Exciting Updates to the Ponder Trail Website

If you read my blog post about how I’m changing up my approach to planning out my year, you might know that a big website refresh was on my list for the first half of the year.

As a brand and website designer, I often talk about how it’s important to update your site every year or so to keep things prioritized and relevant, but it had been quite some time since I had switched things up on the Ponder Trail website.

I officially published the site updates last week, and I’m excited to return from my blogging hiatus to walk you through what’s new.

I think you’ll find some of the new content helpful—especially the new free jam-packed resources. Let’s dive in!

Exciting Updates to the Ponder Trail Website.png

I refined and updated my content paths and website funnels to provide more value and benefit my site conversion.

A big part of my website redesign was to hone and update my content paths. You may have heard of “marketing funnels” or “website funnels,” and “content paths" are what I like to consider an upgraded version of that.

Instead of just looking to convert website and social media traffic into sales, I like to help my audience along the way by providing them value. So I like to think of my funnels as “content paths” since it sounds more connected to and beneficial for my audience members.

Plus, sometimes a person will benefit from one piece of content more than another piece, so content paths are more personalized and flexible than one main funnel to bring people through.

The end result might be similar for everyone (to sign up to my email list and explore my services), but individuals walk take a different path to get there.

For example, I created 3 new free resources. Each of them subscribe someone to my newsletter when they opt in and sign up for the resource. But each resource offers a different area of help to a creative business struggle.

This gives each audience member some free custom-tailored insights and support depending on what they need most. From there, each resource points to relevant ways to get more help from me via paid services.

So a content path strategy is part marketing funnel, part customer journey, and part customized support.

This way, people are traveling along individual content paths to help them in creative business—rather than pushing every audience member through one funnel.

Plus, when you incorporate content funnels into your growth strategy, it helps you look at your business as a whole so you don’t send people down a rabbit hole that doesn’t align with the rest of your brand.

I plan to talk more about this in an upcoming blog post, so stay tuned!

I added 3 new free resources for creative business owners.

One of my favorite parts of the website refresh is our three new resources for online business.

I believe it’s important to give lots of free high-quality value to your audience before asking someone to book your service or purchase your product, so I wanted to create a few new ways to give you some helpful content.

They serve as lead magnets for my email list, and readers can access them on my home page while subscribing to the Ponder Trail newsletter.

Here’s an detailed look at them:

Free resources for creative online business entrepreneurs

Audience Attraction Handbook

Your ability to grow an engaged audience can make or break the success of your business, so I created a free handbook to walk you through 5 tangible ways you can optimize your business to attract your audience.

Every brand needs loyal customers or clients to start, survive, and flourish, and my Audience Attraction Handbook breaks down simple steps to give your business a growth spurt.

It’s also a great way to figure out which are of your brand needs a little TLC to optimize it for success.

Access the free handbook from our home page to get started.

Beat the Hustle Toolkit

With this new resource, I wanted to give an inside look at our Treehouse Membership by offering a toolkit for busy business owners.

Inside, you’ll find a 3-step guide to help you overcome a hustled state so you can be more productive and put your time to more effective use. It also helps prevent overwhelm and burnout, which can be a common problem for creative entrepreneurs.

The toolkit includes a printable workbook to accompany the guide, too.

You’ll also find a collection of stock photos, done-for-you graphics, and caption templates to use throughout your business. It gives a small sample of the types of tools that are inside the Treehouse each month.

Check out the free toolkit on our home page to boost your productivity and beat the hustle.

Brand Conversion Guide

If you want to make money with your business, it’s important to focus on creating a brand that converts. So I put together a guide to walk you through the process of increasing your conversion rates.

You can apply the step-by-step concepts to your website, social media, and across your brand to help your readers and followers to connect with your brand in a way that will turn them into customers and clients.

Access the free guide on our home page today to boost your brand’s conversion rates with my easy 5-step process.

I freshened up the blog with a new, simplified format.

My site is currently built on Squarespace 7.0, and I still love it. Typically, I build client sites using the most updated version, 7.1, since it’s a bit simpler to use and has a few new features. It depends on each client’s needs, of course, so we always discuss what version will be best for them during our initial strategy call.

For my website update, I switched templates so I could have the option for a few more customizations to my design. My new template is Brine since it’s been a long-time favorite because of all of the options. While it does take a lot more time to set up because of all of those settings, I put them all to good use.

One of the changes you’ll notice is to my blog page. I updated the main blog page to have a grid design for easy browsing. You can also click on each category at the top of the page to sort the posts or click to explore the full blog archives page.

squarespace blog page updates for 2021 website

My previous blog design had a sidebar on the main page, but now you’ll find it appear when you click on each individual post.

blog design strategy for small online business

I added a shop page and a shopping cart icon.

Since launching a few digital products for creative business last year, I hadn’t had a chance to make the website more shopping-friendly. Before I added products, Ponder Trail was primarily based on my branding and strategy services, so with this update, I wanted to highlight the shop a bit more.

I did this by adding a shopping cart to the top right corner of the page (and on mobile, along the bottom of the screen). This gives newcomers a clue that there are products somewhere on the site, which encourages them to take a peek.

I also designed a better storefront page to make it easy to sort and browse all of the digital tools. Previously, I just had a few products featured on a page, and the rest were linked on relevant blog posts to drive traffic to specific products.

I plan to add more products over the coming months, so it will be a great page to house everything as the collections grow.

tools for creative entrepreneur business journey

I designed and added a handful of new icons, photos, and graphics.

Earlier this year, when I was building the membership info page for the Treehouse, I designed a collection of new icons to represent everything included in the monthly subscription.

Creating icons is one of my favorite design tasks, so I couldn’t wait to make a few more for the website refresh. You’ll find a few of them on the home page and sprinkled throughout the rest of the site.

I loved my existing design, so I created new ones going off of the same style, and I love how they all turned out. I hope you enjoy them, too!

You’ll also find several new graphics that showcase our content upgrades throughout the blog.

I also incorporated a collection of photos across the main pages and blog posts to give the website a fresh, new look.

If you’re looking for original icons for your business, they are included in my brand and website design package. I would love to hear from you if you are interested in working together to bring your branding to life!

I added a background color to highlight sections on my services pages.

With the acceptation of my About page, I typically keep my pages simple and to the point. I’m also all about that whitespace when it comes to website design.

To spruce things up a little bit and to call attention to a few details on my services pages, I incorporated a background color to a few sections.

The backgrounds are still a light neutral color to keep the page calm and clutter-free. They highlight the main points, benefits, and features to add interest and to break up the sections. I love how much this design element adds to these pages!

So there’s the details of the Ponder Trail website refresh! I hope you find these updates beneficial for you and your creative business journey.

If you are looking to bring your website to the next level (or if you’re starting from scratch), I would love to chat! Take a look at my design service here to get started.

Blog

Not Converting Instagram Followers into Email List Subscribers? Here’s What You’re Missing Out On. (Hint: It’s HUGE.)

You put a lot of time into creating social media content. But with the constant changes to Instagram and the chronic algorithm shifts, Instagram growth and engagement can be a rocky road.

And for small businesses who rely on Instagram to reach their audience and make money, it can be detrimental to your income.

There’s no telling what Instagram will toss our way next, so we need to be prepared for anything.

If you’re wondering what is the best way to ensure your business doesn’t get forgotten, it’s simple:

Prioritize growing and nurturing your email subscriber list alongside Instagram.

It can take as little as 30 minutes a week to implement this incredible business strategy, so you really have nothing to lose but everything to gain.

If you’re just starting out with your newsletter list, or if you already have a steady stream of subscribers, this blog post will show you exactly how to start gaining significant traction with your email marketing list today.

This way, you’ll always be able to reach your followers—whether Instagram decides to show your content or not.

Brand and Website Design for TwigBerryStudio

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I refreshed some key priorities this season in my business. One of the things I’m focusing on in a greater scope is taking on more design and strategy clients. And part of that includes posting each project to my blog to share with you.

I thought it would be fun to kick-off this series with a design that’s a little extra special to me. I’m excited to share it with you because this brand and website project actually features my very first creative business and the brand that kick-started my journey as an entrepreneur: TwigBerryStudio.

While I designed the bulk of this brand years ago, and while it’s been sitting in my portfolio all this time, I recently added a few finishing touches to accommodate several new ventures within my business, so it’s the perfect time to make its debut here on the Ponder Trail blog with a full project breakdown.

The fun part about today’s post is that you’ll also get a glimpse at the creative things I’m working on when I’m not writing blog posts, designing brands and websites, or working one-on-one with my brand strategy clients. Ready for the tour?

5 Business Strategies I’m Prioritizing for Online Growth this Season

Just like life, businesses go through different seasons. Some months are jam-packed. Some have a slower pace. Some are exciting. Some are a little less interesting.

But it’s often overlooked that we actually have so much control over this.

I’ve switched some things up inside my business over the last several months to keep it fresh and to help serve me and my clients better. Plus, these changes play into my long-term goals even more.

I thought it would be fun to share this inside look on the blog, so today I’m diving into 5 strategic areas I’m prioritizing in my business this season.

I hope these ideas offer you inspiration if you’re looking to give your small business a backstage spruce too.

A few key changes can really amp up your productivity and build more strategy into how you run things as an entrepreneur. Let me show you around…

How to Create an Unbeatable Brand Strategy for Your Small Business

Ever feel like something in your business is missing? Maybe you have questions about the tasks you should prioritize. Maybe you wonder if your content is reaching the right crowd. Maybe you aren’t seeing the results you wanted despite working those extra long hours on your side hustle.

Can I let you in on a little secret? All of those thoughts can find their answers in a comprehensive strategy. And if you think there’s more that your brand could be achieving, it’s time to create a solid brand strategy and put it in the driver’s seat.

Real talk. Are you missing out big time by leaving your strongest tool by the wayside? Is your brand trudging forward while your straightforward action map is right there waiting in your back pocket? Have you given your business the best shot by tapping into the life-giving world of brand strategy?

It’s possible that you’ve tried strategy before, or perhaps you haven’t given it much notice, but if you aren’t getting the results you want in your business, I guarantee you that a lack of strategy is to blame.

So can you guess what today’s article is about? That’s right: brand strategy for creative entrepreneurs.

An Inside Look at My Brand Strategy Coaching Program

Over the last several years, I’ve had clients come to me with business strategy questions despite them being enrolled a coaching program.

What tasks should I work on? Where should my focus be? What’s the fastest way to grow an audience? How do I create a marketing plan that works? How do I follow these ideas in a way that sets my brand apart? I have a limited amount of time each week, what strategies are most important for my goals? I’m posting consistently to my social media, but I’m still not getting any traction; what am I missing?

Clearly, something was missing in the instruction they were getting.

While they were getting standard business advice, creative entrepreneurs were often left wondering how to tie it into their own unique business and how to keep their brand consistent.

So I designed my coaching program to help small business owners take their businesses places without all the guesswork. Instead of vague business coaching, I decided to offer something vastly more helpful: one-on-one custom-tailored brand strategy coaching.

I created this service to help creative entrepreneurs work through the hurdles of running a business. There are so many ways to get stuck along the way, and it can feel like a lonely journey at times with new questions rising daily. Let’s take a look.

5 Signs You Need a More Effective Planning Strategy

Do you know what’s the most valuable asset to get you from point A to point X-marks-the-spot where your goals are? An effective and easy-to-execute plan.

A strategic plan is the difference between sitting at your computer with a blank stare trying to figure out what to work on today vs. jumping into action each day to conquer effective to-do’s that make progress.

Most people agree that planning is important. But many people also recognize that planning can be a pitfall. Like with any task or method, there’s often a best and a not-so-great way to do something. And planning is no exception.

When it comes to planning, there are countless ways to get hung up. From not knowing how to create a plan, to staying in a planning stage for too long, to not being able to follow through on a quality plan.

As creative business owners, we have a lot on our plate. New ideas and opportunities seem to flood our notebooks and calendars, overwhelm sometimes knocks on our office doors, and at least a few of last month’s tasks are looking for a place to fit into our busy schedule. In fact, entrepreneurship brings so many hats that we either try to stack them in order of priority or shrink them to wear multiples ones at the same time.

With everything going on, our original dreams and goals can feel out of reach all too often. Like a distant memory, our long-term goals get buried, and our short-term goals feel impossible to work towards.

Thankfully, there’s a solution. And a simple one at that.

It’s called an effective plan. And if you’ve tried planning before with less-than-desired results, I’ve got you covered. This month in the Brand Strategy Treehouse, I’m going to show you how to turn those efforts into an easy-to-follow plan that takes your business places—rather than one that runs you ragged and yields no progress.

With videos, guides, and workbooks to walk you through each step, you’ll come away with a fresh perspective and a new approach to planning.

Exciting Updates to the Ponder Trail Website

If you read my blog post about how I’m changing up my approach to planning out my year, you might know that a big website refresh was on my list for the first half of the year.

I officially published the site updates last week, and I’m excited to return from my blogging hiatus to walk you through what’s new.

I think you’ll find some of the new content helpful—especially the new free jam-packed resources. Let’s dive in!

Not Attracting Enough Customers or Clients? Your Blog Strategy Might be to Blame

I find the most difficult part of being a creative entrepreneur is managing the constant flow of new ideas. Everyday, I think of more and more possibilities and directions to explore for my business, and it can be quite a task to manage, analyze, and sort through them all.

The largest stream of ideas is usually for my blog content. There are so many things I want to share on my blog, but it often seems impossible to check each one off my never-ending list. Which posts should I write first? Which ones will be most strategic for my business? Which posts will be most helpful for my audience?

With a huge number of tentative posts, topics, and tips to create, it can be a bit overwhelming to figure out which blogs to write—especially while juggling other areas of business, such as client work, social media marketing, newsletter content, product development, and so on.

It takes a lot of time and energy to think through every blog post possibility, decide which ones to write each month, and map out titles into an editorial calendar.

In a panic, it can be easy select and write posts on a whim because we know creating content is key to growing a successful business. Gotta stay consistent. Gotta show up. Gotta build that SEO.

But this frantic approach leads to “idea clutter,” and it can quickly cause your business to crash and burn. Your posts are all over the place. They’re hard to write. They don’t grow your readership. They feel like a complete and utter waste.

And yet, you keep on blogging because you’re still hoping to strike gold one day.

But take a deep breath because today I have a simple solution to make blogging easy again. In this post, I’m going to show you how to cut the clutter, get to the point, and create blog posts that convert.

It’s time to whip your blog into shape so it can become a powerhouse for your business—instead of a burden.

Let’s begin!

Goal-Smashing Planning Techniques for Creative Business

Going into the new year, I had a refreshed perspective about planning.

Because in 2020, I let some of my goals go without stressing about it. I took some time off to enjoy several other creative hobbies I hadn’t done in a while.

After a few months of making polymer clay earrings, doing home decor projects, and working on my fiber arts brand, I dove back into my Ponder Trail business tasks. But this time, with a different mindset.

It was still 2020, after all, so I decided to just take it day by day without planning or setting too many goals.

But what happened surprised me: I ended up checking off more things on my to-do and projects list than I had expected. My productivity somehow increased, and I achieved several goals earlier than I’d originally intended.

I launched my first few digital products for Ponder Trail, officially opening the entrepreneur resource shop that’s been on my list for a while now. I brought on new clients. Blogging became easier than ever. And all without following a rigid schedule or routine. It kind of blew my mind.

After some reflecting, I realized what had changed: I spent less time over-thinking, balancing all the things, and maintaining the status quo. And instead, I spent more time doing high-impact tasks, focusing on only 1-3 goals at once, and prioritizing project-creation.

I had much more clarity, and my productivity increased drastically once all of the extra things were off my plate and weren’t competing for my attention.

So going into January this year, I knew I wanted to restructure the way I tackle tasks, using my 2020 findings as a jumping-off point.

The main hang-ups that linger in the background of managing business to-do’s are typically (1) not feeling prepared enough (hence not taking action), and (2) feeling torn in too many directions (hence not being able to stay focused).

I knew plans and strategy were still they key to getting things done, but I wanted to simplify things and be more efficient.

I needed to find a way to still work towards my desired goals while also have less to manage at a time—and fast: I had no plan, and it was already one week into January, and my first launch for the year was fast approaching.

And then, I had an idea . . .

How I Planned My Subscription Membership Area on My Squarespace Website: Part 1

Last month, I published a post all about Squarespace’s new, long-awaited feature that allows you to create a built-in membership area on your website. It’s called Member Areas, and in my recent blog post, I mentioned how I was using it to build and house the latest addition to Ponder Trail: Treehouse: a brand strategy subscription.

I wanted to create a service that was chalk-full of content and value each month. I structured it to include written and video components to provide education and support, while also including downloads such as graphics, photos, and templates that creative entrepreneurs could use as helpful tools for their businesses.

Rather than being a simple library or gallery of downloads, my new membership area is made up of actionable weekly lessons, with an all-new topic each month. My goal was to create a format that feels part-course and part-service, all while having a self-paced approach for each 30-day span.

I also included a live webinar component so I can answer members’ questions directly and help them work through each step of our current topic.

If you’re looking to create a membership website using Squarespace, this is the post for you. Because today, I’m going to walk you through my exact step-by-step process for how I created my new members-only area on my site.

I’m unpacking my entire method, and I wanted to make it easy for you to work through, so I’ve decided to break it down into a 4-part series.

Today’s step is focused on the planning phase where I’m sharing my strategy and approach for how I came up with my subscription service idea.

In this post, I’m sharing how I created a plan for my signature membership, how I mapped out the details, and how I determined what it would include.

Here’s what I did:

How to Avoid and Defeat Overwhelm in Creative Business

When overwhelm starts to show it’s ugly head, it’s time to take action and stop it in its tracks.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it might be a sign that something isn’t quite right.

Sometimes it can be out of our control, but often times, it’s tied to how we are approaching our business and managing things. If you’ve been spinning your wheels or find yourself stuck in a cycle of trying-and-failing, it’s time to take control.

Overwhelm can quickly lead to burnout if it hasn’t already.

But not to worry, I have your back with some tried-and-true strategies.

Try these tricks to put overwhelm at bay.

Welcome to the Treehouse: the Brand Strategy Membership for Creative Entrepreneurs

Over the past few years, I’ve discovered the value of adopting a laser-focused mindset. It creates clarity and an open runway to brainstorm and bring your ideas to life. It gives you space to think strategically, create a plan, and stay on track. It cultivates productivity, action, and progress like nothing else.

Once I switched my approach and dedicated my attention to one part of my strategy, I started saving time, seeing more progress, and finally getting in the groove. And I haven’t looked back since.

I started seeing the difference it made in my business first-hand, so I set out to help other creatives do the same. And after coaching brand strategy clients one-on-one for over a year, I wanted to find a way to help even more creatives.

So I landed on the perfect idea: a self-paced membership program. It’s a brand strategy subscription that’s part-course, part-service, and part-library, so it meets the best of all worlds for entrepreneurs who are looking to take action in their businesses.

I’m calling it the Brand Strategy Treehouse.

It’s my all-new signature membership, and it’s available to you today!

Simple, Proven Methods to Grow Quickly and Authentically on Instagram

As we approach the new year, we start to plan and dream about where we can take our business in 2021. At the top of that list for many creative entrepreneurs is growing our Instagram accounts.

With all of the users on Instagram, most brands have thousands of potential clients and customers hanging out on the social media platform. But it seems to become ever more difficult to grow our accounts due to industry saturation, algorithms, and just plain overwhelm.

Despite the odds, we sometimes discover new accounts who are surging with popularity.

How are they getting so much traction? What are they doing to gain followers so easily? How are they completely sold out after each product launch or shop update? What magic beans do they have that my brand is missing out on? There must be strategies they follow.

Can you relate to some of these questions and thoughts?

Well, today, I’m sharing the best methods for growing quickly and authentically on Instagram. They’re the simple techniques that all thriving accounts utilize, and I can’t wait to spill the beans with you in this blog post!

P.S. I’m hosting an Instagram Challenge starting January 4th. Sign up to grow your account and reach your Instagram goals in 2021.

How to Create a Secure Membership Site with Squarespace using Member Areas (without 3rd Party Programs)

Squarespace is hands-down my favorite website provider for small businesses, bloggers, and content creators alike.

And it just got better.

If you’ve ever thought about creating a password protected area on your website or envisioned what a members-only area could do for your brand, then it’s the perfect time ever to take action. Why now?

Because Squarespace just rolled out its latest feature: Member Areas.

New Tool for Instagram Growth: Marketing and Content Strategy Planner

I am so excited to launch my new social media planner for Instagram. I’ve been working on it for quite some time. I wanted a straightforward tool that would . . .

help with staying on track with Instagram goals
take the guesswork out of posting
make connections that help build a profitable account
grow an audience without frustration
create a clear step-by-step routine with daily actions
save hours and hours each week

Enter the planner!

How to Show up Consistently for Your Audience (because it’s the Key to Online Business Growth)

If I could only give you one tip for growing your business, it would be to show up consistently. Throughout the years of entrepreneurship, I have been convinced more and more that one of the top keys to growth is to simply show up for your audience each day.

Consistency gives you a steady stream of value to share, it demonstrates your expertise, and it shows that you truly care about your followers, thus building a trustworthy brand.

It sounds simple enough, but it isn’t always easy to show up every day. In fact, it’s quite difficult at times. And with all of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into running an online business, it can be easy to prioritize the front-end of your brand—especially for those of us who are on the introverted side of things. (Can anyone else relate?)

However, the audiences have voted, and it’s confirmed that you can’t grow a business without showing up consistently.

So today, I’ve narrowed down 3 easy ways to revolutionize your consistency. These simple things will help you get rid of the road blocks and keep you ahead of the game so you can show up each day and build a loyal and engaged audience.

3 Goal Setting Hang-Ups, and Solutions for Each

Setting and reaching a goal consists of 3 main stages:

the part that depends on your time, resources, and tools
the part that relies on your know-how and abilities
the part that counts on you doing the work

These areas each create their own hurdles around achieving goals. Over the years, I’ve struggled with all three of the hang-ups above, and today I’m sharing my best insights on how to overcome them.

With goals, we either tend to overaim with excitement or under-aim with overwhelm. Both often result in feeling stuck. But instead, we need to find the right balance to bust through roadblocks like these.

Good news is, goals are infinitely easier to set and achieve with you are equipped with the right tools in your pocket.

If you are struggling to start or grow your creative business, don’t extinguish your dreams before you have a good run! Give it your best shot with the tips in today’s blog post.

4 Steps to Stop Re-Setting Goals and How to Start Reaching them Instead

Are you making headway on your goals? Are you staying on track? Or do you often find yourself missing the mark and rewriting the same goals at the top of next month’s planner pages . . . again?

In my last post, I talked about the simple missing link to reaching goals, and I explained why many goals always seem to get away from us or feel out of reach.

Today, I’m showing you how to apply that secret so you can finally break the cycle of pushing your goals into the future.

If you tend to rewrite the same to-do list week after week, these 4 simple steps will help you understand and overcome the common struggle that many creative entrepreneurs face: how to actually reach goals.

The Missing Link to Reaching Goals

Goals.

We set them. We plan them. We reach them, too.

Or at least, we hope we do.

Some goals propel our business forward and help us reach new grounds, while others are critical for simply keeping our business above the water.

There’s something thrilling about reaching a goal—especially after working hard for it day after day. The feeling you get when you finally check one off of your list creates a strong sense of accomplishment and a surge of motivation.

But it can be quite discouraging when you find yourself transferring the same unmet goal over to next month’s planner pages, time and time again, to no avail.

“Maybe next month will be different. Maybe I’ll finally check that one off,” we hope, once again.

But when we are stuck in a cycle and struggle to reach our goals, it’s time to try a different approach.

Last January, while thinking deeply on this subject, I had an epiphany. I figured out the secret to reaching goals—or at least the key I had been missing for years.

I realized there were actually two distinct types of goals, and I was completely missing the mindset behind one of them.

It completely transformed the way I think of goals, how I set them, and how I map them out as a creative entrepreneur.

This blog post sheds light on that secret, and I can’t wait to share it with you!

The Worst Website Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

In 2019 and beyond, every creative business can benefit from a website, and most already have one set up. However, there are many things that can make a site subpar.

You don’t want your website to be one of the many that fall prey to these rookie mistakes.

Even the smallest error can result in the largest loss—such as deterring potential clients or customers because of a site’s faux pas that’s easily fixed.

I’ve rounded up the most common website errors I’ve spotted in 2019 right here in this post. Give your business an advantage by avoiding these top 11 mishaps.

10 Characteristics of a Well-Designed Brand

You’ve seen it before: an amazing brand design that is perfect in every way.

From the logo, to the color scheme, to how well the concept fits the business’s theme, a stunning brand like this can have you spending hours eyeing everything their shop has to offer.

This is much more powerful than a brand that lacks this alluring feel.

Why is this the case? A well-designed brand creates an entire experience around a business. So it’s no longer just a product or a service or a blog and is instead transformed into a captivating aura that draws people in.

Instantly, items in the shop become a little shinier and more special. Services become more desirable and engaging. Therefore, a well-designed brand increases the entire value of a business and makes its audience more eager to invest money into whatever the brand is offering.

This can be your business, too!

Many careful decisions go into developing successful branding; it’s the result of a design strategy and process that hits all the marks. Much brainstorming and planning is required to elevate your brand in this way, as well as techniques and know-how.

In short, with a brand like this, there’s more than meets the eye.

But I’m spilling some designer secrets today to help you make sure your brand creates an irresistible experience that draws in customers and clients.

Creating a Responsive Filterable Gallery in Squarespace

Have you ever wanted to create a responsive gallery to feature different collections of your work all within one page?

While Squarespace doesn’t have a content block to create this magic, I do have handy trick I’ve used in various ways across my website. This method actually uses several pages, and the results are so similar to a one-page feel that your audience will hardly realize it while your responsive gallery changes with a click of a button right before their eyes.

On this “one page,” your audience can select different categories to view. And they can easily toggle between these filtered views without losing their bearings or ever having to click the <— Back button of their browser.

Similar to a storefront with categories listed at the top for easy sorting, this Squarespace work-around has many uses.

Let’s jump right into today’s step-by-step tutorial!

Squarespace 101 for Creative Entrepreneurs and Bloggers

video + blog post

In this Ponderstream episode, learn the basics of Squarespace as I take you behind my computer screen and give you a step-by-step tour of the back end.

Get a detailed glimpse of Squarespace’s many features to see how simple and easy it is to use.

From creating pages to setting up shop, I cover practical ways creative entrepreneurs and bloggers can use Squarespace to build their brand’s headquarters.

Missed joining this one live? Register for next week’s Ponderstream webinar here.

An Inside Look at My Brand and Website Design Service

My love for graphic design and creative entrepreneurship is what led me to venture out and start Ponder Trail. I wanted to offer branding for small businesses and be a valuable resource, too.

While I have a page dedicated to my design service, I haven't yet spelled out the process on my blog.

So today, I’m sharing the details of my brand and website design package.

There are several features that make it a little different, and this post walks you through the process and highlights some of the elements that make it unique.

I hope you enjoy this in-depth look at what it’s like to work with me to transform the visual brand identity of your business.

How I Set, Plan, and Follow Through on My Goals

video + blog post

In my last Ponderstream Episode, I shared my step-by-step process for how I reach my goals. My process includes creating goals, breaking them down into daily actions, and monitoring your progress along the way.

Over the past year, I’ve focused on creating an effective and streamlined goal-planning system that saves time. Setting goals can be an easy place to get hung up on, so I wanted to outline a specific method that I could follow over and over again.

My goal was to be able to incorporate a step-by-step planning system into my routine to eliminate the pitfall of wondering where to start each day or what to work on next.

After over a year of experimenting and refining, I’ve ended up with a simple goal-planning process and created a workbook to go along with it. It’s made such a difference with reaching my goals, so I was excited to share it with you all last week in my livestream.

Essentially, my method for reaching goals is breaking them down all the way into simple to-do tasks that are assigned to each day. This creates a step-by-step plan for staying on track so you can monitor your progress and actually complete the tasks necessary to accomplish your goals.

There are 4 main sections: prepwork and laying the foundation, setting goals, planning them out, and following through. Join me as I walk you through the entire process in detail.

Missed joining this one live? Register for next week’s Ponderstream webinar here.

The Top 2 Critical Strategies to Consider when Starting and Growing a Business

video + blog post

There’s so much noise online about what you need to do before you launch a business, but today I’m taking the stand and saying there’s a Top 2.

In fact, if I had known and followed them before I ventured out and launched my first business (a handmade knitwear company), these two strategies alone would have saved me from running around in time-wasting circles, and my business would have taken off much faster.

One of them is a fundamental, yet often unnoted step to ensuring your business doesn't dwindle away from you and fail due to a simple overlook.
The other is a new, growing need I’ve noticed in recent months and is a byproduct of the modern online business era. But I’m not sure how a business can survive in 2019 and onward without implementing this strategy.

While extremely effective, the are both simple methods to follow and only require a bit of creative brainstorming time with you, paper, and a pen.

So here’s what I would say if I could tell every creative entrepreneur only 2 things I wish I did when starting and growing a business . . .

Missed joining this one live? Register for next week’s Ponderstream webinar here.

4 Key Areas of Branding a Small Online Business

By now, you’ve probably heard it: a brand is more than just a logo.

As a brand identity designer, I know this first-hand and talk about it often on the blog. A business’s branding is created from building color palettes, pairing fonts, and through compiling an entire style guide—just to mention a few of the visual elements.

However, branding goes even deeper than what the outside of a business looks like. And many of these other critical areas are often neglected and in much disarray.

Branding is more of an abstract concept—like developing a writing style; it’s something that takes quite a bit of unpacking to understand fully because there are so many components and the possibilities are endless.

So I’ve broken the essentials of creating a brand into 4 simple parts to make it easy to digest and implement in any creative business.

Learn the ins and outs of these 4 key elements of branding in today’s crash course.

4 Key Things to Do Each Quarter to Maximize Success

A new quarter is the ideal time to check in with your business to maximize success. I always find quarterly segments to be perfect for finding clarity, setting goals, and staying on track throughout the year.

Their 90-day time span allow for progress to be made and give you ample time to effectively analyze the ins and outs of your business.

It’s all-too easy to drift from your course and lose sight of your brand’s focus, so in today’s blog post, I’m offering some help.

Ensure game-changing progress over the next three months with just four simple things to do at the start of each quarter.

How to Plan 30 Days of Instagram Content

Planning Instagram content 30 days in advance has many benefits.

It allows you to create and prepare everything so you only need to spend a few minutes on Instagram each day.

It helps you to “show up” consistently without Instagram becoming your full-time job.

It saves so much time and lets you create an Instagram routine that works with your busy life.

And, you never again have to stress out about throwing a post together last-minute.

If you’re wishing for a better posting strategy, or if you’re just curious about this whole “planning” thing, you’ve come to the right place. Because today, I’m sharing my simple step-by-step process for intentionally planning 30 days of Instagram content.

My Step-by-Step Process for a Successful Year

It’s that time of year again—when everything feels fresh and new. Goals swirl around our minds with ever-growing excitement about what we hope to accomplish in the new year.

We dream big about our businesses and can’t wait to get started on our latest and greatest ideas.

But without a methodical way to set and reach goals, there isn’t much hope for success.

So today, I’m giving you my step-by-step process to effectively plan for a successful and productive year. This is an in-depth blog post you won’t want to miss.

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Ponder Trail

brand strategy and design for creative entrepreneurs

Bio

Welcome! I'm Sarah, the brand strategist and graphic designer behind Ponder Trail. I help creatives transform their businesses into productive one-of-a-kind brands. Read more here.

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Blog + Archives

Welcome to the blog! It's where I share my best secrets and tips for growing a creative business.

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Business

Branding

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Coaching

Brand Strategy Coaching

Personalized, one-on-one coaching to help you find clarity, create a plan, and take action. Together, we will put strategy at the forefront of your plan so you can be equipped to work smarter, reach your goals, and create a profitable business without guesswork or idea-overload. Learn more.

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Design

Brand + Website Design

Intentional design that's rooted in strategy and purpose to connect with your ideal customers and clients. Showcase and elevate the quality of your business with a one-of-a-kind brand and website. Learn more.