branding

Here is a “Find your why” prompt that I stumbled upon: Answer the question: ‘What do you do?’ (in your mind) with ‘I do whatever it takes to…’ For me, it is: ‘I do whatever it takes to liberate the person I talked about in my story who feels too tall, too short, too old,…

I met with Simplero founder Calvin Correli for a sketching session. This is the software that I’m using daily, for my courses and emails. And while working in Simplero, once in a while I see quirky little messages pop up when I’m working, like “you look good today”. So I got curious about what is…

My email subscribers noticed I’ve been email-happy lately. Yep, I was spreading the word about my recent Big Picture Workshop. Was I worried about sending too many emails? You bet. It’s a common worry many of us have. Therefore, I want to share the results with you, and I hope I can encourage you to…

In my last Big Picture workshop, I shared my journey from a “tall girl in a small city” desperately trying to fit in, to helping my clients how to stand out. Storytellers call this the “backstory”. Overcoming a fear or challenge makes your story relatable. Remember, a “signature story” doesn’t have to be a 1:1…

  My current business started with a “magic diagram” where I circled all the elements that made it into my signature service. With that decision, I transformed from being one of many graphic designers to the only “business coach with a pencil”,  helping entrepreneurs get clarity through the Big Picture Process. It wasn’t an overnight transformation. It…

Creative entrepreneurs often think they would feel boxed in when they hear they should find a niche. I did too, back in the day. Storytime!  When I started my design business, I took on every job that came my way, from corporate identities for high-tech companies to cute designs for storage boxes. I told myself…

Don’t be the cheap alternative! (Wrong) thoughts about niching. Creative people have many ideas. You probably enjoy working in different areas, with diverse clients, using one of your many skills. You also love learning, and adding even more skills to your palette. The mere thought of “niche” makes you feel constricted. “But, my life would…

Where do you send people when they have been on your website, and they want to learn more about your work? Have you ever tried to explain everything you do in an hour or less: Your story, your philosophy your methodology … and how it is all connected! This isn’t easy if you have been…

They say nothing gives your audience a better taste of your vibe than video. I politely disagree. The truth is – video only shows your authentic self if you’re comfortable on camera. Not as a newbie, not if you’re an introvert, not if you haven’t practiced! Thankfully, I have another outlet through cartoons. My cartoon…

You don’t need any drawing skills to draw a Very Useful Venn Diagram. Start by drawing some circles or ovals on a piece of paper. Then fill them with the key ingredients of something important. Or, something fun. Or, both! You can see here some of the many Venn Diagrams that I have drawn as…

My first online course was an epic fail (but here’s what that taught me) When I started my teaching journey, I bit off more than I could chew. I tried to create a “Find your Thing” course with lots of visual worksheets. I love to create visual worksheets. But I severely underestimated what else it…

From creator to communicator For years, I focused solely on creation, believing my work would speak for itself. I strongly identified as a creator, relying on what Arthur C. Brooks calls “fluid intelligence” – the raw cognitive ability that fuels innovation and problem-solving. I identified strongly as a creator. And I still do! But, read…

  For a designer, it can be difficult to create your own brand – although creating brands is your profession! When you work for clients, you need to step into your client’s shoes and find a look and tone of voice that fits them. Creating your own brand requires that you step into your own…

  I’ve been pondering on what motivates us in business. It condenses down to four core desires: the impulse to create, the commitment to serve, the need to make money, and the aspiration for status.   1. The Creator Drive: For many, there’s a deep urge to craft something fresh, unique, and impactful. This can…

I had a chat with Shahroo Izadi, who wrote the book “The Kindness Method.” I started reading it, did a few exercises, and was so impressed that I immediately contacted her to come on the Big Idea Sketchcast! What I especially love about her method is that you get to draw visual “kindness-maps”! Extra bonus!…

Clients often book a session with me when they feel swamped with ideas. They have many interests and use a wide range of skills and modalities. Describing what they do becomes hard. Focus areas blur. They tend to get tangled in overthinking. This confusion is a common problem for new and long-time business owners. One…

To Kellita Malloof,  a “showgirl” is woman who authentically expresses her essence and thereby inspires others to do the same. Kellita works with kind, highly sensitive women who have a history of overgiving and silencing themselves – which can end in “passive suicide”. Kellita’s revolutionary and fun method to heal this intergenerational trauma is  “conscious…

If you follow my posts, it can very well be that you’re creative, and you have many ideas and interests. You love to learn and improve. A new education, courses, certifications, or training seems to be the solution if business doesn’t go as planned. (Could it be you sometimes take courses to avoid marketing?) The…

Mike Rohde is the visual thinking pioneer who coined the term “sketchnoting”. He is one of the people that brought me onto “the path” – I did one of his workshops years ago, when I found out that drawing could be used for communication. It was a bit fear-provoking to sketch for a colleague who…

Book tip: I picked up “The Kindness Method” by Shahroo Izadi after hearing her on a podcast. Honestly, the title alone made me buy the book before I even listened to the podcast. Changing habits with “The Kindness Method”? I’m in! Drawing visual  “maps” to change your negative self talk? I’m double in! One exercise…