Marketing & Mayhem
Logos, Limitless Women & Kim Russo with On Brand Designs
We have KIM RUSSO - from On Brand Designs joining us today - and y’all are in for a treat. We accidentally tried to poison her to kick it off - next time we’re talking allergies before we chose a restaurant (we didn’t know)! She’s got the best sense of humor - and she’s a brilliant entrepreneur … but she also got right into the weeds with us about her personal life, mentality and philosophy - you know that’s our love language.
You might not know - you can’t trademark a logo design you’ve built in canva (without some Olympic efforts). Ever considered the impact AI could have on branding - positive and negative? There’s the potential for the same issue - but on a larger scale … you’re listening now, right?! Unlock the art of building a strong brand identity from a seasoned packaging design professional who’s shaped the visuals of household names like Tide, Gillette, and Kleenex.
Our conversation ranges from minimalist design, color psychology, and the strategy behind memorable logos - but it’s more than business. She opens up about the challenges of transitioning from a corporate environment to her personal business endeavors, and even how a past relationship deeply impacted how she does business. It comes as no surprise - but the impact of a supportive spouse or partner can greatly impact your ability to succeed.
How does owning a business impact your mindset? Hint - she does it with a desk Calendar that’s still set to July 2023. Somewhere between pet portraits - and prioritizing beach time - she delivers a must-listen for anyone struggling with perfectionism or finding their personal brand voice. Kim shares her strategies and mindset tactics on everything from design to how you show up in a design community as a competitor.
She also gives us another personality analysis tool - the human design. From analyzing work habits, to eating habits. Kim enlightens us on life as a “manifesting generator” - and it comes as no shock that her qualities include lighting up a room, inspiring through energy, goal setting and ambition - and ultimately driving achievement in themselves and those around her. You know what they say - you are deeply impacted by the friends and the circle you keep!
“Raise your vibrations - have positive energy - and be in gratitude. And it is not easy.”
- Kim Russo (on being a successful entrepreneur)
You can find Kim :
Instagram @on_brand_designs
https://onbranddesigns.com/
And her course - The Brand Designer
(and freebies for creatives)
https://onbranddesigns.com/for-designers
For more mayhem, be sure to follow us:
Insta @marketingandmayhem
YouTube @MarketingMayhemPod
And don't forget to leave us a 5 star review! Or message us to deep dive into your topic or just give us feedback!
Hosted by @raebecca.miller and @jennyfromthe843
We have KIM RUSSO - from On Brand Designs joining us today - and y’all are in for a treat. We accidentally tried to poison her to kick it off - next time we’re talking allergies before we chose a restaurant (we didn’t know)! She’s got the best sense of humor - and she’s a brilliant entrepreneur … but she also got right into the weeds with us about her personal life, mentality and philosophy - you know that’s our love language.
You might not know - you can’t trademark a logo design you’ve built in canva (without some Olympic efforts). Ever considered the impact AI could have on branding - positive and negative? There’s the potential for the same issue - but on a larger scale … you’re listening now, right?! Unlock the art of building a strong brand identity from a seasoned packaging design professional who’s shaped the visuals of household names like Tide, Gillette, and Kleenex.
Our conversation ranges from minimalist design, color psychology, and the strategy behind memorable logos - but it’s more than business. She opens up about the challenges of transitioning from a corporate environment to her personal business endeavors, and even how a past relationship deeply impacted how she does business. It comes as no surprise - but the impact of a supportive spouse or partner can greatly impact your ability to succeed.
How does owning a business impact your mindset? Hint - she does it with a desk Calendar that’s still set to July 2023. Somewhere between pet portraits - and prioritizing beach time - she delivers a must-listen for anyone struggling with perfectionism or finding their personal brand voice. Kim shares her strategies and mindset tactics on everything from design to how you show up in a design community as a competitor.
She also gives us another personality analysis tool - the human design. From analyzing work habits, to eating habits. Kim enlightens us on life as a “manifesting generator” - and it comes as no shock that her qualities include lighting up a room, inspiring through energy, goal setting and ambition - and ultimately driving achievement in themselves and those around her. You know what they say - you are deeply impacted by the friends and the circle you keep!
“Raise your vibrations - have positive energy - and be in gratitude. And it is not easy.”
- Kim Russo (on being a successful entrepreneur)
You can find Kim :
Instagram @on_brand_designs
https://onbranddesigns.com/
And her course - The Brand Designer
(and freebies for creatives)
https://onbranddesigns.com/for-designers
For more mayhem, be sure to follow us:
Insta @marketingandmayhem
YouTube @MarketingMayhemPod
And don't forget to leave us a 5 star review! Or message us to deep dive into your topic or just give us feedback!
Hosted by @raebecca.miller and @jennyfromthe843
Hey guys, hi, hey, hey, guess, what? There's a third. Hey, there's a third, hey. We are live. Hey, we are live. We're back in 204. The dog is obsessed with Jenny, so I know she's so much louder when you're here. I think she said a big day. It's my energy, is it? You have like major big dog energy. But we have a guest. We have Kim Russo from On Brand Designs with us, so we're so excited. We just had dinner. Yes, it, bon bon me it was delicious.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we tried somewhere new. I killed the fun with being allergic to everything.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, listen, I don't think you you can't first of all, you can't kill fun when it's just part of who you are. We didn know you were allergic but we figured we had a great time. We had a great time but we definitely would not have taken you there, have we known?
Speaker 2:you were allergic.
Speaker 1:I feel like maybe you thought about me with sesame oil. It was like a little bit of an oversight on our part.
Speaker 2:I'm a foreign people, pleaser, so y'all suggested it.
Speaker 1:Oh shoot you were gonna go to somewhere else, but then we figured out they were closed on monday we got in the car. Like god, we're such assholes from my.
Speaker 2:No, we did. We got in the car. Like God, we're such assholes from my car. No, we didn't. We got in the car. I was like what I was with the menu? I was like I can make it work. I'll just let them know.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, we would have.
Speaker 2:she would have gotten, a rash to make sure that we were happy with our food choice. Inappropriate, unnecessary roughness. Yellow flag no no, no, no, I like to look tan.
Speaker 1:I would look red, but you do have a really good tan, you do. I was what I was like, looking at you during dinner and I was like how is this possible?
Speaker 2:I'm a beach and pool and bow person by trade but we just came out of debbie we did um. I did go to sullivan's uh saturday, but I did spend two weeks at edisto for vacation yeah, why did you do it like that, like what? Because I worked workaholic people pleaser all the things um, and I'm like restless adhd and you can't.
Speaker 1:I relate to this you're in great company, great company.
Speaker 2:So, but I did spend three hours on the beach or more every day for two weeks straight.
Speaker 1:That's all I need. I feel like a full cup, for some people is like day after day of like stopping, but I can really appreciate a good two hours. Yeah, that's like my dream life.
Speaker 2:Get up, work out, work a little bit, then go sit on the beach. I mean, I did work on the beach too. I brought my iPad down.
Speaker 1:Or I painted. I did a couple of watercolor paintings.
Speaker 2:I did a pet portrait that, because I'm a workaholic and obsessed with doing things, I recorded myself to make a course of me painting the pet portrait. I love that. I can barely draw a stick man. So well, my course that I'm going to do one day in the near future, probably not for five years.
Speaker 1:It doesn't matter, I have the content You're manifesting it Three years but it does.
Speaker 2:It's like so simple the way that I do it, because I basically cut out like the picture and trace it, and that's how I capture the eyes and everything. Really good, stay tuned, I'll pull it up and show you guys I love painting.
Speaker 1:I'm like a big fan.
Speaker 2:I called it a spot of paint by Kim.
Speaker 1:It's on Etsy I love that, I love you.
Speaker 2:I actually almost won an award for it at the American Marketing Association awards that are actually coming up, so it was a runner up for best logo. But another logo of mine won Stop.
Speaker 1:So you beat yourself, you defeated yourself. Congratulations. So you beat yourself, you defeated yourself. Congratulations.
Speaker 2:It was like a paw print around, like a paint palette. I'm like, yeah, it's cute.
Speaker 1:I love that there's something about like being so good at your job that you're competitive with yourself and you're like oh, I love that I was like well, I'm pretty sure I'm going to win this category.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, I love that.
Speaker 1:So, speaking of your job, tell us about what you do and who you are.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I own a branding agency specializing in brand strategy, logo development and design brand kits, all the things, and then I also do websites. Packaging design is where I got my start in New York City doing so. I still have a passion for packaging design. Tell us what that is so like creating the line label. So some big accounts that I had were Tide, gillette, tuggies, diapers, kleenex, milkbone. So I'd go into the grocery store and I'd see, like the packaging that I worked on, it's amazing.
Speaker 1:That's badass.
Speaker 2:It was fun. It's just not a lot of control over it Like I would do like the back label or I would do the photo behind it and there were so many moving parts and people and it was fun and it was really cool to go on like a Duane Reade. I did their whole rollout.
Speaker 2:I guess now it's like 20 years ago, or 15 years ago, they redesigned all the stores in New York so I was lead on all of the signage. Oh, wow. So that was cool, like go up the escalator and see the sign that I actually like measured out and did that's amazing.
Speaker 2:So that was a lot of fun. So your degree were you marketing graphic design, like packaging design. So I'm also super competitive and when I was in school the FIT in New York they have undergrad is for associates they had communications design, graphic design, and I think that was it, and then that was just for two years. You had to reapply to get into your bachelor's. So they had advertising, graphic design and packaging design. Well, advertising, I realized, wasn't really like, like visually creative. It was like conceptual taglines and things. Yeah, which is not me. Um, then there was graphic design, which everybody was in like, yeah, totally saturated, and then packaging was the only bachelor's program in the country and they only accepted like 20 something students. Oh, so I was like, well, I need to do this. So, yes, I did two years of packaging design and then came out of school and worked for my internship for about five years and so I worked in corporate for over 10 years doing packaging so cool.
Speaker 1:And then you how long have you had your own business?
Speaker 2:how long it'll be. Six years at the end of this month, wow, which is bonkers. But the first two years I kind of I do consider it, but at the same time kind of had this like freelancer mindset, because all through my career and working in a print shop for five years, I was kind of used to taking almost like side hustle mentality, and so all of my clients I brought with me were freelance clients from forever ago, and so I didn't know how to market myself. I didn't know how to even though I did marketing design, and so it took me a while to like really be a functioning business with a team and all the things I feel like that's like I have such a hard time finding my own voice for some things, but, like when I look at somebody's brand or their concept, it's so clear A hundred percent.
Speaker 1:Weirdest thing, like, because I'm a very self-aware person, but as far as, like, with that marketing mindset, I have a hard time applying that, I agree. Like I feel like it's like you're harder on your own stuff, especially in marketing Cause it's like you know everybody is looking at you and you can't mess it up because you're a marketer, but then you just go in so many like spirals and paralysis analysis, yeah, and design too for myself, like I design all my own things but I get so stuck on it because it is for myself, but other people and clients I am.
Speaker 2:Why is that? I think it's pressure to be a perfectionist and I think that's what comes from it. It's like and you know, when you hire somebody else to do it, you're going to I mean, yes, I'm a professional, but you're going to somebody else, and so there's like that collaborative experience together. When you do something for yourself, it's almost even if you can ask for opinions there's so much more pressure on yourself to have it right. And, you know, not necessarily having multiple people giving you feedback.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I have a hard time getting like nestled into that like same focus. So, yeah, I have a hard time getting like nestled into that like same focus, because I'm like what about this, what about this, what about this? What?
Speaker 2:about this. I'm like I just look at my computer.
Speaker 1:I'm like I don't know where to start your social media is like you know, because once you put it out there, it's like you know, people are judging your marketing company from that, and so you just sit there, it's like you pick it today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, my biggest pet peeve. So I have a course to teach other designers how to build a profitable design business, um called the profitable brand designer but, we need to link that um.
Speaker 2:So in the like, the first part is mindset, because that's a big, big, big part of business any business. But because this is geared towards creatives, I walk them through my strategy process to build their own brand. Because my biggest pet peeve and it's so hard when I'm coaching students when their designs are not good, because how can you sell something that you do if you're not representing yourself well. So if your website looks hideous, if your logo is dated and doesn't make sense, then why would somebody hire you to design their logo, create their website, all the things? And that is like my number one don't even bother building a business until you have that correct.
Speaker 2:So who is this course designed for? Mostly creatives, but honestly, I've had like I've had some finance. People take it because it gives you just the fundamentals, like everybody needs to know how to build a business. But in there I'm giving you also strategy to build your brand. So it's those that want to not really fully invest into branding but want to understand. But I also go into talking about your different systems and processes that I've learned that work for me and kind of like, make it simplified as much as possible and then all the way up until talking about networking and getting visible and being on podcasts. So, yeah, it's a. It's kind of like an evolution of how to get there, because it's not a quick like I'm just going to start a business and be profitable. There's so many things that go into it. You are telling us, you are telling us.
Speaker 1:So what are you seeing? You do this everywhere for a bunch of different industries. What are you seeing are like the trends and branding right now Simple, simple.
Speaker 2:But conceptual, okay, so something that's going to give you some longevity too. Unfortunately, a huge trend that is happening is canva and ai logos, and it makes my skin grow but I also okay, so I read this thing.
Speaker 1:So you need to put it to bed if it's true. But you can't. You can't trademark a canva logo I have and people don't understand that. You just posted that you can't do this like you. So if you're going there to build it, you're already in big trouble. If you want to grow and, like, monetize that business in a big way, because that you can't keep, that it's not just yours, you can't. So no matter how, beautiful it is.
Speaker 2:I, yeah. That's why it makes my skin crawls Like I think, canvas Great kits for clients on there so that they can create social graphics and presentations. We can make sure they stay in the lanes. Yeah, brand guidelines, colors, fonts You're right where you need to be, but don't start your brand in there.
Speaker 2:Now what I do sometimes for clients that I know they're going to be using Canva heavily I'll either upload a custom font or make sure that I'm picking a font that's within the Canva library and I'll create it. I'll customize it and tweak it a little bit. So when I tell people, when they're DIYing it, and they can't afford you because I mean, that's reality, they're people who started a business and they have no money Okay, build a logo in Canva, but don't use any of their clip art, any of their graphics. Just use their font and bring in a graphic that you're going to manipulate outside, if you're going to do an icon. But I say, keep it as simple as possible if you have to do it yourself, because once you start to pull things, it's going to get messy and you're going to change it eventually and hire somebody to change it.
Speaker 1:um, and then you're going to start back at the beginning, which is the whole thing why you're saying your skin crawls because you have to go back to the beginning and it's a way to start over with your marketing, all of your like brand, like anyone's awareness of your brand, you have to go back to the beginning yeah.
Speaker 2:So this one girl approached or she actually put her on the local facebook groups. She was opening a hair salon. It was like on tuesday and she had to have she's having her own lunch party my gremlin guys, my 11 year old gremlin.
Speaker 1:You know how she is if we have a guest. She doesn't like canva either she's like over it she's heard enough about canva. She's mad we're not using it. She's kind of like a t-rex she's literally like in here, like staring at me, like you did not just interrupt me so my fault?
Speaker 2:okay, wait, but no, I like canva, just not to create your logo. So she came to me and she was like listen, I gotta cease and desist from somebody. I don't know if I'm saying that right.
Speaker 1:It's really hard to say that word, yeah.
Speaker 2:Cease and desist because she used a graphic from the clip art from Canva and the owner of it was like you can't use this for your logo, so now she's frantically trying to find somebody to make something look similar, not the same which you can do, you can do like it was like bullhorns.
Speaker 2:You could take that and just redraw it from a different photo and it'd be almost like the same. Yeah, but it's original um. So she had no time to do it and I know I didn't end up doing it because she, you know, she wanted it rushed and even at my low fee that I was gonna charge her she couldn't even afford that. So I don't know what she ended up doing, but it put her in stress and it put her in a situation where she had to throw out any signage and things that she already had. Yeah, so when you're trying to save money, you end up not in the long run. And then the same thing with ai. So you can get a cool concept, but it might just like how words come out in chat gpt and all that stuff. You might have them if you put in the same prompt.
Speaker 1:It could do the same logo for somebody else, yeah so I had a client a long time ago who it's a medical transport company anyways, like it's not local, anything like that, but they had their logo. Of course is like something medical, so there was a cross in it and there was a heart and apparently the american red cross is like the. It's the one that they use when you are talking about like trademark registration in college as attorneys. Like that is the example they use as the one that, like, people tend to accidentally copy but like you cannot get away with it. So they got a cease and desist from like because that is the most recognizable low has somehow been branded one of the most recognizable logos, so that's the example that they use in collegiate courses all over the country. And so when they went to go get attorneys about the cease and desist, they're like unfortunately, this is like actually the. This is the little.
Speaker 1:Mecca of yeah, yeah. Like in school. This was the one that they gave us as the example of like how this happened so often. You're never going to beat these guys because they have it so locked down, so does every business owner need to like? Trademark your logo?
Speaker 2:no, it depends on what type of business you have, how big you intend to go with it. If it's a product, 100, okay 100. You need a product because you are putting that out more to the masses and consumers are buying it.
Speaker 1:That makes sense.
Speaker 2:If it's a service, it's good, but it's not necessarily necessary Okay.
Speaker 1:I know I've tried to. Yeah, I know I've tried to.
Speaker 2:So on-brand is very. There's other on-brands and designs is an ancillary word. So I can't trademark it with designs. Or even if I change it to marketing, they would be looking at that main word. But I have checked and I'll check back again. It's the person who has a trademark is in New York. I'm here in Charleston, they're marketing design. It's slightly different and the chances of them really coming after me isn't like a huge deal.
Speaker 2:And yes, I've built up this level of credibility and I'm going to six years, but because that word is a little bit different like they're not going to come after me, I'm not taking their business, but products I'd say like doctors, dentists, you know things of that that's not just designed Like more yeah, yeah, hundreds of lawyers will tell you to do it, because it is really, it is really important. And you could see some of this now in the case of this girl with canva. I mean, that's because she uses graphic and it's just kind of a no-brainer she pulled it straight off of yeah, okay, um, but as long as you're now you know, I always do a search too.
Speaker 2:You don't want to have like two estheticians with the same exact name in the same town.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the 10 mile radius.
Speaker 2:Just do your research. Yep, okay, yeah, that's, my biggest thing is just do your research and just make sure it's different enough and you're like states away, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:So what do you think makes a brand unforgettable?
Speaker 2:Oh, Huh, a thought provoker. Yeah, that is a good one.
Speaker 1:I heard this story the last time. I don't know if you know this. Do you know the story about the Nike logo?
Speaker 2:No, but I have seen the documentary, or not documentary the movie on it A year, yeah um.
Speaker 1:No, but I have seen the documentary, so or not documented the movie on it, so yeah so the girl that created it was a student at portland, portland state and they paid her 35 dollars to create that logo. And now it's like. So when you kept talking about like simple, I was like this is going hand in hand so well with like that conversation, because we were. I love a minimalist design. Like your eye has to understand it, your brain needs to recognize it like it could be whatever it is. But people get so caught up in these deep concepts and I'm like we have gone into the weeds, like no one even knows what we're delivering. And then I think about like she was a kid yeah, literally a kid. They ended up giving her like shares in their stockholder, like situation. Later it's like a thank you, but they paid her 35 to make that logo?
Speaker 2:yeah, I mean. So wait, what was the question again? What makes a brand unforgettable? Unforgettable? Okay, yeah, so it's leaving a mark. It's the emotion that comes from it too, I love the emotion, so it's somebody who, like, can visualize it, think about it and know exactly what it is and they look at it, recognition, love it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love when you can get that early in a brand too, like I think the best logos tell you very quickly what you can expect from them. I'm just like, how do you? A lot of people feel like when you're creative versus when you're a traditional business owner? You don't necessarily understand that those are both important.
Speaker 2:There's a whole strategy with it. So the part that I saw the shift the most in my business when I was in that freelancer mindset, I was just getting clients going ahead straight into designing the logo and just based off of a few things, they told me that's it. But now that, and adding more value to the brand and also charging a lot more than I used to. I don't just go into a logo like there's a whole process before to understand who the audience is, the color, the psychology around the color of it, like yeah, it's, I start to nerd out over it and it's things I never did before but like totally impacts the results of the logo and can make the logo so simple and so easy. So, honestly, now that I've set up this strategy process, so I offer four, four or five options of logos just for, like variety. Almost always my first option is the one that gets chosen because Do you set?
Speaker 1:it up that way too. So your your first is your favorite also, Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, interesting, and it's like then I get myself I'm gonna just waste all this time. I know you're like okay, but they have to to like give that right, I'll just do vip days where we just do one together, because we're doing all the strategy together, we're coming up with the design together, so there's no need to like over complicate it and do all these things. Yeah, right, but mostly the first one is like pretty much spot on the one, okay.
Speaker 1:So, speaking of color strategy, or, like color theory, like, right now, colors you're obsessed with, we'll always deal do you is it. I had the weirdest feeling that it was gonna be deal for you. My oldest is obsessed with teal but I kept like when you were talking about, I'm like just feel like, because obviously we're hot pink.
Speaker 2:So I'm like, yeah, so OK, that's a big thing that I always consider too. So a lot of the brands I work with is small business, yep. So personal brand to me is super important because, although you want to appeal to your audience and all the people and all the things, yeah, if you're a small business and you're the face of your business, that there should be a level of your personal brand involved and you want to show up confidently and excited to where your branding carrier comes like, have your color and totally represented. And so, like mine's teal, although I don't look good in teal, I don't wear it. I don't believe that.
Speaker 1:I don't believe that at all Teal is not like tan, we're not like I, just I, I like. We're not like I, just I, I like black a lot so fun fact any meeting that we go to, we wear our brain colors yes, yeah, every meeting it's either pink or black.
Speaker 2:We're in it every time you want to own it and feel confident in it I mean, black is one of ours, so that works out really well. Yeah, I was like well, I wouldn't have done yellow and like only when I'm tan. I can blow, but I wouldn't want, like my whole Instagram feed, to be teal or yellow, like no um how about like your own logo to come up?
Speaker 2:with. Uh, it wasn't too hard. I think this was. It was like the fourth or fifth city, like ideation of it. Um, I just I started to do the mood board on myself and a lot of it was ocean and I wanted to move towards the ocean and yeah, um, you know, that's kind of and I've always loved teal and so that ob that I created it has like a wave thing in it and so, yeah, it was pretty quick and then I just kept it simple. I just did a font.
Speaker 1:But you have like merch and everything on your website. Yep, well, and you're lucky for it too, because it's, it's become a saying. I mean very on brand, I mean Beck, and I say at least 30 times a week About even personality characters yeah.
Speaker 2:Or like people we work with, I think I was pumping gas when I came up with the name.
Speaker 1:I, I was humping gas when I came up with the name. I was washing my hair when I got Gritty Gal, seriously. And then I met with one True story. And then I met with one girl I'll never forget this and she's actually local here in Charleston and I threw out the name to her and she said well, I think that is kind of offensive to women. And I was like gal, we're yeah, and I was like no, I think it's what's her name?
Speaker 2:karen?
Speaker 1:I don't know, I don't know what her name was, but I was done with that. I got it, but she actually normally the literal one people can say anything like like we were joking like sorry, I was completely I was like gal is like a term like endearment to me, like I don't this is when you sort. I started talking Cause you actually were mortally offended at this.
Speaker 2:I was pissed. I was like, well, it's like your, it's your baby, it's like and it came when I was washing my hair.
Speaker 1:Cause that's also like so I have a question about this, cause we talk about this a lot We've.
Speaker 2:Because we talk about this a lot, we've had client experiences where this has come up but like there's a part where like you can see the vision for somebody, but sometimes the client is really married to a different vision. They don't go my portfolio, okay, okay. I was like there's no, I was, we've done a very good job sort of like going through that and like really vetting people.
Speaker 1:But there still is a part where you're like I wouldn't have picked that. I was like there's no way she's getting away with none of this. I need to know what she does. I love that answer.
Speaker 2:It does. It doesn't happen a lot, and I think you know now that. I've had, I've definitely gotten to the point where I can come with a little bit more authority. I think now that I have a, it's more positions of business. I have a team, the years of experience, I can kind of guide them. But there are things at the end of the day that I'm like, oh no, like because I do allow people A little bit of a soul crush.
Speaker 2:You're like we feel that, and I just make it as best as possible Because, at the end of the day, too, I want it to be impactful, because their results are my results.
Speaker 1:Of course. There's a little gut-wrenching though.
Speaker 2:The ones that won't let me like, because I do a lot of like brand updates, yeah. And so the ones that are so attached to their old logos or branding. And I always try to keep a part of it because I think when you're rebranding you should keep on to if it's a color or a style or something that's you're not completely like losing all that credibility, yeah, but freshening up, because a lot of people are like want new offers, new audience, all that stuff. So you do need to sometimes, um, kind of refresh here and there, but keep something that shows you that it's still the brand.
Speaker 2:But there are people that will be so attached to their brand. They know they have to do an up level, but those are the really hard ones to get them to change. And my recommendation to them, when I try to like you know sensitive but you I try to tell them like, okay, there's usually a story behind that logo and that's why they're attached to it and so, like the kids made it or their father, who's no longer around, or something like that, there's some sort of deeply personal meaning. So I tell them let's make some pillows and frame it and do things to honor it, but keep it there. And then, if you want to progress your business, let's start fresh.
Speaker 1:I love that. Do you get a lot of companies that like to rebrand?
Speaker 2:Yes, that's mostly what I try to target too, just because I'm at a different level of like, where I am with the business and I'm trying to attract hiring clients and usually they have to already be in business and so it's either a new offer, or they need to rebrand because they're kind of stagnant in their business or they're feeling, you know, like they're not reaching the right audience, or they're just embarrassed or bored by it.
Speaker 1:What were you in? Your niche changes a little bit like. I mean, I think we're coming up in a year and our, our sets changed a little bit just over the year yeah, because you learn.
Speaker 2:I mean now I'm trying to target towards really only doing like brands in a week and focusing more, because I do feel like I'm better when I do the VIP experiences or can focus on one brand, because otherwise I'm forced to be like I'm naturally ABD and like all over the place, but I'm even forced now, when I take on too much of at once, to be multitasking, and so I'm really trying to focus in on that higher paying client that's going to work with me for a week and we really are intensive about their brand.
Speaker 1:That's probably so from a client's perspective, I can't imagine anything more like like an intensive for a week. I'm so sorry about the dog.
Speaker 2:I mean she's over here like dancing what is she licking? It could be anything.
Speaker 1:She is really old and we're still, on this whole, like we have a roof leak in the apartment. We're doing all the things and she's out to lunch. You know, like she's blind, she's deaf. Oh and Bless her, and bless her. 100 million years old, she's like what? Almost every time Jenny sleeps over she's like we should probably just euthanize the dog. I don't say that, I did not use that word.
Speaker 2:I don't think she's doing well.
Speaker 1:Have you thought about putting her down? Oh, she looks like she's got a.
Speaker 2:I had to pull her up the stairs. I had to pull her up the stairs.
Speaker 1:I had to pull her up the stairs when we were outside and we had like, just done like the dirty dancing, and she's like he's not about putting her down. I was like what about quality of life around here? I was like she's literally living her best life. Okay, but as a client.
Speaker 2:She does go get a pet portrait oh my god, can you please?
Speaker 1:I love this friend bindi, come on, you got this, uh. But I feel like, as a brand owner, like a one week intensive instead of this, like gosh I. So. I'm also very adhd and I can be really chaotic. I do very well when I have focused time blocks. Yeah, if I know that I'm going to give something that much focus for a week but I'm going to walk away with the prize at the end, I can do a really good job dedicating that amount of time. I can't stand the back forth, back forth, back forth email. For me that just doesn't feel good. It feels disconnected and chaotic. Then I got gotta like re get my feet wet, warm up the bathtub, get back in okay, yeah, so this is a real.
Speaker 2:It's quite. It's quiet time editing. That's why I do the best work at night right now is because they're during the day. It's like calls, meetings, team meeting me. Like I can't. I can do little creative projects, but I can't work on like a website that I need a block of like a good three hours with nobody calling me, nobody asking for anything like none of that. There's the minute I'm interrupted.
Speaker 1:I I don't necessarily manage that well, like I don't, I have to otherwise at in my adhd. I really can't like go back. I can't get back to the place I was supposed to be and as a creative person that's super frustrating because I'm like, but I just had it. Yeah, like it was. Like you know, I watched my daughter get her back handspring in her area right now. I'm like, but then it's like oh my gosh, if we were just here for half an hour more you probably could have had it.
Speaker 1:You were like right there, but then you have to do the whole school day and hit the reset button, go through the whole warm-up and it sucks, and I definitely feel that in the creative process. Yeah, it's my goal.
Speaker 2:So I've started out slow with the vip days and those have worked because I can get a whole brand package kit done, logo and everything in two four-hour sessions, or sometimes even one four-hour sessions because it's so concentrated yeah, so you silence everything else.
Speaker 2:Yep, so that team emails go out and it's blocked off like a couple weeks in advance. Um team knows emails go out, I have my automation off or my reply email letting people know and my phone goes off and it's like permission to do that because I'm also getting paid more to do that yeah, uh, but because other times there's no like, it's just chaos.
Speaker 1:What happens when you're like in as a creative person, where you have set aside that time but like walking into it. You're not in as a creative person where you have set aside that time but, like walking into it, you're not necessarily as dialed in as you want to be. Does that happen, or do you get so excited about getting up to that time that you're good?
Speaker 2:I get so excited so I'm good, but I also do pre-work to make sure that I'm also ready for it okay, so I've got all the things open that are supposed to be on my computer. I do anything if I feel like, because it is a lot of on the spot pressure. Yeah, it is, um, and I did a lot of watching you do it. Yeah, I did a lot of practice, ones that I did for either really discounted or free, to make sure that I could do that. And when I could and it was actually more successful than you know, doing four or five options it that that gave me the confidence to do it. It also has to be the right person. So I've done some with people who are.
Speaker 2:The reason why I say rebrands are better is because somebody that's just brand new to business entirely, if somebody's familiar with business, it's fine, but somebody who is like corporate just out of it wants to start their own business, it's not really for them because they're second guessing themselves too much and they're not as decisive. And so it reflects on me and I am such a feeler Like that's my energy thing, and so I take that in, and so if they're losing confidence, I start to lose confidence. Yeah, and that's when it goes south. So I've learned a lot from them, which is great. So I know who not to, who it's not for and who it is for yeah, so it's somebody who understands their brand themselves and I'm like their vessel to create.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, though with the indecisive you have very interesting traits that are very much Jenny, as like the feeler and like very much me as like the night owl thing. That is not me. No, no, no, I know she kicks me like I'm like Becca after 9,. I'm done, I'm in bed, my phone's on sleep.
Speaker 2:But at like 6.40, she's like so I'm going to be out there. Yes, you're asleep by night. I'm like at 12 o'clock I'm starting to get geared up.
Speaker 1:Yes, If you ever need, if you ever like God.
Speaker 2:I just wish ask somebody this random question and it's like 1 40, I'm your girl, but like 12 o'clock is like when we're like okay, and every day we're like we need to start going to bed earlier no, it's not for me, but you have to accept it. It's part of the human design, it is? No, we didn't have it.
Speaker 1:So jenny would be like hey, so I'm up, but we're just gonna be out there when you're ready, okay 8, 50, not she's like.
Speaker 1:I just woke up I'll hit you back a little bit. I'm ready, okay. She's like I just woke up a little bit. Okay. I'm like geez. I have a friend, summer, who we went to Lake Norman and the very last day she's in my bed. We just laughed about this this morning and she was like hey, what time is it? And she's like trying to like walk me through it, because now I'm used to you all being in my bed. I'm just like I finally had my eyes open. I'm like what do you need? And she's like, so, don't kill me. But you'll be like so fun. And then she grew up on like no, she said there's a playground that you should go to. And I was like we go to the science center before we go to the american girl dust store and then we drive home for five hours. She goes sounds crazy, but would you be interested? I was like summer and she's like you could say no, but it's like my childhood playground. And I was like I'm gonna get up. Yeah, what do you need from me?
Speaker 2:and she's like okay, yay well, here's the thing, though when I'm like we do a lot of houses, like we're actually going to one in a couple weeks, if I'm up, I cannot stay in bed. Like I want to go to, I will like clean the kitchen, I will do all the things. That's me and working. That's not me every day, but that's me like on vacation.
Speaker 1:That's me working 3 am. I'm like, oh, might as well go work, okay, no, that's extreme. I just went to bed. I'm like I'll look at my phone. I'm up, I'll pop another melatonin she's like okay, so I'm up and I'm just gonna be out there when you need me. And I keep sending reels to rebecca and she's like what the actual fuck? Why were you?
Speaker 2:up so early if I'm, if I'm up I can't go back to sleep, otherwise I'll feel like I'm like hung over, right. That's why I just stay up, I just get up, I can go back to sleep.
Speaker 1:I couldn't be yeah, you can but right around 10 is where I start hitting the stride, and by 11 we've got some speed and I don't know that we can go for a long time, I'll wake up it'll be like you have 16 unread text messages, I'm like from the night before from me, from 9 8 9 pm on because if I'm doing creative for us, I'm like hey, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:So I like just do it at one point the other day.
Speaker 1:I changed all the highlights of all of our brands. She woke up and she was like so this looks really good. I was like, do you?
Speaker 2:love it, but I couldn't get up until like 1040. Yeah, how does that work with y'all? I make all the decisions.
Speaker 1:Well, it was actually on my to-do list, so it was something that had been there for like maybe a few weeks. Sometimes I was like I didn't even know it was there. No, you didn't, because you gave it to me. You were like when you get a chance which is good for me because I like need to be able to do it on my sometimes I'm going to turn around in five minutes sometimes throughout.
Speaker 1:Well, because I know it's a creative thing because you have to be in the head space. So it's like when you get to feel under the first saucy, go do it. I was like, yeah, so then I went through and did everybody yeah, and then I was on a roll, yeah, and I was like I actually love this yeah.
Speaker 2:Now we're on a roll, and so she woke up and she was like wait, whoa, whoa.
Speaker 1:I was like everyone got an update, surprise. But I find it ironic. One of the things that we talked about at dinner was that you said you don't like social media. I don't Talk about that.
Speaker 2:I like it just to like look once in a while and check it, but I don't Like my personal account.
Speaker 1:There's only posts that people tag me. I'm great at sharing User-generated content. Look at you.
Speaker 2:Thriving. Look at you thriving. I'm like I will take all the pictures. I will actually. So Jeremy does me. I'm a picture taker, so I'm like I'll take the pictures, you post it on your account and then make sure you tag me. I want to be tagged, I want people to see it. I just don't want to go in and do it. I feel like it's a chore. Almost you do, yeah. So, like I actually tried having social media as a service at some point. Like I had somebody that was working with me but I didn't even want to manage it. Like, yeah, I feel like I'm managing my own social media, like and I have three people working on it. It's just, it's the last thing. It's like one of those things you know, do what you're good at and what you love to do. I. It's like writing copy for a website. I just I get stuck like I freeze, like Jenny just had to do that. Jenny just had to do that for us and I was like you're doing so good.
Speaker 2:I felt like I was the husband in the child.
Speaker 1:I was like you would have died trying to do this.
Speaker 2:I was like I already know, I know there's like a block and I just can't do it. It's didn't faze me, it's not that.
Speaker 1:So, like I do, we have different jobs, even for the podcast, and like I love to write the caption, but website copy, I'm dead. Yeah, no, I love it actually, cause I'm real big on like user experience, like how people get where they're going to try to go, and so I don't mind a website copy.
Speaker 2:The problem is, I never know where I'm going, so I could never be that person for us.
Speaker 1:I got you I got you. You're like, how did you get here? And I'm like I don't know, Not the same way you did.
Speaker 2:I'm good with ideas, I just don't like to actually do it.
Speaker 1:No, she will like check all the way through follow all the paths bit easier now.
Speaker 2:Chat gpt, I like, will leverage that a bit to help me. But so I get all of these forms all the time like to be featured in articles or to for podcast pitching, and there's all these things that they ask you, all these questions. I'm in a couple like design associations where they constantly ask you stuff and it's all personal questions about like your growth and this and that, and so I will write it. It takes me a while. There'll be a tab open for probably until the due date. No, no, no, I understand, and then I'll write it and then I'll just put it into ChatGPT and make this sound better.
Speaker 1:But I feel like I'm the hardest person to write about Like I can't write about myself. First of all. You know I love that's how I got the details in the Nike logo. Really, I was like talk to me about this. You can ask it anything. It's incredible, like when.
Speaker 2:I have a tech problem and I can't figure out something. Instead of going to Google now, I go to ChatGPT, because it'll give you like super simple instructions. Isn't that interesting? I know, I love it too. When you can say, like in five sentences or less yes or all the weird emojis all the time when it says for different, like podcasts and things for my bio, and then they'll be like word constraints and I'm like mine's too long, like make this short.
Speaker 2:Nope, it's too long like make it shorter, that's hard though, and then it'll like leave stuff up like no, I really want to mention that part and I get mad at it, I think it's a great tool.
Speaker 1:I'm a big fan.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's same to me so much, but I because I don't. I partner up with people for content writing. I don't do it, but lately because of it, it has helped when people don't want to pay for content writing but I can't fully tell its visual story on a website because there's not enough to go with. So it'll, it'll help me at least to get there and like help so well, speaking of where are we at?
Speaker 1:we're good we're great, I know so you're like everywhere I love it, that's one of the best, biggest compliments that we get is we have a really good pace because, like we hate slow talkers so like listen to their podcast and like whatever like one and a half times. I didn't know this, yeah, but they're like do you know, I had to turn off my speed we live for this. It's so good places to get. Let's go at dinner we're figuring out.
Speaker 1:We have all of these different things which we need to unpack all of them, but we grew up actually really close to one another syracuse, rochester new york. A New Yorker. I'm like I do, I know you, but you it's because you share so many things. We're like, but this is the southern. I'm like no, we're the same, I don't know. If it's that you're like a cute accent, I appreciate that I hate it actually, um, but I think that it's just like I do?
Speaker 2:I hate it can't take a compliment.
Speaker 1:I don't want to hear about it. A loser Up early in the morning Answers emails expeditiously Like trauma, Like trauma. I think it's just like. I feel like a New Yorker is so upfront and like cuts the chase. I think that's why I gravitate towards New Yorkers. But I think you've picked very specific ones, so we're upstate, so people. I lived in New.
Speaker 2:York City for 17 city for 17 years. But people like there's no way from. You're from there because one I don't sound like it same, there's like a. I don't know what we call this accent. It's not. It's not an accent, it's just no, it's no accent um, but it's different, like it's rural, you know, yes, it is rural.
Speaker 1:We basically grew up in like farm towns in wine country with like a lot of snow and yes, you don't really talk to people in the streets in new york, but, like there's definitely a stereotype that the media and movies and all these things give out.
Speaker 2:So people in the south are expecting something totally different. Yeah I mean, there's something like long island yeah, there's definitely new york assholes, but like yeah, you know, I love it, though I mean mean not like little housewives, no.
Speaker 1:but I think, when you say like cause you have described yourself, admittedly multiple times on the podcast is like somebody who is just to speak, like you don't want, like you're not ready for feedback, you don't want anyone to like hurt your feelings, but I think what's happening is because we're so like we're already exactly what you see is what you get, that you don't have to worry about any of that because we're not going to just give it to you randomly. Okay, we're not. There's no bite in where we come from. We're, like you already know exact by just meeting us. You're like I get it. Like there's no ulterior motive. We just are who we are. Maybe that's what, because that's not like that in the south.
Speaker 1:No, I know so I mean that's what you like, so we get it yeah.
Speaker 2:And like exactly we did come before COVID. But I think what?
Speaker 1:you like is that you can sit down for a dinner and you're like. I already know that this person is going to tell me exactly how they feel, but not in a mean way. We're going to grow our entire friendship based on that. It's not going to be just like oh, by the way, I saw you had hurt feelings, so I want to hurt them again yeah, let me.
Speaker 2:I don't know like there's no.
Speaker 1:No, we'll like help you dig your car out of the snow. Yeah, no, it's not like that here. It's not. I know that is. That has been interesting. Yeah, it's like the bless your heart. I'm like bless your heart, but it took me so long to say that'd be in the back to say, y'all, I don't about you.
Speaker 2:But now it's like I can't control it.
Speaker 1:No, I love y'all.
Speaker 2:But it took me so long, I had to say it in my head so many times like practice it and I was like this doesn't sound right.
Speaker 1:Have you seen New York memes that are like it's yous versus y'all. I'm like I didn't grow up saying yous, you guys, I did you guys yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't think I've ever said gals, except for your brand, yeah, I don't think I really ever say gals.
Speaker 1:I say it all the time, I know you do, I do Okay. So we grew up in a similar area. We had this dinner where we actually ended up talking about relationships, business growth, business mindset it was deep.
Speaker 2:Food allergies it was deep.
Speaker 1:I'm blown away by one thing from this conversation. What you are in a book, yes, okay, can we talk about that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I'm in an anthology which is like a chapter of like collective of women, and so it's called Limitless Women Unchartered Paths to Entrepreneurship.
Speaker 1:And that is the final title? No, it's not the final title Limitless Women is Okay, limitless Women, the final title? No, it's not okay.
Speaker 2:Limitless women is okay. Limitless women I might be saying it wrong the uncharted path. So I'm actually I'm trying to. We're gonna put the book cover oh, you are trying, that's that's tbt.
Speaker 1:We're gonna manifest that um, so I'm designing the book cover.
Speaker 2:Yes but that's, um, it's in editing right now and and it was, it was so exciting One day we'll have the full. This is your first book, my first book, my first like I didn't even think I would even be a book. So I have a friend who's been working on her own book right now, or for the past year and a half, and when she came to me and said she was doing I'm like, oh, like I'm watching shit's kick right now. So I love that for you. Shit's kick right now. So I love that for you.
Speaker 2:But I didn't think I would ever do one like it was just not something that I visualized. And then, all of a sudden one day I was like you know what I want to do it, and it just kind of came into like this thought of I've seen other people, I know other women that I'm friends with that have been part of different anthologies. I was like, well, that would be a good way to like dip my toes into it. And then I had this opportunity and, um, it's, it's been fun. And now I've got this like hunger and drive to want to do my own book next.
Speaker 1:So it's, it's her book about her? Is she writing it like a romance novel?
Speaker 2:oh no, she's writing it. Um, so she runs non-profits and so it's about how, and she has a course on non-profits, so it's to teach you how to. It's like the. It's not really a teaching, but it's. I think it's like her personal journey, but like also how to run a nonprofit or start a nonprofit.
Speaker 1:So would you say that your circle is very much about like your own personal growth goals?
Speaker 2:Yes, so let's talk about that, yeah, so.
Speaker 1:I.
Speaker 2:I mean we talked about the relationship that I was like kind of this shell of a person during that relationship and I lost a lot of friends. But as I've grown in entrepreneurship, the people I surround myself with like y'all.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love those y'all you guys, you gals, it's like females who are independent but dependent at the same time, but like know their value, know their worth, are High achievers and it's just Come natural now. So, like the people that I Surround myself with Because I'd also do a lot of networking, hopefully, which that was like A whole new thing that I started to do A couple years ago and it's just like you were when I started networking, because I've, like become my closest friends. Yeah, because we have so much in common and that's how I knew of you through Whitney and I've known her seriously since like early 2000s.
Speaker 2:Yeah, one of the crazy stories about Whitney. So yeah, she, I do. It's not that crazy, I'm building it up too much.
Speaker 1:Shout out to Whitney. I was like this is not Taco Bell, whitney number two. So this is our next dinner, next Whitney, you would love her she's great she's um.
Speaker 2:So we became connected through a different networking group. We're now in the dames together, but when I first met jeremy, it was like covid times and we quarantined together and so we were staying in his little uh uh condo that he rents out in rural because you can't you couldn't it at the time so we were working from there, getting to know each other real well, but it was like beach access and it was great. So that's your dream. He was, yes, but just on a larger scale, but we would be working in the same room and he was taking a public speaking coaching class like group group and I never, like, saw the camera, but I heard Whitney, I heard other people, no clue who they were.
Speaker 2:And now, fast forward two years from that, I connected with Whitney online and she invited me to come to this networking event. And Jeremy's like, oh, I know Whitney, I know like, and then I know Whitney, I know, and then all these women that now become some of my closest friends were in that group. And also, I'm not the public speaker and Jeremy's not. No formal training. No, he does, he does.
Speaker 1:He does Medicaid stuff Brutal, brutal.
Speaker 2:I annihilated it. I was so poorly, I was terrible. I had it in college too.
Speaker 1:It makes me anxious just hearing.
Speaker 2:I know honestly it was a person, it was it was actually wasn't until Whitney and my friend Katie they invited me to a panel um to speak on branding, and it was my first time ever like public speaking and because there was other people there, there was less pressure, yeah, and and I realized when they were asking questions, like we all kind of were like there was no, like you. You, you was like just take the microphone if you're ready. I was all the way in the end, but as we were getting into, it was like wait, I know all these answers, I know what I'm talking about. I've been doing this for so many years and that's when it totally shifted. I like I don't need to go up there and like worry about being in front of people, I just need to speak. What?
Speaker 2:I know so like totally transitioned the trajectory of my life and where my business has gone, and now it's just natural to me Like I still get a little butterflies and nervous, but once I get into it I'm fine'm fine. You know, this is like our dream my dream, our dream.
Speaker 1:We are like just dying to like pull together a really incredible group of women and like have these conversations like but we can't like where where I started.
Speaker 2:That makes it so easy, like I do solo stuff now, but the panels I get so excited for because you're you're not up there by yourself and you have other people to like.
Speaker 1:Well, we have this thought process and I know women versus supporting women like this is so much You're going to totally understand this if you haven't already had this thought. But like if we all start at A and we put our heads down and we were really hard best case scenario we get to like E or G. But like if I give you A and you give me B and she she gives you C, we can go so much faster and I feel like as women, we're like isolated on accident, whether it's because of traditional roles or like we talked about this early on in the podcast. But like being a mother is one of the single most isolating things that has ever happened to me. Like people who are afraid of that. I can't think of any other situation where I have been more isolated in my life.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because you're just. You are very much alone, like everyone's. Like you know, these nap with the baby naps. We'll be there to help you, but like it's all on their agenda and they really do think they are, but like no one can understand the mind stuff, the body stuff, like your husband can't really understand You're trying to keep a small person alive, but like part of you is it's bizarre. Yeah, I don't, I can't get excited about it. I love being a mom. That part was very tough, I agree.
Speaker 1:I feel like we're finally coming out of it yeah, I'm like okay, like my kids can be independent people and like we can have conversations where not like even my six-year-old will give me the eye. If somebody says something weird, I'm like she sees you, we're totally talking about you in the car like we are 100% unpacking this in the car. She is not happy, she's not like you, or she thinks you're weird, or she thinks you're funny, or like she might think you're pretty. It could be anything, but like now we have these like nuances yeah, actual relationship, things that are still codependent, but like much more appropriate and balanced.
Speaker 1:But, like I, I would love, like anything that we could do to move the momentum on entrepreneurs and like and I want to see more.
Speaker 1:That's what I was gonna say I want to see more women entrepreneurs. I think that women and I hate the stereotype they let the confidence, yeah, to go after what they want. They're so used to just thinking like, oh, I need to work for somebody to be successful and meanwhile their dreams are dying. You know what I mean? I mean truly because they're scared and they won't do it. So like we want to help empower them to go do that, yeah, and so that's what well, I think too.
Speaker 2:Like you know, we were talking about dinner. Like my ex that I was with, he felt very emasculated when I had good ideas, and so it really kept me playing super duper small. Now being with somebody who's so supportive and like is in awe of all the things that I do has also helped me to like, have the confidence, know that, like you know, Monday through Friday, like I don't really work Fridays- but Monday through Thursday.
Speaker 2:I can go out any night of the week, like just is. I've got networking, I have at this like I do what I know is right for the business and I only go to things if I feel like there's going to be, and I say that with like an arlo like if I feel like there's going to be like somebody.
Speaker 1:I want to see yeah, now I have had events that I've gone to that I'm like, oh, it's like cold out or something, and I don't really feel like going parking downtown, like yeah, that but those nights that I'm sometimes the most resistant, I will get like a client or a new best friend yeah, I feel like women are so much more open to that too, like our natural inclination to build relationships with people that we trust or that can like support ourselves back and forth. We're just, I feel like now in my 40s, that's so important to me. Like that I because I don't want you to blindly support my 40s that's so important to me. Like that because I don't want you to blindly support me, but I do really want you to be. Like my close girlfriends right now are so good at being really excited about, like whether it's the podcast or something that we're creating, or like I could say, the craziest thing, and maybe it's like the delulu situation, like, oh my god and I'm like I should wash my hair for this.
Speaker 2:What if?
Speaker 1:this is something, and then ultimately also, if it's not no one's upset about it, we're like, instead of my, more like male folks relationships, but whatever happened to that, I'm like.
Speaker 1:Hey, like, am I more toxic or whatever? I'm like, everything doesn't have to. You're allowed to have ideas and be a creative person and it's okay if only two of every ten stick. Yeah. Yeah, I also saw this hysterical meme the other day from Sarah Wiles. Do you follow her? No, it was like studies show that there are more female psychopaths than originally thought. And she goes. I love to see women in male-dominated fields. What's her name?
Speaker 2:I need to follow her, sarah Wiles.
Speaker 1:I love seeing women in male-dominated fields.
Speaker 2:I was unglued.
Speaker 1:This is so good. I'll look her up after. Something about it made me. Unfortunately, it's about psychopaths, sorry guys, fitting All brands, okay, so we also talked about this like city. You were born in yep time you were born at yes, okay, let's talk about this briefly.
Speaker 2:It was so human design, so I don't know all of the details, like about everybody you know we're normally in neogram girls, but I love any kind of personality so it's kind of similar to that, but it's based off of your birth time and your birth city and your name, and then it gives you like kind of your personality. Uh, so like I'm a manifesting generator, so there's, I think there's like five types um generator, manifesting generator, manifester, um projector, I think. Can you talk about how this conversation started? Yes, we were talking about working at night, so I was mentioning how I work better at night because it's quiet and I used to feel really guilty. I would put the half Jewish guilt on myself for it.
Speaker 1:This is so, new York. You don't have to be Jewish to feel really bad about life.
Speaker 2:So my mom is Jewish, so I'm.
Speaker 1:Jewish, my dad's Italian, so it's confusing.
Speaker 2:It's so good, this is jewish, so I'm jewish, my dad's italian, so we saw, let's continue no, I know, I love a jewish.
Speaker 1:That was one of my things when I first moved here. I was like but I identify as italian mafia, no, I know, but like that's like yeah, if you really want to heal, it's the matzo soup. Like if you there's just some things that like where I lived in rochester, the jewish neighborhood was a quarter mile so you had all the delis like well, it's church, church, church, church, church. I don't I mean I'm sure there's my boyfriend's baptist I've been to.
Speaker 1:But when I first moved here I was like surely there's at least like one deli where I could go and get I know I, just I was very confused for like a hot very upset about it so but yes, the Jewish guilt of me was like you should be like not working at night
Speaker 2:and all the people tell you like take your me time. Well, my me time is different times of the day and I take Fridays off when I do it, so I I gave myself permission and part of it was like doing more digging into who I am and I still want to like learn more about it. But manifesting generator I thought maybe that was you too, because it's like you turn on energy at certain parts of the day. Yeah, and you also like multitask and you're creative in spaces and blocks, and so I like reminded me of some of the things. So when I realized it's okay with my human design to have 50 tabs open, I don't feel yeah, except for my computer oh, but how about when accidentally something?
Speaker 2:happens and they're gone is there not a?
Speaker 1:better piece my heart like caves in and I'm like history, history, oh really, for a second.
Speaker 2:I'm like oh, I just got released. I, but I do, I don't go to history. Oh, I panic because I would.
Speaker 2:That would make me the first part is like, especially those things that are due, and I've seen it. No, I I mean a link to a test that we can take. We're gonna find, yes, okay, yes, so well, there's. If you just google human, humandesigncom, or I'm sure there's like multiple tests that you can find, but you just have to have your date and time, and then there's different apps and things to explain it. Hopefully you know yours, but the amazing part is that I'm a 3-5 manifesting generator and I'm, like I thrive in water ocean, which makes sense. My eating time is daytime.
Speaker 1:Mine's daytime, so I should be eating Mine's daytime Like direct sunlight as well, yes, okay, this is. I cannot wait to compare results. I am zero percent productive in the morning.
Speaker 2:Oh, I am trying like it might not tell you like specific it doesn't tell you specific times of day but it'll like help give some clarity I do the same thing.
Speaker 1:It's just mine's in the morning and yours is at night, like I compartmentalize too. It said for me that like I'm better in like melting pot, like water places, so like okay, I mean, although charleston's now really a melting pot at this point, but like new york city is the biggest one, and it is near water, like I lived right and when I lived in astoria by the water. I can't wait to take this. I'm really excited. I can't wait either. I love. I'm really excited, I can't wait either.
Speaker 2:I love a good personality the happiest not the happiest Cause I was with my ex but like the best apartment that I was in that I was just so obsessed with, was in long Island city, and so it was right over the uh, the river, with like seeing the city and just seeing the water every day, like it was the best. Um, but I want to live on ocean and love the ocean.
Speaker 1:You're going to live on ocean or water. You're going to live on ocean, creek or ocean is fine. We're big on manifesting. Yeah, we're big on it. Yeah, same. So we just the girls and I just drove back from all the way, like past Albany we went camping with my parents. Oh, you drove from Albany always because we were gone for so long and it's like I my own truck yeah and I like, I like horse stuff. I'm a minimalist but I like to bring a lot of clothes.
Speaker 1:Same I like a bag for each thing shoe bag, tea bag, so and like when I'm in the car, like I can like, choose. If we stop a million times, we're not hostage in the airport buying 97 000 beanie bears or whatever is happening to amuse ourselves, I know so. We had to leave. Like at two in the morning we left, and when we drove through manhattan like we, the sun was barely coming up.
Speaker 2:The sun came up when we passed the statue of liberty and she's like the tiniest like like yeah, but I was like, oh my god, I like still get chills.
Speaker 1:I was like she's right there, I was like the sun is coming up and the girl's like that's a statue of liberty, and I was like you, you don't understand. It's like I don't know. I'll still like love those parts. I don't miss New York very much.
Speaker 2:I don't miss it, but I'm excited to potentially going back for um, for your billboard, the billboard yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, let's just real talk about that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay. So the book that I'm in, I feel like it is I love it. It's, I told so. We have a team meeting every morning and we try to, um, you know, talk about like goals and things like that. And so what have they.
Speaker 1:It was a gift for my childhood.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry, I mean it's a bottle topper from Padre barn.
Speaker 1:It's a bulldog which who by the way, is picking me up from the airport on Thursday. What your doll? No, my childhood best friend, oh I feel like it was easier than having. You know like having it's a little stressful to have your parents pick you up from the airport. So I was like I'm actually gonna redo the way I go home this time, so I have to go home for a funeral. But I was like, hey, sarah, what do you think about meeting me at six?
Speaker 2:yeah, so she goes oh, I am so in. Are we going back?
Speaker 1:to Huffer Road. I was like you're going back to Huffer Road. I was like we're going back to Huffer Road. I'm raiding my mom's wine cabinet. Your pa was sitting over.
Speaker 2:Yay, but yes manifesting. So I just had this vision. So, part of the course too, marketing it. I've been doing a lot more because of this course to get visible and so I just kind of had this vision. I want to be on a billboard in Times Square. That's where I'm from.
Speaker 1:It's the Mecca of marketing. There's something about it.
Speaker 2:And I don't just mean you can pay $150 and be like your picture up there, dude, that's like Babe Ruth shooting for the rafters. I want to be like NASDAQ for my business, promoting me.
Speaker 1:It's like a city carry thing.
Speaker 2:She's on the bus, it's like a really big because of her column and it just like it came to me. I don't know where it was, but I was like, yeah, that's what I want to do. Well, that was Monday and then, all of a sudden, I saw this opportunity for the book that I'm going to be in and got an interview Friday and they like signed the deal with me that Friday.
Speaker 2:And Friday, and part of the marketing is it's going to be on a billboard in Times Square If people do not understand how powerful your mind is like if your mind tells you like your idea is bad, your idea can't be successful, you can't be successful.
Speaker 1:Or if somebody we talked about this at dinner if there's somebody in your life who is making like those voices for you and it's not even your mind but it does sort of take over, you'll be so shocked how limited you are. But I feel like that's why my like platonic girlfriends are so important to me, because and maybe that's just my relationship, you know journey but I have gotten so much more support, and not like blind support, but like feedback support like my champions, my hype girls have come so much more from my girls than I ever had from a man in my life like my dad's, very supportive, but like he doesn't know what it's like to be a woman in business oh yeah, I love my parents to death.
Speaker 2:But when I talked about my mom to like about business, love her, um, she talked to her every single day. She kind of like spaces out. If I talk about the weather tennis, she's right back in it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she never asks she's just like no, this is very like abstract, like it's a you know it's a podcast, like so what are you going to do with that? Because they also come from this generation of like everything is what is it highest? Or like where do you, where are you putting your time? And you're like this is so much bigger than that.
Speaker 2:Well, I think, just like this day and age, everybody, everything's digital, so there's so much more knowledge and things available for people, so, like we see how much potential people can have and how much they can grow. And, yeah, you're right, it's also like, you know, the power of manifestation is real. I I was saying before, like I can't manifest $50,000 in an hour, like would love to, you know, maybe it'll happen If everyone wants a whole hand Really quick, because I've got the ceiling problem, so we can just like.
Speaker 2:Like I wish I could say there was an answer for that. Like maybe like Denise Duffield Thomas knows what to do, but like I've read her books and it hasn't happened. But putting things out in the universe, like it happens, you just have to, like raise your vibration, have your positive energy, be in gratitude, and it is not easy. Like there's times as a business owner where, like every like having a team and everything like real, real, I'm my business as well but like things will all come in at once and nobody's paying.
Speaker 1:And that's like me, that's like your mother, it's like anxiety, that's like the same thing that I can liken that to.
Speaker 2:I'm like, oh my god, this feels chaotic, yeah but then I have to remind myself it's gonna be fine, you've got this coming. It's just a shitty day. It's just like this, it's just yeah, this time shall pass.
Speaker 1:That's what everybody's, you know. I think there's a big this vibration concept too. I'm like I feel like I've become so much more aware as I've become, like, more internal and intuitive and I've been more thoughtful about the people around me because, to the $50,000 thing, like sure We'd all love to wake up with $3 million but that's like not really in your heart, right, but like some of these things where you're like, oh my gosh, that feels like something that might be really important to me.
Speaker 1:Or like even how the podcast started, we were like, no, we should go immediately.
Speaker 2:Your gut doesn't lie.
Speaker 1:No, right. And so once you learn and I don't know if that's like a walking through the door of forties we shared this back and forth.
Speaker 2:It is a hundred percent. It's time, it's experience, it's I mean like okay.
Speaker 1:The thankfulness. I'm a lot more like grounded in gratitude than I was before.
Speaker 2:It's being independent. I think having your own business plays a lot with like figuring out mindset, when you kind of go in and day out and like I didn't think about these things when I was working for corporate. I was just told what to do.
Speaker 1:Like I didn't, you know, I didn't have, when you left, you really left, oh yeah. For the day. You really didn't give it much.
Speaker 2:No yeah day, you really didn't give it much. No, yeah, when I left, I left, but like, but, like, being in that position of working in that environment like you are. You know, I had dreams to like rise the corporate ladder, but I didn't even know what that looked like?
Speaker 1:it's just like a political thing. It was like oh, if I get this person to like me, then I can well, it's just like I don't want to be here, yeah, and so probably the next three rungs are going to feel so much better, so I should keep going.
Speaker 2:But the way to get high achiever in that lifestyle is so much different than being an entrepreneur, like it is so much more of a mindset trick and it's so much more of a self-development, improving on yourself all the time. And like having big goals all the time and like trying to stay on course. Like I am not a big journaler because I don't like to write, but when I feel, those times when I'm just like okay, what's going on? I'll just I can't read what I'm writing, but like I'll just go either wait, do you have psychopath?
Speaker 1:women in male dominated fields because my handwriting is nuts when we were on the beach.
Speaker 2:I had like my work notebook and I started to like I was in like panic mode. I started to journal jimmy's, like you're writing that in your work notebook. I'm like I can't even read it. Nobody else can read it.
Speaker 1:It's not really a diary I have to write in capitals if it's for anyone, and then I'm like, best case scenario, you find the else a picture of her agenda. I'm like do you think I can read this like I?
Speaker 2:can't read it. Yeah, I can't read. I'm like, what was I trying to say?
Speaker 1:here he started giving you the list. There's like two words I couldn't figure out.
Speaker 2:I was like, well, I'll be like even work notes because I'll do shorthand notes and I'm like crap what I don't know what I'm supposed to do.
Speaker 1:My whole life is short.
Speaker 2:I'm like shoot I know I wrote this somewhere, but I'm like who shoot? I know I wrote this somewhere, but I'm like who's that?
Speaker 1:What do you got in the whole place? Are you the kind of person that has, like, multiple notebooks?
Speaker 2:Oh, I've got sticky notes.
Speaker 1:This is why I have this. No, you've got.
Speaker 2:I couldn't do. Yes. Sticky notes, notebooks no, do you live in the bathroom? There's even a notepad next to, like the sink I have. I like to be organized. That's too organized.
Speaker 1:No, I need a notepad. By the thing, there's like 49 in here, there's three in there, there's one on the back.
Speaker 2:I have a desk calendar that's underneath my like computer and it's July from last year, because there's just notes on it and I smell heart like Cause I have so many notes on there.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm not judging you.
Speaker 2:Like client credit card numbers that I need to like recurrently charge Jenny's famous tagline for this is like what are we doing? Here, it's not on the cloud, it's right here she goes. What are?
Speaker 1:we doing here? So like she showed up here on my birthday because it's my first birthday like single, right yeah, and she's like ringing the doorbell I've already had like it day and like she has, but my ring camera hadn't been charged. I was feeling bad for myself so I was laying in bed. She's like I'm ringing the camera. What are we doing here? I was like it's not charged.
Speaker 2:It's perfect. It's to scare people off.
Speaker 1:It is charged now but I just I'll never forget like she has like a giant Diet Coke. I'm like I'm gonna need that. You're like what are we doing here? She's like got flowers. It's like coming from this deep place of love and I was like I'm gonna need that. You're like, what are we doing here? She's like got flowers.
Speaker 2:It's like coming from this deep place of love, and I was like.
Speaker 1:I don't know you're ringing the camera. She was Clark and I are like beating on the door. But in my mind I'm like ew, who's beating on the door? She's not here, she's here, she's in my car. So I'm like staying in there, I'm like go away, because I don't know who's there, because I didn't. I got two egg mcmuffins. I know I was like very committed to staying still in my bed. The teddy sleeps in like that leaks.
Speaker 2:There's water everywhere, guys, don't worry all.
Speaker 1:So, kim, where can we find you?
Speaker 2:Everywhere that is true that is true.
Speaker 1:So on the way back from the restaurant, I was like we need to go to some kind of like, because you know I'm obsessed with events. Yes, and so I'm like I already have a dress. I'm like let's go somewhere. You love a gay?
Speaker 2:I love any kind of like. No member. 14th American Marketing Association. Y'all should be there and you should submit for the Spark Awards because you're marketing and you could do what I did a couple years and compete against yourself, but it's like gala dress up we do love gala and it's all marketing people.
Speaker 1:Okay, wait, can we talk about one funny thing about Jenny that you might not know? Yes For the person who has folders for everything, everything and that note taker thing she's gonna buy an outfit and she's gonna try it on 10 minutes before we leave true story and she is going to oh, of all the things, everything is in a folder, but she's gonna put it on and it's gonna. Are you having a moment?
Speaker 2:you're like yeah wait, I'm not one like I will just go pick something out where, but if it's new I'm putting it on before. I don't know if I'm sweaty for everybody rolls the dice on the outfit before the gallop, I'm like what no? I didn't try that right before and I usually order like five.
Speaker 1:No, no return, we're getting five she's getting one we're trying on before and then we're probably gonna change to the second. She I'm like this is the I will never get over like the science of human behavior, because I live for this.
Speaker 2:This is the stuff that like drives me I think you guys have to put in the show notes what you're like. Human design is just oh, yeah, yeah, we should. Yeah, because the fact that you will not try the outfit until immediately before.
Speaker 1:But I'm just like I live on the edge a little bit. It's like I don't know. It's like procrastination. You have backups in case like no, oh no, no. It's like why do you? Do this repetitive pattern, because then I have a complete meltdown. Obviously he's like I don't know why you do this, but yeah, it's like my thing but in the same breath.
Speaker 1:I'm going, unless you pick me up, I'm going to make a slate and if but if I know you're outside, I'm gonna make it happen. But have you seen this sprinter from in the olympics, where they were like this is me getting to an event and the key was like way far back no and they were like I'm I'm not on time, but I will get there.
Speaker 1:And he pulled ahead to win first. And they were like I'm not on time, but I will get there. And he pulled ahead to win first and I saved it for you. And they were talking about like getting to things on time. I was like this is literally me.
Speaker 2:I don't like to deny that, did you?
Speaker 1:see my story of you earlier.
Speaker 2:No, so I'm not late anymore, like as I'm old now, I am just tight on the time, you're not old but in New, but in in new york because I was so dependent on the subway.
Speaker 1:But she's like I will pick you up for dinner.
Speaker 2:I'm like that's because my friend, I used to be because of subway and all of that stuff and I always worked later. Maybe it used to be 10 minutes late for everything. And I had a friend who got mad at me once for being a little late and she would bail all the time Like we had a joint birthday party that she didn't show up to. So I said to her I was people pleaser, so never like, went back on her.
Speaker 1:How do you not show up to a joint birthday party Ever, so when?
Speaker 2:she was getting mad at me for being late. I was like, well, at least I show up. And that ended the relationship. Oh, shoot, forever. Like we like pretty much forever. We like got back together. And then she actually, the way that she tried to get me back, she was like oh, I wanted to create an app and I need a logo and I didn't know who else to contact. This was like 15 years ago.
Speaker 1:This is not happening. I was like it's terrible.
Speaker 2:You could just which was BS. You're this is way before canva. I heard their logos are amazing. This was back in the early 2000s, yeah, but she, she, um, I was like can you just say thank you? Like sorry, like sorry, that happened, but no, anyways, logo never happened but something is happening to me.
Speaker 1:Actually. You know what Christina are like. Resident therapist. My family therapist is like it's because of the some of the stuff you come out of.
Speaker 2:She's like you're a little bit in slow motion, but my kids FOMO for me, I don't want to like miss a second and I always say I'm gonna go somewhere and not stay the whole time trying. I'm always the last person to leave. I don't know, I don't know how to like say goodbye. You're first to leave, I'm last to leave, I'm houdini and then I'm that person who doesn't say I've had. Friends are like okay, I'm sneaking out. I'm like, okay, I guess I'll go with you. And then I'm like what am I missing?
Speaker 1:no, I don't know what it is, but I definitely have friends who are like I. When you talk about what it's like, it's just like I'm gonna pick you up and like that's because if you don't, I will not come. I like literally can't get out of here sometimes because there's so much to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it's hard to leave, I don't know.
Speaker 1:I was always the last in the club.
Speaker 2:So on branddesignscom and then mostly Instagram. So it's on underscore brand, underscore designs. What's your podcast called the Profitable Brand Designer? So it's with me and Jeremy and we flirt and talk about business.
Speaker 1:I love this. You're a lover, my lover.
Speaker 2:Talk about how he cooks me every meal he does. So when I made that manifesting list for him, I don't like to cook, and so he will cook my breakfast, lunch and dinner and bring it out to me and my she should Wait'm obsessed with this, she should, but also this happening for you.
Speaker 1:Let's do another episode of manifestation in jeremy jenny's trying to get me to not to pretend I don't know how to cook, because I actually don't like it and I really I don't but she cooks really well.
Speaker 2:I put cinnamon on brussels sprouts when I fed his family for the first time. Oh, like you can't oh, I like I got out of it. She, she can. But we pretend like she can. I can do eggs, I can make a sandwich. You put heat involved. It's like deli meat, Heat and flames. I'm no good.
Speaker 1:You're like, I'm a water sign based on this personality test. I love this. Okay, all right guys, we will have Kim back. Thank you so much for being here.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:This is so much fun. So much fun. You're back for manifestation and egg recipes. See you soon.