Love Your Logo

Let me ask you something: do you often get that excited, jittery feeling inside of you when you get to work and attack your day? If the answer is yes, then you’re my kind of person. You love your business. You looooove that you get to do something creative for a living. Yeah, it’s hard work. And sometimes there are parts that are not creative (invoicing, networking, emailing, oh my!). But you run your own life, your own business. That’s empowering stuff. Unlike most people who work a 9-5 gig, you look forward to getting to your work day.

Now, when you look at your logo, do you love that, too? Do you get an oogy googy yummy feeling about your logo and your website? It should be that same excited, jittery feeling when you rock your gig. I hope you do. I hope you love your logo as much as you love your work.

But what if you don’t? What if you have a logo that was never well considered? What if you hate your logo?

You might think it’s not that important. Well hold the iPhone, sister: it is. When you go to a client meeting, I’m hoping you dress the part. Whatever your style is, you groom yourself. Hair in place. Clothes match your independent spirit and style. You make sure there’s no chia seeds in your teeth or boogers in your nose (I’m not meaning to be gross, I’m being real.) You set aside a budget and time for your wardrobe and appearance. Good.

When it comes to your logo and brand identity, it’s the same. Your brand identity is the way your potential clients, current clients, and future collaborators view your business image. Just like you dress the part when meeting up with your clients, you want your business image to dress the part. You want your business look experience to match your spirit and business positioning.

You don’t want a logo that looks like it’s hair is out of place, or it’s missing an earring, or its fly is unzipped. That would be a no-no. And if you’re a creative entrepreneur, it’s doubly important to  have a well-thought out logo. Those who work in the creative field should have a logo that is original and fresh, just like the work they do.

Looking good isn’t self important, it’s self respect.
The above quote is from Charles Hix. Hix wrote style books for men in the 1970s and ‘80s. He was revolutionary because he showed men that it was OK to care about their clothes, bodies, hair, they way they looked. It gave permission to do so with style, sophistication, and, in his case, sexyness. I like this quote because it empowers the desire to look good as an act of confidence and pride.

So how do you get on the path to loving your logo? Here are a few ways to start:

1. Work on your business goals. The mission and vision behind your business are equally as important as the fonts, color, and shape. Start to define the mission behind why you do your work, and the vision you have for the future of your business. This will help your designer understand your business holistically, which will fuel the design process.

2. Take a look at the competition. Look for other creatives that are offering the same services as you and see how they are presenting themselves visually. What are your peers doing? Do you like their logo? How’s their website? Knowing how your peers are representing themselves visually will give your designer cues to keep you in their market, but also to set yourself apart.

3. Work with a graphic designer. That seems obvious to me, but I’ve met many a client who tried to do a logo on their own, but ended up working with me because the process became too frustrating. When you search for a designer, find one that will focus on your business strategy and the unique services you offer. Start putting aside resources—time and money—that you will allocate towards this relationship.

If you’re a creative entrepreneur who feels fearless about what you do, who is excited about your business and want to share what you love with the world, then you need a good looking logo to match it. You want your business image to be as fresh and original as what you offer to your clients. And, taking cues from Hix, you are worthy of a good looking logo.

I love that you love your business so much. I’m passionate about what I do, too. You deserve to love how you market yourself. You deserve to love your logo.

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I work with creative entrepreneurs and I realign their brand identity so it feels fresh and fearless. My clients finally feel empowered to share their business look and feel with the world.

Do you want to be fearless when you show your business to the world? Do you want  to share your passions and talents to a broader audience? Do you want your business image to be as fresh and creative as what you offer to your clients? Do you want to be the professional on the block, and stand out from the rest of the crowd? Let’s work together.