As we all know, Australia is home to a multitude of natural disasters. I’d always watched these disasters unfold on the news from the safety of my home, never happening within my home.
Until 2018, that is.
A few days before Christmas that year, hail hammered our home downwards and sideways, at speeds of up 128km per hour.
When the storm passed, it left wreckage and heartbreak in its wake.
Our entire suburb was considered a catastrophe zone, and virtually no home was spared.
We moved out that night with the few dry things we could salvage, the clothes on our backs, the kids, the cat, and our car.
A rebrand from the wreckage
The next 11 months were challenging and exhausting. Not only was I arguing with the insurers and juggling the rebuild alongside the day-to-day raising of my two pre-schoolers while being pregnant, I was also working from a rental home that was unfamiliar. My mind often felt cluttered and chaotic, and yet, I was thankfully still producing graphic designs that my clients loved.
After nearly a year, we eventually moved back into our beloved home, which was now sporting modern fittings, fresh carpets and a rejuvenated, revitalised feel.
From the submerged, something beautiful emerged: a new perspective.
I saw clearly how life can turn upside down in a matter of seconds; how comfort zones and precious daily structures can be ripped out from underneath so quickly. For that reason, and a host of others, I decided it was time to make changes to my business.
I realised I wanted to spend my days focusing on what I truly loved, making each moment as remarkable and rewarding as it could be.
Yes, I loved graphic design work, which is what I’d been doing for nearly ten years. I wanted to keep doing it, but with a difference.
It was time for self-analysis
To test new directions, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery, where I systematically analysed myself and my life goals. I also partnered with a life coach who helped me uncover some fascinating insights.
Business-wise, I went through a thorough analysis process of my own creation.
It was during this journey that I quite organically realised that my step-by-step process of brand discovery was so thorough, methodical and documented, that it could actually be offered as a robust brand identity service in itself. I’d accidentally created a saleable service. A service of my dreams!
I realised that my entire ten years of business was about so much more than just design. A big part of my work, which I’d never charged a cent for, was patiently and proactively coaching business owners who were running brands. So my rebrand focused on calling myself what I’d always been: a Brand Strategist. And I created a fresh, mature look to align with my transformed work processes and service packages.
I launched my new brand to the world, and I’m now honoured and humbled to be working with my dream clients on dream work.
My lesson
Although I’d never want to relive such stressful events again, I acknowledge that they were the catalyst for positive change. Maybe my greatest lesson is that I don’t need to wait for a natural disaster to rebrand, it can happen whenever I want to feel excited and invigorated about my business again!
