The Not-So-Pretty Story Behind My Brand
Hi, welcome to my blog! For my very first post, it felt only right to go deeply personal—perhaps overly so, but if you're familiar with my style of design and writing, you'll know that's just how I roll.
Here's a sneak peek of what you can expect from this blog:
Website Tips and How-To’s
SEO Strategies Demystified
Copywriting Secrets Unveiled
Branding Insights and Inspiration
Coding Tips and Tricks
...and much more!
And yes, just like today, you might stumble upon a few personal stories along the way...
Now that we’ve set the stage, let’s get cozy and delve into the heart of today’s topic. Grab your favourite drink, find a comfy spot, and join me as I unravel the threads of my business journey, the evolution of my brand, and the daunting hurdles of imposter syndrome that many of us encounter.
The Unlikely Entrepreneur
To start off, I'll be blunt—I never envisioned myself as a business owner. Despite my dad's predictions, my view of 'work' was shaped by the drudgery I observed growing up– it was something adults always seemed to dread. After university, I stepped into the corporate maze and found myself echoing that same sentiment.
However, unlike a lot of my friends and others my age, I had a different passion: competitive curling. For 18 years, it consumed me—nearly every day and 6-8 months of the year. I dreamt of the Olympics and of achieving greatness on the ice. But reality has a way of checking our dreams. Just as I began to question my path in the corporate world, my aspirations on the ice started to wane, too. Then, the pandemic hit, and with it, my curling dreams officially froze over.
A Pivot to Passion
For a while, the lockdown was a relief. No expectations, no grinding schedules. Just me and a sea of free time. But then, an unexpected opportunity knocked. I was tasked with designing a website for a virtual conference—a job that had to be done quickly and without the usual corporate red tape. It was my design, my rules.
The success of that website sparked something new in me—a love for the grind and a passion for impactful web design. That experience showed me the true power of a well-crafted website. It wasn't long before I left my corporate job to chase this new dream, initially through a full-time freelance gig and eventually the birth of KGC.
Facing My Fears
But dreaming and doing are worlds apart. The thought of starting my own business was thrilling yet terrifying. Publicly stepping out with a startup felt like the ultimate vulnerability—something I wasn’t prepared for. Helping clients achieve their dreams? Absolutely. But applying those same strategies to my own brand felt like scaling a mountain backwards.
The last two years have been a rollercoaster of self-doubt, rebranding, and missed opportunities—missteps that cost me time, exposure, and, most critically, self-confidence.
Yet here I am with a brand that finally feels like a true reflection of who I am—bold, bright, confident, fun, and professional. Ironically, the very traits I struggled to see in myself were the ones that people immediately recognized in my brand. “Wow, it’s so you,” they say.
To those of you wrestling with your own brand identity or doubting your path:
I understand more than anyone how daunting this process can be. The truth is, building an authentic brand requires peeling back layers, not just of your business, but of yourself. It demands honesty, vulnerability, and a willingness to embrace every facet of yourself.
I’ve navigated these waters myself, and I'm now committed to using my journey to assist others. I come clean about my struggles not just for catharsis but because I believe in the transformative power of authenticity. Your brand should be a mirror of your unique spirit and vision, and I’m here to guide you in creating just that.
And if there’s anything my journey has taught me, it’s this: the path to discovering and owning your brand is never straightforward. It’s tangled with fears, doubts, and setbacks. But it’s also woven with moments of clarity and bursts of creativity that make all the challenges worthwhile.
So, if you’re wrestling with your brand or feeling like an imposter, remember: you’re not alone. I’m here, ready to help you embrace your unique journey and craft a brand that truly represents who you are and who you aspire to be.
Ready to start that conversation? I’m just a message away.
