So here’s the thing, I think that it is often a huge misconception that brand designers are suddenly there and ‘making it.’ We’re misconstrued as having all of the tools and we ‘should’ be booked out with our services right away… because we have what it takes, right?

Just like you (or like you were) I too got my branding wrong in the first instance. I wanted to take clients to the next level and to be booking high-end clients but something wasn’t fitting and I was attracting all of the big no-no’s.

It brought me down … along with my confidence too.

I just didn’t know where to go, who to turn to and I was in dire need of some help. I kept thinking to myself that I should know what to do (little did I know that it was staring me right in my face!)

I went back to basics and I started re-visiting my ideal client. I got to know them on a personal level, I conducted market research and I started to realise what services I needed to be offering these potential clients. This helped me to realise that I needed more than one service and offering, one size doesn’t fit all. Especially in branding.

I then started to illustrate. . . was I confident that it would work? Absolutely not! To put myself out there when I’d never fully believed in myself felt uncomfortable and I was SO worried what other incredibly talented designers would think. But, I began to get amazing feedback and I quickly began to realise that this was my USP. My illustrations were setting me apart from other designers and I was beginning to attract my dream clients.

I also realised that the wedding industry was 100% where I needed to be and I needed to trust my gut with everything that I could potentially bring to the table.

What else did I do?

I began to up-level my services and I made them unique. I wanted them to be true to me but also true to what my ideal clients wanted.

I also went all out with my branded stationery; including welcome packs, thank you cards and brochures. I created a luxury experience and one that I wanted to become memorable… because being memorable means that you’ll also more often than not get referrals and recommendations.

Finally, I worked on my self-esteem and I began to network with other professionals within the wedding industry. I got over my fear of ‘speaking out’ and I started to make friends (and affiliates!)

I hope that this blog helps you to realise that we all start somewhere and just because someone appears to be immediately successful, there is never one overnight success.

If something isn’t working, change it and try again. That’s how I went from zero to fully booked. You can too!