Jacqueline came to me through a recommendation from one of my long-time clients. An academic who'd decided to add another string to her bow and studied coaching. But when we first started talking, she was struggling to articulate what she was actually offering and who she was trying to reach.

So we spent time working through it together. What services would she offer? Who was her target market? These weren't just branding questions; they were foundational business questions that needed answers before we could build anything else.

She had strong opinions about aesthetics. She wanted something sophisticated, with specific colours and a particular style. That clarity about visual direction was helpful, but we needed the same clarity about her business positioning.

Through our conversations, we defined her services and identified her ideal clients: executive-level professionals seeking leadership development. Once we understood that, everything else fell into place. The sophisticated brand she wanted wasn't just about looking polished; it needed to communicate deep expertise to discerning corporate clients.

We created a clean, refined brand identity and website. Nothing flashy or trendy. Just professional, understated elegance calibrated to appeal to high-level business executives while remaining approachable. The kind of presence that conveys "serious expertise" without drawing attention to it.

We're still working together as her company grows. The project demonstrated something I see often: sometimes the most valuable work happens before the design begins. Helping someone clarify what they're building and who they're serving—that's when the real transformation starts. And staying connected as the business evolves—that's when everything we built continues to serve her.