How I Wrote a Startup Brand Guide

Hey there, fellow creators and dreamers!

If you're anything like me, you know that starting up your own creative gig can feel like a rollercoaster of excitement and nerves. But guess what? I've been there, done that, and put all those wild experiences into my ebook, "Elevate Your Creative Venture: Proven Strategies For Startup Studios & Production Companies ." It's not just any old guide. I'm practically handing you my diary, filled with all the juicy bits of starting a content and design studio.

Picture this: it's Spring 2021, Orange County is my playfield, and the world's on pause. This was my chance to jump at the opportunity to splash my creative colors everywhere. And now, I want to splash some of that color your way, too.

It wasn't a walk in the park, though. Finding that pink modular couch during the crazy supply chain mess? That was a saga on its own. Yet it turned out to be the heartthrob of our studio. Fast forward, I've wrapped up these tales and lessons into pages that I hope will inspire you, offer you a laugh, and give you that nudge to make your own creative dreams soar.

Are you ready to dive in and make some waves in the creative world? The guide book is just a click away. Read up, get inspired, and let's shake up the creative industry together. Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 4 - The Idea:

The Idea

Spring 2021, Orange County, California is where it all started! After weeks of working from home and social distancing through the Coronavirus pandemic, we began to seriously think about a business venture to leverage my experience. For years, my husband told me to think of a business idea to take advantage of my creative eye. Around the same time, I was approached by a former boss and mentor to collaborate on a business idea. After much brainstorming, we landed on the idea of a content and graphic design studio. My mentor ultimately decided the venture wasn't for him, but he contributed in a few other considerable ways that we'll discuss later.

The idea was to curate an upscale content space with natural light that would lend well to fashion photo shoots, social media campaigns, and photography portrait sessions. To research the look and feel of the space, I spent weeks browsing furniture trends and looking at other studios online. I found that mid-century modern furniture, paired with some eclectic color choices was the most individual theme I could produce to stand out. During the pandemic, supply chains were a mess, and everything was back ordered. We were able to secure a showcase-worthy modular couch in a pink color that stood out in the crowded studio landscape.

That centerpiece couch was our unique, impactful idea or hook that you must have in the creative studio industry. A good focal point for the space is a memorable scene that will be featured in all your projects and social media posts. In our first space, we hosted fashion spreads, podcasts, and bridal shoots for a variety of clients. I also shot all my wholesale and formalwear clients' photo shoots there as well. You should expect some trial-and-error here! It's not easy to come up with trending or clever ideas to decorate and arrange a space that you can use repeatedly across all sorts of projects. It is fun though!

So, how did this non-writer produce 44 pages of creative startup material? I queried some A.I. tools for inspiration and an outline that spoke to me most about my experiences. Once I got comfortable with the outline, it was pretty easy to reflect on the journey and put it into words. We’ve had some missteps since 2021, and the lessons learned stick with you. A.I. is pretty helpful with fleshing out sections that need additional examples, or with helping you convey the correct tone. The document itself was created in Canva, which offers a world of templates, art, and presentation tools. After lots of proofreading, I applied for a copyright to protect my work, and posted it for sale on my website. The overall plan was to create additional content, inspire some future creatives, and add another income stream to my business.

Writing my first brand guide was as much an exploration in creativity as it was a test of perseverance and strategic thinking. "Elevate Your Creative Venture: Proven Strategies for Startup Studios & Production Companies" isn't just a guide for entrepreneurs; it's a narrative of comprehensive strategy meets real-world wisdom. My guide is now available for all who dream big and are ready for the journey of a lifetime:

Elevate Your Creative Venture: Proven Strategies For Startup Studios & Production Companies