love where my brand is at but I have mega-aspirations of taking it to the next level and I think I know just the duo to do it!
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I attended Making Things Happen Intensive in NY in March 2010 and found it extremely thought provoking and helpful. Since the Intensive i’m now preparing to launch my new brand Indian Wedding Card Boxes, my business for Creative Custom Card Boxes has grown and i’m now thinking about expanding my company to include event design. I have so many ideas but need some structure and focus in how to make them happen. Perhaps creating an ‘umbrella’ brand is the way to go but i have no idea what name i’d use for the business or how to brand it while still staying true to my established brands. It would be amazing to have the creative direction I know would come from Lara and Emily!
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My goal for 2011 is to merge all of my passions, to bring to life a new venture that will combine all of the things that take up space in my brain and keep me moving every day. There is so much happiness and possibility in the world, so much to explore, every day amazing little blessings and moments to savor, and I am carving out my own space in which to celebrate those things.
I adore both of you women and am constantly moved and inspired by the things that you put out into the world. This partnership, this boost, would be a joy and a motivator and an honor. I have the ideas, I just need help building the space in which they will come to life! -
on at
After 3 years with my own business and 60 weddings I still can’t afford new branding! It’s so frustrating. I need smarter branding to attract the clients I want. I was lucky enough to have a husband who self taught himself to build my website but because of that it takes much longer to make changes and convince him that a professional is needed. Help! I love him to bits and he’s the reason I’ve achieved so much but this is one thing I hate compromising on!
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on at
I have tried to do it all myself and I have changed the look and feel over and over and over again because I haven’t been in LOVE with anything. Maybe it’s because–I am trying to do it myself! I need an outsider to gather all the bits and pieces to make it work. (I fear that I am trying to be a Jack of all trades, and the realization that I can’t be a King of all of them is coming to the front of my mind.)
My husband and I are going to be back in Southern California next summer and that is when we want to put ourselves out there and really show SoCal who we are because it is so much different there than the military community we’ve been servicing the past few years. I think 2011 will be a crucial time for us to establish a strong start because… let’s face in, SoCal photographers?? Are. Everywhere. Everything I’ve been doing has been to prepare for this transition this summer. 🙂
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You are both amazing, insightful, and talented women. 2011 will be huge for me, as I am getting my ducks in a row and making my passion of photography into a viable career for me.
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I would be forever grateful to have a professional come in and wipe my brand clean and help me start over! I’ve always tried to do it myself and have never had a consistent look that I felt really looked like me. I would love for this to happen in 2011 as well as building a good base of clients and friends here. )we’ve moved 5x in our 3 years of marriage!)
thanks for hosting this contest…if I win I’ll puncture someones ear drums 🙂
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on at
What a true blessing this is. Thank you both for offering this great opportunity.
This year has been a challenging one for me, it has had it’s good times, and it’s bad. One challenge that I face in my everyday life is giving up too soon. Doubt and fear creeps into my mind, and I always step back, thinking that I can’t do something.
Recently, a minister came to my sister’s new home to bless it. As she began praying she called me into the family circle. She said to me that God said whatever you have been worrying about for the past year, stop.. She told me not to fear anymore and that everything will be alright. She repeated this multiple times. Suddenly, I felt a calm and my spirit was at peace.
It has been two weeks, and I wasn’t going to enter this giveaway, but I remembered what God said, no fear. This is how I want to enter into the new year, fearless. Not worrying about my business, and the challenges that come along with it. Last year, I thought I was ready but I really was not.
Receiving this brand makeover I believe will challenge me to look at things that I may not know about myself and to help progress my business in the right direction.
Thank you again Lara & Emily for offering this great gift. -
on at
I want this because I believe in our business SO much and I think our brand is where we struggle the most. We’ve done everything DIY so far and we just haven’t been able to make our brand convey the message I want it to.
2010 exceeded our expectations in every way- from how many clients we’ve booked to how much we’ve grown and learned. In 2011 I want to book even more weddings than this year, I want to get published (really bad!), I want to make better industry connections and I want to employ better business practices and workflow that will allow me to spend more time AWAY from the computer screen 🙂 -
on at
Wow! Thank you for this opportunity Lara and Emily!
It’s been a remarkable three months since I launched bWed Exclusive…Fours months since I leapt, quit my job in the world of retail to devote my full attention to bWed. Months and months of planning, designing , creating, editing, blood, sweat and lots of tears came first. Yet, I still have moments of darkness, moments where I lack confidence, am insecure, run out of gas. I’m terrified of failing. But I’m also afraid of what comes next; because I don’t know what is next. As a control freak, that feeling of the unknown is the worst for me. In 2011 I want to grow in remarkable ways. I want to blossom. I want to have confidence in myself, my business and my brand. I want to not be afraid. I have learned so much in the last year alone, but I know I have still so, so much more still to learn. I need to find my niche, my direction, my distinction. I want to soak up as much as I possibly can, then capture it and experience it. I am a firm believer that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Every part of me is ready. Teach me. -
on at
Ever have too many brands? I’ve been stuck trying to integrate all of my branches together into one cohesive brand. It would be so awesome to receive this opportunity as the fresh start that I need. I’m growing tired (and frustrated) of putting more effort into the brand than the business and the actual product (my photography!!!!).
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what an inspirational idea! I started my business, Hey Babe Studio, at the beginning of September. A week later, I found out that my father was diagnosed with lung cancer. Four weeks after that, he passed away at the age of 53. Since then, my company has been on the back burner. I haven’t officially launched yet, and when I do, I want to come out of the gates with a strong presence and sense of what I want to be. I feel like I’m almost there, but a few key pieces are missing, essentially, the brand is missing. I want my company to be a benchmark for whimsical, fun, and creative design accessories for weddings and events. Starting with ring pillows, as seen on my website, I want to offer other product categories to the bride who loves the DIY look but doesn’t have the time to make it all herself, such as cake toppers, cupcake flags, and stationary.
I want 2011 to be the year I launch this company into the world. I want to be able to give weddings that extra little oomph and create those special details that make each person’s wedding their own. With a cohesive brand statement, I know that I can take Hey Babe Studio to the next level. I know that it can be a go-to place for brides to find customized ring pillows and other accessories for their weddings. -
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i started my business 18 months ago. i thought at that time that i had a clear vision. as i’ve moved forward, i got lost along the way, looking around to what others were doing instead of what was in my heart to begin with. thankfully my path down that road has ended. with many changes in my life (healing the whole self allows my creative self to breathe freely), i’m ending 2010 announcing this process, my realizations, and writing about where we go from here. 2011 is going to be about ME going forward, my heart, my vision, my creativity, and about growing my business. as i said in my blog post recently while writing through this, i have somewhere to go, and i’m going to get there. i would love this opportunity from your new business to get me started in the right direction and assist me with those little things that make a difference but that can also become overwhelming and result in side-tracking a beautiful creative vision. thank you very much for the consideration. best, aileen
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on at
I’m attending MTH 2010 in watercolor next month, and I’m ready to move mountains, and gain the faith in myself that others have in me. After only 2 weddings in my belt (1 per year) and only 1 inquiry for 2011, I’m in dire need of a brand. Of defining not only the “look” for my photography business, but defining an experience to give to clients. I don’t want clients to just stop at “thank you for photographing our wedding, we love all the photos”, I want clients to just be blown away and rave and talk about my business, and what better way than a brand new branding?
What I have now is all wrapped around a logo that I was able to negotiate a trade for. The rest, website and business cards (actually lack thereof) is all due to my hair pulling attempt at putting a website together. But its not enough. I want to really define myself, my business, and an experience to my clients. I don’t want to look “slapped together”.
Winning a mini brand makeover would make my dreams come true! Unlocking the remaining doors to truly be proud of my talent and my business, would just …sigh…..make my world! I’m ready. I’m ready to learn. I’m ready to grow. I’m the ugly duckling confident that I’m going to be a beautiful swan with MTH 2010 and Making Brands Happen!! -
on at
This is so inspiring! I love it, and I LOVE that you are incorporating a brand expert with the visual aspect. So many people throw together a logo and site and think it’s a brand. This post reminded me myself that I’ve been just scraping by lately, even though I obsess over branding and marketing and come up with great ideas… the finding time to put them together, or visual artist ability, makes me fall short.
I’ve been playing with a new identity for a related photography company with another focus rather than weddings, obsessing over it really… spreadsheets and all. This would be SO perfect! -
on at
I am at a crossroads in my business. After attending MTH in Houston, I have a greater sense of where I want my business to go. When I started my business, I made my own logo and web design. Then after two years, I had it redone. It is what I have now. It lacks personality and spunk, it doesn’t show off who I am. It has been holding me back, because I don’t feel like it is food enough. I am ready for a fresh start and to take my business where I really want it to be.
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I not only want this, I NEED this… badly!
I don’t have a clue where I’m going. I just know I want to go up. I definitely need the help 🙂 -
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I feel like I’m on the brink of something big. It’s taken all of 2010 to grow my business organically through word of mouth and the web, without spending money on advertising, simply because I don’t have the funds. I’m proud to say that I booked my first client since relocating and they are an ideal match. Now after spending the last 18 months with my current brand…(mostly a logo, not quite a brand yet) I know that I need that kick in the pants, and I need to kickstart my brand to continue to grow my business and attract the ideal client who I will not only work with but also become friends with. In 2011, I want to book 12 quality clients, shoot 3 editorial pieces (for personal/collaborative portfolio purposes), and continue to build the life I want to live with my husband. After MTH2010, I was fired up, and after a long year working it, I don’t want to lose that fire…I believe that a consult with you Lara and a brand board with Emily is just what I need to make 2011 the best yet!
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Hi Lara, I would love this because since Get Branded + Get Published and MTH I have been thinking of a way to connect my business name with my url (website). Of course changing that means a change to business cards, etc. Narrowing this down would be a first step to creating a customized website that is more authentic to my brand. Also since my branding homework I have defined my bride and who she is. I feel I’m narrowing down on a niche but I have a little struggle with that and a mission statement. I feel I’m almost there but not quite. Thank you for reading! *Hugs*
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on at
there are so many things that i want to make happen in 2011, but at the top of my list is creating a business identity that has personality…that is more personal…that is me. right now what i have is something i threw together, just to get my name out there. but i have noticed that since it is so impersonal it actually tends to prevent any interaction with my clients. i want to engage with my past and current clients and be able to draw potential clients in. and since so much of what i do is personal, having an impersonal business identity just isn’t cutting it. thank you for an amazing opportunity!
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oh i would love to pick up where i left off!! Emily created me a wonderful logo last summer, and since then, i have been comfortably busy with work, but feel like i dont really have a clear focus. Would love to keep the balling rolling with this offer! -Jenny
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Wow! I want to make 2011 the year of defying doubts and surpassing expectations. I want to leap off the cliff. I am just starting out, and have been unsuccessful in completing a cohesive branding look. I *know* it is important, have some definite ideas, but just can’t get it done. I have been unable to get the look that represents my vision for my work. It’s there, swimming around in my head though. Some help drawing it out and defining the brand would be, well, simply awesome.
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Hi Lara and Emily 🙂 I don’t know where to begin!
I am just starting out in the world of pro photography and feel like I’m “in the first stages with a big idea”. The thought that a year from now I’ll wish I started today resonates with me big time. I have a great love for beautiful design and I think I’m holding myself back on the branding front for fear of not implementing something gorgeous and true to ME, that has “heart, integrity, purpose and consistency” as you both so wonderfully worded it. Emily, your designs are inspired and beautiful–though I’m not “in the business” of paper/design, I feel like people who are are my kindred spirits. You just can’t explain to some people the joy that comes with finding and using the perfect font! I admire the aesthetic of your brand boards and especially love Paperwhites, Paper Crumpet and Jessica Ames :). (I’m from Tampa, too by the way–I just moved away with my Air Force husband–wish I’d met you beforehand!)
I haven’t attended a MTH yet, but it is a goal of mine for 2011! I just recently discovered this phenomenon both in MBH and MTH and followed your journeys through the second round on your group Tumblr. I was inspired with every post! Just being in proximity to your breakthroughs through my iPhone spurred me on in my drive and excitement and I went ahead and purchased a URL (I haven’t been able to commit to one for weeks)! I have a blog template ready to fill with lovely images and a vision but I’m currently stalled realizing that I don’t want to move forward with sharing something that doesn’t also communicate and showcase (what I want to be) an inspiring and powerful design. It is truly all in the details in my mind and I would be absolutely thrilled and so lucky to have the two of you, who I already am in total awe of for so many reasons, help me create and discover my brand. I want to make happen in 2011: the launch of my business. Developing nurturing relationships with inspiring people. To feel the fear and do it anyway (as I am in writing this!). MTH 2011 (in CA Jan-Jul or CO Aug-Dec)!
This is a tremendous opportunity. Thank you for offering it 🙂 I want to be remarkable!
I can’t wait to meet you both (hoping Emily and Gina will be involved with MTH 2011 also?!), XOXO!
Erin -
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I have had my part time photography business for a couple of years, however I feel that I have been floundering. I would really love 2011 to be the year that I get my business in hand and make it move from part time to full time. I think that new branding would be just the place to start. I think that it might help me to have a whole new start on my photography career and really kick my business into gear !!
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Sweet Emilia Jane is in absolutely need of a branding overhaul! I know that our business is special with a strong voice and a unique market and I want the branding and the “first look” to really reflect our all the awesomeness we have to give! I always feel like I have the answer on the tip of my tongue but it would be AMAZING to have a professional bring out the best! This would be the big change that we need in 2011!
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Thanks to the mind-blowing opportunity at MTH, I feel like I’ve finally begun my journey. I am at the end of the road of a dark, uncertain, and scary time, and am at the beginning of the road to a beautiful present and future. I feel like I can finally spread my wings, sit up with confidence, and make my mark. Having both of your guidance would be such a blessing in this process and what better way to start my journey on the right foot with the 2 of you!
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I would love to win this mini-sesssion because I have recently decided to launch my own business. The logo I am currently using I created myself. I know the importance of branding my business, but I am currently unable to afford to hire a professional. I believe proper branding will give me the professional look I need to secure new clients. The challenge is that I need new clients to pay for the proper branding. Winning this package would be a dream come true because it would put me one step closer to living my dreams!
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Excited! Driven! Ready! Empowered! Stoked! Humbled! HAPPY! I design for others – but I have a difficult time focusing on inspiration for myself. I want my brand to screen sticky sweet summers, tea with sugar crystals you can taste, spanish moss and soft flowers, with a healthy helping of unexpected, whimsical, and just plain fun. How do I do that? The thought of working with the two of you to develop my brand blows my mind – and I am just so grateful for the opportunity. Lots of love from this girl! xo!
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Lara Casey, you are always so inspiring!! In 2011, I want to update our brand – take our business where we dreamed it would go, and have the guts to Make MORE Things Happen!!! Love this new project… way to go, Ladies!! 🙂
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on at
Well here it goes. I actually felt, past tense is the key here, that I had a pretty good grasp on my brand. I felt I had a good web presence, a nice theme and a consistency. That is until the second day of the MTH Maui Intensive. In half a day I went from completely confident to an overwhelmed feeling of lack. I had missed SO much, and some of which I’m certain I still don’t know about. There are gaps in my branding. I am now fully aware. A matching twitter background???? What??? I had NEVER even thought of that! I started backwards and made my website and my print materials before my logo and now I don’t like my logo. Having you both help me pin point the areas that need tweaking would be a dream come true. I now know that there have been oversights, now I just need help seeing them and figuring out a plan to fix them. Love you both. Congrats on this new endeavor. You are going to do amazing.
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What I want to make happen in 2011:
When brides-to-be see & meet the Love Over Logic brand, I want their heart to whisper to their head “this is exactly what I want.”I want to make Love Over Logic THE go to boutique bridal makeup service provider for the luxury wedding industry in Atlanta, GA.
I want both brides and other luxury wedding professionals in Atlanta to associate the Love Over Logic brand with timeless bridal beauty with a passionate and modern perspective and the ability to deliver and exceed their expectations through an amazing client-vendor experience.
Why I want this mini making brand happens package: because I don’t know how to make what I just described above happen!! I’ve been doing and working everything on my own since June 2010 and feel like I have little pieces with no real strategy or plan. I continue to pray that God will lead and guide me to opportunities that match what He has laid on my heart and people and professionals that have my best absolute interest at heart that can provide guidance. He’s given me the talents and gifts to be a makeup artist..now I just want to be obedient and make this happen in a God-size way!!
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Congratulations on the new adventure for you both! Where to start? My business partner and I are at the true infancy of our vision. We are a combined force, oozing with experience. 2010 was trying year for a lot of people, us included. Frustrated with the job market, we both settled for jobs to support ourselves. The key word in that sentence is settled. Neither of us would describe ourselves as people who settle. Through much self-evaluation and testing one another, we concluded that we were the yin & yang of event planning. We decided we were ready to follow our hearts and challenge ourselves, so we set our business-owning dreams into motion! We’ve taken a very practical approach to our goals, making sure that all of the basics are in place before we get carried away with the creative side. We’ve been fired up from the start and had not hit any roadblocks until it came time to decide on a branding. Heck, we were having a hard time simply brainstorming ideas! We, as a team, want to make this happen so badly that we feel we’re getting in our own way. We are having a hard time opening up the floodgates and letting the ideas spill. I believe our vision combined with your talents could lead to BIG THINGS in 2011. I know in my heart we will get to where we want to be, but knowing we have your expertise behind our brand would give us the ultimate advantage, right off of the block!
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on at
I have a phone consult with you this week and realizing that I am on the brink of change! I would love to have a re-brand of my business. It has been almost 14 years since I purchased Bergeron’s and would love for it to have a new look/brand to go with our new website. I’m open to what’s in store for me and my business.
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We just celebrated 3 amazing years in business. During those 3 years our business has evolved…we’ve grown, added new services, and have started to develop a target client. I strive to put myself into everything that I do for my event planning business, but feel that our brand is lacking who I really am, and what we offer to clients. I have a lot of “key words” written down on paper, and have somewhat of a vision in my head, but really no clue on how to implement everything. Sometimes I feel like my logo/brand design capabilities are lacking. I don’t feel they are good enough and I always end up second guessing my decisions. I get ideas from browsing the internet, but don’t want to be a “copycat”. I end up liking 100 different ideas, and have trouble narrowing in on what my brand really should be. In short, I guess you would say that I feel somewhat lost. I have big goals for the future, and really want to emerge with a strong brand for 2011 – an original, authentic brand that reflects the real ME. Thank you for this amazing opportunity, and for all that you do. Your posts on this blog have been a HUGE inspiration to me – both personally and professionally. I hope to step out of my comfort zone in 2011 and Make Things Happen in a BIG way!
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When I saw this new venture for you both, I was practically squealing at my computer ‘Yes! yes YES!!!!!”. You had me at ‘hello’ 😉 Seriously, EVERYTHING you mention on MBH is EXACTLY what I need. I’ve always been a bootstrapin’ gal-putting my brand together piecemeal and it’s time to change! 2011 is going to be the BEST YEAR EVER and I know that I need to surround myself with amazing talent to push myself to the next level. I know from the single conversation I’ve had with you Lara that YOU are the gal to go to and with Emily by your side, you are going to ROCK OUR WORLDS! After months of consideration, I finally feel ready to move forward. Ready to bring on amazing talent to interpret my vision and breathe life into it. I’m opening up…I’m spreading my wings… Let’s do it! (PS-I’m f.i.n.a.l.l.y open to personal branding…I think it’s time!!!!)
Much love to you gals!! -
on at
Well… It’s 1:47am in Australia–all good decisions come at 1:47am, right??I am entering because, like everyone else, I recognise it’s an amazing opportunity. But beyond that, I need a helping hand. I’ve worked my bum off trying to find my own two feet in this industry, and I sure would love some guidance!!! I’m open to change, feedback and welcome constructive critism with a warm + hopeful heart. Please help me!!
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on at
This summer, I went to a workshop hosted by the “English Department” in Portland Oregon that taught us to make our own personal sashes and headbands….t none of that tacky stuff….im talking about beautiful and elegant products!! I never knew I would become so interested and attached to something like this. I especially never knew I was even good at such a thing, but since than my desire has been to launch a little online business with my own handmade line of things such as sashes, headbands, and invitations. I am in the process of finishing some more products and will be launching my business online in 2011. I am at the very very very first stages of thinking what my branding should be, what it should look like, and feel like. This is all very new to me…I have never had my own little business, or even my own site, so I do not know where to start, what to do, or what to even name my business. The furthest I got is I have an idea of what I want everything to look like but I really need a lot of help branding my business, make sure everything will be cohesive, consistent and beautiful!!! I want my “brand” to really reflect who I am, what I do, what my business is about, and how my clients experience will be. I want my “brand” to go beyond the first impression.
Please please PLLLEEEEAAASE help me and PICK ME!!!! You would be a life savor and really make my start in business start smoother!!! PLEASE PICK ME! -
on at
simple …. i have changed my ‘logo’ / ‘branding’ about every year i have been in business! 5 years now! i have come to know my style of work very well at this point…i know who i am photographically…but the branding part evades me completely! i would love to be as confindent in my brand as i am with the images i create!
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Hi lovely ladies – Lara & Emily. I swoon over your fabulously stunning and detailed work and your creative ideas. Love you ladies! I have been an avid follower of Southern Weddings Magazine. I *heart* swmag forever! 🙂 Congrats on the recent magazine publishing, Lara. I am an African American Photographer just starting out in the heavily saturated photography market in Boston (I do travel for commissions). I am a fantastic photographer and am in love with my career, but want an edge, no! need a unified representative front for my business to stand out. I’ve considered many options (which I think the competition hasn’t yet thought of nor done) and am working on a couple ideas, but something just isn’t shining the way my photography does. I have been struggling in my branding. Primarily because I’m just starting out and don’t have a lot of money to spare. Yet, I have the dilemma of needing to present my business like the accomplished published pro photographer that I am on a budget. 🙁 Nailing all these cohesively, fashionably and stunningly – website design, logo, letterpress b-cards and stationary, envelopes – – essentially, the heavy duty nuts and bolts holding up my online and print professional presentation – has really been a struggle and holding me back to launch my website http://www.dontfrettphotography.com. I keep pushing back the date, because I keep changing my designs, or lack there of, after having tossed them out. I would be forever grateful for this opportunity to hit the ground running in 2011! I am bursting and bubbling over with the many ideas I’d love to share with you on the direction I have for my photography business in 2011 and beyond! Primarily, marketing and getting my business/photos published has been on the forefront of the agenda and I am succeeding. Here’s an Ad with one of my photos being displayed on the ever-popular BeantownBride: https://beantownbride.com/2010/12/holiday-happenings-in-boston.html Doors are opening up all over this Bridal industry for me, a small town Caribbean, African American girl with big hopes and dreams in the photography & bridal industries. Now, all that’s left for me to do is to pick up the rear with my branding, website and stationary and walk through those doors confidently. Having my stunning photos and outstanding customer service align with the branding of my company would be an asset; one I need. Please, please select me. I would be so honored to have a chat. Ah, sistah in Boston could really use your expertise and help! 🙂 Best wishes always.
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I would love to win this giveaway! My friend, Ashley, and I are starting an women’s online magazine-blog called Liminas Magazine set to launch in January 2011.
The magazine will feature articles on career, love, beauty, health, style, etc. that are geared toward women in their twenties and thirties. The articles will be tailored to our readers’ unique set of concerns and struggles (moving in with a boyfriend before marriage, decorating an apartment when living with a man, career advice, anti-aging products that should be used now, fashion that mimics the runway styles at affordable prices, etc.).
Liminas comes from the word Liminality. Ashley and I have long felt like we are in this period of our lives where we are in-between adolescence and adulthood–we don’t quite feel like children, but at the same time we don’t feel like adults. After having had this same discussion with a number of our friends, we decided to create a magazine that is dedicated to this period of our lives and the huge transition that each of us is going through. We and our readers are living in a liminal space.
We are in the beginning stages of development right now and are having a hard time pulling everything together into one cohesive brand. We have so many ideas of what we like and what we want the website to be like. We know that the online world is bursting with great ideas, blogs, and websites, so having some help with branding and direction will enable us to break through to the top!
We are so inspired by everything that you do and all of your knowledge (both of you)! It would be honor to learn from you!!
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this would change my business forever. i’m pretty new to this whole “business” thing and i think as creatives, we all struggle with that side of things. i’m not a business person and truth be told, i don’t really pretend to be. i know i need all of the help that i can get. 🙂
i really thing winning this prize would set me apart from my competition and give me that “special something” to make people go WOW. Any photographer can go into photoshop, toss together a logo and slap it on a website. i don’t want to be that girl. this will stop me from making a huge mistake early on in my business and set me off on the right foot. i’d be so, so grateful for the opportunity to work with you girls.
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I need help in 2011. Short and sweet- Start up + no business game + I don’t even have a “b” in the brand = need help from Lara Casey! What a great giveaway idea.
Thank you!
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One look at my scattered website, ancient blogger blog and ADD facebook page and it is readily apparent that I am a frustrated perfectionist who suffers from scatterbrained syndrome with umpteen different wannabe “logos” spinkled between them. I know what I want to convey, but no idea how to actually DO it. What branding would mean to me is actually giving voice to my fears of failure and moving forward with fearless purpose to reveal ME. Imperfections and all. My branding has evolved much like I have throughout my photographic journey. I need the guts to go ahead and be “me” and not what everyone else in town is. You guys are amazing and inspiring! Thanks for simply offering this opportunity and making us all THINK and hopefully in my case GET BUSY regardless! 😉 G
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While I was a student at the University of Central Florida, I began helping friends plan their weddings, which I fell in love doing and decided to start my own wedding/event planning business! After several years of successful bliss, we first found out that I was pregnant with our first son, and I decided to slow down to concentrate on our family. Then with the arrival of our second son, that slowed business down more, and since then I’ve been itching to return to business full force. I’ve always created my own business materials and taught myself how to design my website, but have realized that our image desperately needs reinvention and new life, from our logo to website! I would like to have it all – family, business/work, success, happiness and life! I would love to have win this Giveaway to help me achieve this!
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Just having someone to talk to about what I want my brand identity to be would be work/life changing! I’m in limbo right now, just getting by. I want style and a clear idea of where the substance should be headed too. This would be a dream!!
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My twin sister and I just started photography 6 months ago. Without having shot a single wedding, we’ve booked seven for the summer of 2011. We’re starting out strong based solely on our personalities and talent, but we haven’t built a brand for ourselves, and it’s holding us back from making something big out of our love for photography. Our blog has been stagnant for months because we don’t want to promote it makes us excited and proud.
I want this opportunity so bad because I get it, I know the importance of branding – it’s every touch point, action and message. I believe with my whole heart that how you brand yourself and position your business today leads to the successes of your future. Knowing the importance of branding, three months into the business we hired a professional graphic designer – it was a must. After she branded our business, we (my twin and I) both knew right away that it wasn’t us and it wasn’t going to cut it. It doesn’t speak to who we are or define our style and vision. I guarantee, without doubt, that if you met my twin and I and then saw the visual brand identity that was created, you would agree that it doesn’t mirror our personalities or our style one bit. We are even changing our business name, so now we are really back to the very beginning. Most would choose to use what was provided because they spent hundreds of dollars on it and deal with it. But that’s not how we roll. We will take the loss and do what it takes to get it right. Because it’s that important to us and the future of our business.
What do I want for 2011? I want our business to move forward. I want to be a contender in the industry. I want to be right up there with the photographers who have years of experience on us. I want people to talk about us. I want to be a big deal. It’s disappointing to have so much drive and hope for a successful career but to feel stuck because we are so particular and aware of the importance of the brand you build today for your future. In 2011 we will clearly define our vision and how we want to be positioned in the industry.
Thanks for having such a passion for what you do and for being so darn good at it. Building a brand is not easy and it requires us to take the extra steps to make it happen.
-Kelsey 🙂
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I am a young professional and rising entrepreneur that is obsessed with marketing.
I am a photographer and I know that in order to run a successful business, I can’t do it all by myself… I need my brand to be represented to my clients across all forms of communication — from the moment they see my portfolio, to the time they receive my hand written thank you note after a successful shoot. I am a commercial photographer with a knack for creating useful imagery and completing concepts for my clients. This is what I love. This is where I excel.
I have a marketing plan mapped out for the future year and I would love your guidance and a cohesive identity to make sure my focus and talents are successfully presented to my clients (and potential clients) wherever we may meet.
Thank you for the opportunity and your time.
Sincerely,
Andrew -
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I love this!! 🙂 I went full time as a photographer last spring and thought that I would have a month or two to focus on my branding and prepare myself for the chaotic wedding months. But that was not the case. My days were filled quickly with sessions and I was literally propelled into full time work, which left my branding on partially complete. Now that I am in the winter months, I have a few seconds to breathe and really focus on my brand, so the timing is absolutely perfect. I know exactly what I want my brand to look like, but I don’t know quite how to make it come to life. It would be such an honor to work with you two, taking my brand to a whole new level! 🙂 2011 is going to be amazing, I just know it. And I want to enter 2011 with a brand that sets me apart from the pack, but stays true to who I am as a creative soul. Happy Holidays!! Thank you!!
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2011 will be our third year of business as wedding photogs, and I would love some fierce branding! My goal is to go full-time with photography (whose isn’t?) and I think this would help immensely.
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As a graphic designer, I know all to well about brand recognition, maintaining customer loyalty, etc. I can dig in to anyone’s chaos to pull out a successful working brand for their company, however, I can not do the same for myself – probably because I’m whole hearted-ly invested.
As an artist, I’m multifaceted – which is awesome for what I do, but it doesn’t help me nail down an effective brand for my design studio. I can’t seem to figure out in which direction I should or need to go.
I would love to have an ear to bounce ideas off of! -
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Live The Dream. That’s what I want to happen in 2011!
My business partner and I have been working on a business plan for a few months now, but we have been training for this business our entire lives. With lots of individual experience in our back pockets (and even more energy), we are ready to work in cahoots!
We’re excited to jump in (head and feet) first to the event planning industry on our own. Just this evening, we finalized our business name name(!!!) but we’ve decided to keep it tip top secret until we can make sure it’s paired with a great branding. Both graduates of a school of journalism, we understand just how much a brand can make or break a business and we want to make sure that we take extra care to create one that tells people who are and what we stand for. We have lists and lists of exciting adjectives and phrases we could use to represent in our brand but haven’t quite figured out how to integrate it all.
Our latest goal-setting session for 2011 included developing a brand, making it out to industry trade shows, exploring our (and our clients’!) creativity, polishing our business plan and mission statement, and building relationships with potential clients and our local business friends. We would love for one our first relationships to be with the two of you and even more, we’d love to show you just how far we will take our new brand!
Here’s to a new year full of exciting opportunities!
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I like most people want my business to be a big success. Taking the leap of faith to leave my corporate job was a big deal and just as I was getting ready to embark on this adventure my husband lost his job so the start up money I had for the business was used on just getting by. I have managed to keep pushing but have had to sacrifice a lot in means of branding and marketing. I will be attending my first bridal show in January and want nothing more than to impress. A new brand is just what I need to take my business to the next level. I really look forward to working with you!
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I’m so close, but I’m so far.
2011 is going to be my year! I’m a wedding photographer– and although I LOVE LOVE LOVE design and colors and all things crafty, I don’t know how to pull it off for myself and my branding. I have so much going on in getting all systems to be a “go” for the new year, that I’ve kind of had to make do with what I can do myself.
The photos you’ve posted of the design process make my heart go pitter patter, and I’d LOVE if you ladies were the girls to make J.Grace Photography look beautiful so that I can begin 2011 with a bang…. a beautiful bang. 🙂
Blessings to you and Merry Christmas!
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I want this because I finally came to the realization that a through professional seeks other professionals help when needed. I always found myself a jack of all trades, but in order to push my brand forward I need to let go and let a PRO take over. It is the very first steps of making things happen, won’t you make it happen for me?
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I’d love to get a new brand going… I don’t have a solid brand all the way through my business… started doing weddings in Hawaii then moved out to Fiji so I need to get my business up and running out here… My goal for 2011 is to really get my destination wedding photography business working out here as well as traveling for other destinations. I could definitely use your help!!!
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I want this because I am starting a new photography business. I have so many questions and concerns- I have been reading up on the vital
importance of a cohesive brand experience, but need help making the design elements happen. I need more clarity to my vision from someone who has made things happen for their own brand! -
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I have a photography business that I’ve been trying to build for the past year. I have ideas of what I want for my brand, logo, and a vision that I want to share to my clients, but I have the hardest time making things happen. I need the support of individuals who knows what it takes to have a successful business and who are willing help formulate my ideas into reality that will allow me to take my business to the next level. 2011 for me will be all about business, and I hope that it starts of with an opportunity to collaborate with the two of you!
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Wow… where to start and try to make this quick and brief. I never really talk about this, so I’m not exactly sure how to get it out simply. The bottom line is, I want this to get my life back and I want that to happen in 2011 since I haven’t had it for the past five years. The quick version of the story: 5 years ago I was in a very serious car accident that has left me with some wicked and permanent handicaps. Basically, I live with a headache 24/7, migraines numerous nights a week, and my muscles no longer work like a normal persons, but are in constant pain (picture when you get a really, really bad cramp in the bottom of your foot and you can’t move it… that’s how my neck, back, and abdomen feel constantly and my legs and arms will feel like if they’re used too much as well – which is more than a few hours a day). This has been my last 5 years and as of now my whole future. What does this mean? Well, everything I had gone to college for and worked my whole life to create as career, I simply can no longer do. It took my whole career path and cut it off as I can no longer physically perform the tasks needed. Taking away my career has taken away in a sense everything outside of it as well that I was working for in my future… buying a home, supporting a family, and anything else along those lines that I was intending on achieving. So, I realized I had to reinvent myself… find a new career. This time I decided it was going to be something I was passionate about (if I am going to max out my pain tolerance, I’m going to do it on something I truly love now) and that brought me to 3 things… photography, people, and their love and relationships. In this process I have learned something essential. While I can work and train to better myself as a photographer, I can’t create enough time in my day since I’m so limited to try to do all other aspects required… such as design and marketing (along with coding and other aspects, ha!). I have learned this the hard way. I spent the past 6 months pushing my body until I couldn’t sit, stand, or generally be more than a ball of pain because I was trying to get the business side rolling along side shooting, editing, and working as many hours as physically possible at my day job. That is why I need this; I’ve realized I literally cannot physically do it all on my own, much less have an ounce of the talent that you two do. I want this to have a career rolling again and get a life back, have a future. I’m only in my twenties… I have too much hope and drive to accept defeat no matter how hard I have to fight. I want 2011 to be the year of change… I worked harder than I have and through more pain all year to try and get the ball of change rolling and now it slowly is, but I want a life changing (literally) 2011. I know branding and marketing is one of the most essential pieces to the puzzle, I truly hope to get a better perspective on them asap. I promise this blessing wouldn’t go underappreciated.
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I would love to win this because I need a cohesive brand for my business.
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oh this is fabulous! I am a big fan of branding and today talking to a photog friend, I mentioned how I feel most folks don’t get branding at all and make wrong decisions about knowing who they really are and what branding is because its not just a logo, I know I can further my current brand via my website and making it all concise.I want to make my business financially stand on it’s two feet for 2011
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2011 is going to be my year. I haven’t quite got a full plan, but I’m setting goals and forging ahead. What I do need is a COHESIVE brand. Right now I have a little of this and a little of that. Lara+Emily+Lisa might just equal a BRAND made in Heaven! Let 2011 BEGIN! I AM ready!
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My name is Natalie Clamp and I’m the owner of Chic Sweets, a candy/dessert table company. I’m not even sure where to begin. I began Chic Sweets not only out of passion, but truly, out of this immense need to find myself and some how navigate my way out of a job I am not happy in (sorry, if that is a little too honest). I have followed the incredible evolution of MTH and if I’m being truly honest with myself, Lara and Emily’s words of encouragement and inspiration leave me wondering if it is possible for there to be way to challenge myself, leap into the unknown, take my dream and make it happen, etc. I have found some good success in my first year of business, even gained some wonderful press through some features in publications and more recently, several segments on a local morning show. But what do with that publicity if I am still lacking what the heart of my visual identitiy is? I have the skill and the ability to create amazing tablescapes, but how can potential clients experience that through my website and collateral materials?? I’m sorry to throw question after question but these are answers I’m still grasping for myself. I’m officially tired of using the words…getting there…trying to…soon…one day…2011 is my year to jump, to leap, to plow through the dark days, and come through this with a business that I love and a brand that I’m excited. Emily, if given this opportunity, I know Chic Sweets can create the attraction to get my foot in the door and MAKE IT HAPPEN. Thank you so much Emily & Lara for the chance to go for this!
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I sat at Eventology earlier this spring with table full of amazing wedding professionals with a piece of paper on my back with first impression words from perfect strangers. STYLISH, SASSY, CREATIVE, ADVENTUROUS, SUCCESSFUL, CARES ABOUT CLIENTS….Everything I AM – but MY BRAND IS NOT! Later that afternoon Harmony Walton had my blog in her slideshow, talking about branding – I was first excited but then truly confused and embarrassed – that is not a true reflection of my company-“Get those Maple leaves off that screen!”
I purchased Todd Studios Photography almost 2 years ago, jumped right in feet first. No time for fear and no time for what-if’s, I took the challenge. Needless to say I also took the old logo, Canadian maple leaves and all-put my name on it and changed the color. It’s been one heck of a roller coaster. Now I feel like I am hiding behind an old brand- Todd Studios needs a makeover, a new vision and a better marketing presence in an over photographer populated city. I have giant shoes to fill with owning a 90 year company…but why cant they be fabulous shoes? -
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I have a drive inside of me like no bodies biz! I just need direction. Right now I have an opportunity knocking on my door. But fear is starting to set in. Do I take it, can I handle it? Do I have a solid brand that can handle it? I have a company and a I’ve made a name for myself, but I need more help, I need you two!
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Lara, you talk about getting behind people with wild ideas. Well, I have a wild idea.
I’m a photographer with six years of experience working out of Charleston, S.C. I know who I am, what kind of clients I want, how I want to present myself. I know how much I want to work, how much I can give, and where I want to take my business.
But I can’t build a brand around myself and my photography without including my faith. God is the driving force behind my camera, the heart behind my eye. My testimony and my brand are inextricably linked – I know I’m insane putting that out here, but I’ve got this feeling that it could go somewhere, that He wants it to go somewhere.
My work is different, and God is the reason it is different.
I’m not saying I want to write and photograph and yak with clients only about God, but I do live my life under His grace, and I want to build a brand that leaves room for His story, for others’ stories, and for my story too. I want to make Him stand out, make others stand out, make me stand out – without being annoying or overtly Christian.
I live from my heart, and I believe there are others who want to do that too – Christian and non-Christian. In 2011, I want to build my brand to connect with people like me. I believe I have managed this in my writing, but I need to bring that into my photography as well.
I know I can’t just describe who I am. I need to be who I am – wherever I am. I want to build a brand that I can take anywhere with me, but I’ve taken my brand as far as I can take it on my own.
I would love to have an opportunity to work with you and Emily this year.
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Last year after my mom passed away I realized that I had
very few pictures of us together from when I was a child and it
broke my heart. I decided that in addition to my wedding
photography business I wanted to focus on families. I threw
together a website and this year started shooting a lot more
families, which has been great. In 2011 I plan to focus a lot more
attention on this side of my business to grow it. I could really
use help with my branding. While I feel like I have a clear vision
of what I want to express, when I try and put it all together I
feel completely overwhelmed. I hope to take on many more clients
and share my style of imagery with their families so they always
have pictures to cherish. -
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What great timing, I need this SO BADLY. Its New Years Day. I am RESOLVED to expand BAB into lifestyle as a first priority of the new year, and could desperately use guidance in the brand expansion. We would be eversohonored to have you two amazing ladies be a part of making the next phase of our business happen, since you were so instrumental in our decision to just GO FOR IT and roar in the face of all the uncertainty and indecision that has been staring us down. I am so excited to get started, I feel tingling in my bones about how right this move is, right now. Thanks for the opportunity to apply for this contest, and congrats on such a rad merging of your talents!
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Just a year ago my sister, daughter and I gave birth to Bridal Couture Girls after planning my daughter’s wedding. Our business has grown rapidly in a short time. We are passionate, committed women with BIG dreams. We want to be sure we are on the right track. The best way to do that is to learn from the best of the best!!
We will be featured in the next issue of the Brides of Oklahoma magazine. I’m about to hyperventilate thinking about it. hehe
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What can I say to make this sound so good to have me chosen… First, I have a full time job that does not consist of my passion of photography. I’m a mother of a 9 & 1 year old, which keeps me busy till wee hours of the night. I schedule, shoot & edit any chance I get. This in turn leaves me to sleep only 3- 4 hours a day where I dream of my plan. MY BIG PLAN- To get my business off the ground and running. So No more long hours stuck in traffic at 6 a.m., No more missed school functions to see my 9 year old sing out of tune or skip out on the “1st” time my baby walked. With a little more sleep so the conceler tube is not finished as fast as my coffee every morning. I want this so bad spiritually and emotionally that saving for all the wonderful things in life is really just passing me by… My Big Plan: To get all my ideas put in to place, follow threw and learn from every twist and turn I take so that life can be fulfilled with the “good” passions I crave.
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my 2011 holds so many great ventures for me and my business. many ideas have been in my head for a long time. this is the year for them to happen! i don’t want to limit myself with branding that doesn’t fit. i want a brand that will grow with my business as it continues to unfold. thank you for the inspiration emily + lara!
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I just love that you guys are doing this.. such a great way to kick off 2011. I would absolutely love to sit with you both and talk about my brand. I plan on expanding my business in 2011 into several different entities. I feel like each entity has its own design identity but in the end is a direct reflection of me. So I am having trouble deciding how to pull it all together. I am also toying with the notion of a new name for the company as well which would mean a complete overhaul of my brand. I would love to pick your brains and seek the advice from the best as I make BIG THINGS happen in 2011. Thanks!
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2010 was a year of transition for me, a year of more downs than ups. I am aiming for 2011 to be my year. A year full of progress and positivity. A year where I not only succeed but where my successes can also help guide and encourage those around me.
I know that each day I need to take a solid step in the direction of me, I want every bit of my life to squeal ‘Stacey Doyle is here!’.
Thank you for this opportunity and for continuing to brighten the internet waves with your colorful sharing!! -
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I’ve been wanting to start my business for a few years now, and have just been too afraid to do it! In 2011 I am trying to face that fear and this would be a perfect way to start. Branding is such an important part of business and I know you both would do a fabulous job in helping me to build my brand! Thank you so much for the opportunity to win!
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I don’t remember if I already entered or not but I don’t see my name in the comments! LOL I feel like this giveaway was MEANT for me. I can’t even describe how this would give me a kickstart for 2011. I’ve been feeling really lost with my business. I went to MTH2010 in Watercolor and it really opened my eyes. There is not only so much I WANT to do with my business, but so much I am CAPABLE of doing. I just have to take the first step and jump into the unknown. My ultimate goal is to quite my day job and do photography full time. Not only because I love it, but so that I can also spend more time with the love of my life – 3 month old Knox! (and my husband of course! lol) I have been working with a company since last summer trying to come up with my brand. I’ve already spent quite a deal of money and have been left unfulfilled and unhappy with the outcome. As much as I would LOVE to pay for all new branding, I just can’t afford it right now. So that is why I would be so grateful and blessed to win this contest. I know that only I can figure out who I am, but I would love the opportunity for help with my brand from the talented Emily and Lara.
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I am just starting out in my event Planning business and really would benefit greatly from professional branding..because I am not absolutely sure what my brand should look like at this stage. aka..I need help!!
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I was so excited I forgot my twitter info!!
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This could not be better timing and a perfect way to kick off 2011. I’m overjoyed to find your blog, Tumblr and Making Things Happen – it’s exactly the kind of inspiration I’ve been needing. As for this contest and branding I’ve had “build my brand” on my to-do list for months and just haven’t committed but I’m more than ready to do it. I’ve been blogging for over a year now and along with wedding planning it’s become my passion. I just haven’t had the time or money to get it done and revamp my blog look and brand myself. But it’s a goal of mine for 2011 and I couldn’t think of a better team to help me spark that fire. Thank you for offering such an amazing gift and opportunity!
And thanks for offering so much inspiration to others that are looking to do big things! -
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I have been putting things off for far too long. Partly because, like Holly, I too am afraid. “A year from now you will wish you had started today,” I love that! I need plenty of help filling in the missing links. I want to get my photography site started and I believe this could be a huge step in the right direction for eventually having a full-on photography business.
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Lara & Emily – I feel like we’re long lost friends and am so excited to have met you! I don’t want to lose the momentum achieved during MTH2010 Phoenix. I am journaling every day, using the tools and resources learned in MTH and I don’t want to stop! I have all these amazing ideas swirling around in my head and need assistance in wrangling them to a feasible project plan to build upon. Collaboration is the game and Heather is my name! I’m ready for the next phase and hope we can work together even more!
Best!!
Heather -
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I want this because I’ve established a solid brand name and identity thanks to my background advertising and marketing and my constant strive to push branding and social media boundaries. What I want to make happen in 2011 is to further branch out my brand, regionally and nationally, roll out some collateral and overhaul some internal and external documentation. A mini-sess would be perfect for my decently established brand.
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Last year I started a photography business and had no idea what I was really doing on the business side of things. This year I am a bit more knowledgeable and know that branding is a HUGE part of building a successful business. In 2011 I want to make my business a successful one! Last year I was afraid to put myself out there and like nike says “JUST DO IT” This year I want to be different. I know that making myself vulnerable and open to rejection is a scary thing, but in the end it will pay off. If I believe in myself others will too! I would love to win this mini branding package because it would help me get closer to achieving my goal for 2011! I am ready to take a leap of faith and this will help me get to where I want to be.
Natalie -
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I have a relatively new business making handmade jewelry and accessories. I think this would be extremely helpful in kick starting my brand for 2011. I am by no means an expert on marketing, advertising, technically aspects, so I will take any help I can get. I feel very passionate about my business and truly would like to work hard in 2011 to make it my main focus. Eventually, I would like to open up my own shop. I would love the opporunities to work with you wonderful ladies. Happy New Year!
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I would love to win this opportunity to create an ethical branding of my dress boutique for little girls (2-6 years). This would help my business go to the next level. Thanks so much for organising this giveaway. Ipshita xx
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Here at The Bride’s Lounge, we know that the best is yet to come, and we want it to be packaged exquisitely! Our goal, for not only the New Year, but for all years to come, is to revolutionize the New Orleans wedding scene by providing every bride, regardless of her budget, the wedding that she wants and deserves by supplying her with complimentary and essential planning resources. In revamping our look, we hope to stick with our philosophy of “nothing borrowed, never too blue, elegantly old, but refreshingly new.”
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I want the mini Making Brands Happen package because it will give a cohesive identity to the Royal Events by Melissa brand and the value I bring to my clients. It will allow me to have a design that will bring life to the company culture and lifestyle. Having a mini Making Brands Happen package will help instill confidence and trust in prospects and the clients I serve because of a consistent branding image being displayed.
I am determined to take my business from the unknown to the most buzzed about social event planner in 2011 in the Greater Indianapolis area. Royal Events by Melissa will create a lifestyle and brand that will serve a specific niche. I will grow my brand by being a source of knowledge for intimate social events and sharing my knowledge through multiple forms of media. I am tired of having fear of failure and that what I do may not be perfect hold me back. I am committed to moving forward past my fears, building a support group, accomplishing my goals, and growing my business. I choose to make it happen in 2011 both personally and professionally with Royal Events by Melissa.
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I design logos and identities for others but when it comes to revamping my logo and brand, I am the hardest customer!! I need this because I believe 2011 is the year of fresh beginnings! Would be thrilled if I won!
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Lara and Emily,
This giveaway is so huge for one lucky photographer! Thank you for offering it, and thank you for doing what you do. I so admire you both! My business is now 2 years old and I know how critical this time is. So many things hold me back (money, fear, resources) but I have so much more pushing me in the right direction. 2011 is going to be my year! Starting the year with an expert leading the way would change everything. My business and my brand need you!
Thank you again, this is such a blessing!
Callie Vershum
Callie V Photography, Minneapolis, MN -
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I started my photography business two months ago and in my haste to get it up and running and due to my small budget I did not pay enough attention to my brand and the impact that it has on my business. My brand is confusing and doesn’t ‘feel’ like me or make my heart sing. 2011 is the year that I realise and live to my full potential, both in my business and personal life. For the first time in my life I am going to believe in me and have and have trust and confidence in my ability. I never enter giveaways but this one spoke to me! I have changed my ways in 2011 and remembered my new motto that I have borrowed…….she believed she could so she did!
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sounds like a plan!
is this booked already?