It’s time to take branding back

Posted Lilly GarciaPosted in Branding

I’ve gotta come clean. I’ve felt conflicted about branding for some time. So conflicted that I’ve seriously considered a hopping into whatever unrelated career lane opens up first. Because the truth is, in the hands of capitalism and dominant culture, branding is used to manipulate us. Into paying $7 for a bottle of tap water (a true story from a recent trip to Las Vegas). Into thinking we have a choice between internet service providers. Into feeling less-than or holier-than-thou for where we buy our toilet paper. Into cheering for giant enterprises that are known for exploiting humans and earth. […]

Flexible Brand Case Study: Jessica Dolce

Posted Lilly GarciaPosted in Case Studies

“Helping animal care folks be well, while they do good.”   Jessica Dolce is an educator and coach who helps animal care professionals and organizations reduce compassion fatigue and embrace self-care by working on their awareness, boundaries, and connection. She runs online classes and in-person workshops where she teaches her people how to nurture their own strength, resilience, and compassionate badassery. Her work is all about helping the helpers so they can continue to do the meaningful work they love. She creates spaces where they feel loved and understood and have full permission to be their complete selves. Jessica wanted […]

Flexible Brand Case Study: Lyndsey Medford

Posted Lilly GarciaPosted in Case Studies

Helping creatives and do-gooders integrate their whole selves to live a life of joy.   Lyndsey Medford is a writer, speaker, and gatherer of people on a mission to help justice-seekers live wholeheartedly by being more present, more grounded, and more themselves… a practice which she calls finding the art in a life of love. Her work focuses on sparking honest, challenging conversations around race, sexuality, faith and politics in an environment of grace and nurturing that allows her people to confront reality and integrate their whole lives. Lyndsey wanted a flexible brand that would reflect her and her work […]

Check out my Interview on the Braver Brand Podcast

Posted Lilly GarciaPosted in Branding

Looking for a branding podcast episode to listen to? Ok, that might be a long shot, but I’m seriously so excited to share this with you! Kate McCarthy interviewed me for her podcast a few weeks ago and the conversation was so seriously good that it kept me in that top-of-the-mountain mood for weeks. We talked about my own brand evolution, what led me to fully embrace flexible branding, how letting go of “right” makes more space for all of you to show up, and how branding can be a distraction. You can give it a listen right here! There’s […]

Flexible Brand Case Study: Riina Kosonen

Posted Lilly GarciaPosted in Case Studies

Bridging massage and craniosacral therapy with intuitive art   Riina Kosonen and I have been liking each other’s Instagram posts for years. So when she popped in my inbox asking about flexible branding, I was so excited! I had gotten to see her massage therapy business grow and evolve from afar, so it already felt so familiar. And I was thrilled that she’d started incorporating more and more of her artwork into the life of her brand. Riina told me her logo had been feeling off. She felt like it didn’t communicate the most important things about her anymore. And […]

Why you don’t need (elaborate) branding (yet)

Posted Lilly GarciaPosted in Branding

Many branders love to tell you that the very first thing you need to start your business is branding. Or they tell you that if you already started your business without branding, these are the 15 reasons why you absolutely need branding right this second. Their lists includes things like: branding makes the right impression, branding establishes your authority, branding tells the world what a pro you are. I’m here to tell you that’s all a load of hot steaming unmentionable matter.   You don’t need branding. At least not right now. In fact, branding can be one giant aesthetically […]

The Awesomeness of Flexible Branding

Posted Lilly GarciaPosted in Branding, Design

I’m sure you’ve seen them around the web. They’re especially popular on Pinterest. And I get the feeling they’re supposed to inspire and awe all of us small business owners. I’m talking about those intricately detailed 50-page brand manuals. Even as a brand designer, I find these meticulous documents overwhelming. And, I’ll be honest… I don’t ever want to have to design one. Don’t get me wrong. Brand manuals have their place in the world. If you’re running an international conglomerate and have dozens of designers working in HQ, plus ad agencies churning out stuff all around the world, plus […]

Why your actual name might be your best business name

Posted Lilly GarciaPosted in Behind the Scenes, Branding

It’s kind of funny that one of my most frequently asked questions doesn’t seem to have much to do with design. A surprisingly large and completely unscientifically measured percentage of the business owners I’ve talked to have asked: Should I have a business name or go with my name? Some of them were just starting out when we talked, which is an expected time to be asking that question. Most, though…. Well, most were already well on their way and had technically already named their business. The first few times I got the question, I was surprised. Here I was […]

The Evolution of Wild Olive Branding
A Case Study of my own New Brand
or
What I’ve Been Doing all Damn Year
Existential Crises on the Cusp of my 30th Birthday

Posted Lilly GarciaPosted in Behind the Scenes, Case Studies

I started planning an official business right after my daughter was born. Large chunks of my days were spent lying in bed with her, trying to keep even my hair from moving so she wouldn’t wake up from her numerous naps. I was swimming in postpartum hormones, so it’s not surprising that my first idea was to ditch design altogether and go become a midwife. Some soul searching and a few reality checks later, I realized that I actually still loved design and brought my planning back into familiar waters. Instead of delivering babies, I would deliver visual identities for […]

How buying a really expensive vacuum changed my entire business

Posted Lilly GarciaPosted in Uncategorized

Not long enough ago, a stranger knocked on my door. She was young and seemed nice and, even though my toddler and I were home alone, I honestly didn’t think twice about opening my door to her. After telling me how cute my daughter is (so true) and making friendly conversation (much needed), she told me she needed help winning a work contest. If she did enough demonstrations that day, she could win a trip to Las Vegas. She’d never been there and she was only two demonstrations short. Would I let her come in to vacuum just a tiny […]