BRAND MENTORSHIP

When you’re running an on-the-go small creative business, not only do you seem to always be busy, but it’s really difficult to have somebody new in the office sharing your physical and mental space … that is up until I spent a week with Toni. Toni is a Grade 11 pupil who ever so sweetly requested she shadow me for a week as part of her schools career interest programme. The fact that she put her request in more than a month before the allocated time already impressed me! This gave me space to clear up my schedule a bit and enough time to wrap my head around what it is I could do with her that might give her a realistic glimpse into my career and the daily running of my business.

Having Toni here was such a blessing as I had a chance to once again relive those feelings of design being a new, wondrous, exciting, opportunistic and fun adventure! Of course, knowing how tough it actually is to run a design business, I was torn between overenthusiastic encouragement and grabbing her by the shoulders and saying, ‘Run! Run towards a set salary! Run towards a job where the financials, new accounts and admin are all taken care of and you only have to wear ONE hat!’ … Then I also thought, ‘Right Robyn! If you did have that opportunity would you be able to pass up on all the great things about working for yourself? … Meh!’

Toni and I met for a quick, pre-shadowing-time meeting, where we discussed her interests, passions and what she’d hoped to get out of this experience and at this time we planned to treat this time as part shadowing and part project time. Since she showed so much promise and passion I thought it would be beneficial to get a jump start on her own branding, this way she’d learn more about the programmes she’d be using one day as well as have an overall branding experience. I helped her pose and answer for herself the full circle of logo, brand and business questions that I put forward to all my clients. She also handled her own research, concept and development – which impressively she brought to the table at the start of the week and saved herself a heap of time and ultimately managed to learn even more!

With my design and branding guidance Toni conceptualised her own brand, illustrated her own Penny Farthing icon, selected her own main and secondary fonts and learnt why she needed those as we further developed her watermarking elements. Further to that we set up her own Facebook business page, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest accounts and basic website – I encourage you to follow her on her journey to creative actualisation as a very bright, young and keen artistic spirit! All the best to you Toni and again, anytime you need any further guidance, you’re most welcome at my desk. XXX