‘As I look back on the past 14 years in business, it wouldn't have been possible without doing some self work.’ How Chrystal turned something she loved into a career

Featured

2 Jun

When covid arrived, Chrystal thought her business was over. Now she’s thriving with a small team and a career she loves at Brand Refinery.

What’s your biz?

Strategic brand design and websites designed for google and your target audience to love, we even do all the SEO foundations which a lot of designers don’t do.

We are a small close knit team so you get to work directly with your designer.

We also specialise in multi page formatting, eg prospectuses, handbooks, annual reports, yearbooks, books and support businesses with other graphic design needs including illustration, stationery, proposals, event stands, billboards etc.

All the things to refine your brand and business!

Who do you work with?

Business owners!

We actually work with a handful of large corporations as well as small businesses and every size in between.

I think a common challenge I love to resolve is having your brand identity designed to fit your specific business and appeal to your target audience and to also carry you to where you see your business next, as in the next level. I love uncovering what makes a business truly unique, what their space in the market is, how are they different to others and translating that to a brand identity.

And what sets us apart, is our specialised branding process, this is something I have developed over the years and its quite different to how other designers operate.

We also use colour psychology to further enhance what we design, to help the brand feel and say what we want.

What sparked the idea behind your business?

I have always been creative and so heading into a career in Graphic Design seemed very logical to me. I topped every art subject I took at high school.

I absolutely love the combination of business/marketing/strategy (one side of my brain) and how to translate that visually with the other side of my brain (creative). For me this ticks all the boxes, and I am not really sure when I decided to have my own business, it was always just inside of me.

I had thought when I started a family, working for myself would be a good way to be around for my children and it has definitely provided that but also brought me great satisfaction being able to wear all the business owner hats and do the creative work.

What does a typical day look like for you as a business owner?

I get up at 6am, have a coffee and head out for a 4km walk to get my steps and enjoy the scenery, this is so good for my soul. Followed by breakfast, shower and school drop off.

Once home, I might whip round tidy up a little, do some washing and then sit at my desk and get stuck into work. I used to pop to the gym during the day but have had to move it outside work hours these days with all we have going on.

Some days I might head to Hamilton to meet with clients or do a workshop (I went to a really interesting one on IP recently). I will usually nip out to do school pickup in the afternoon and sometimes I will have to coordinate afterschool activities for both my kids but most of the time I am back into work for the rest of the day.

I do have to be intentional with my personal life to make sure I have one, and occasionally there will be deadlines that require me to work a weekend or late nights but that’s what comes with being the owner.

Whilst I do have a small team, that sort of thing usually sits with me, and having worked for myself for so long, I am used to it, I go the extra mile, especially when its needed.

What are some of the key milestones in your business journey so far?

I am really proud of working for myself for 14 years now and it is a point where I financially support the family as opposed to being more of a hobby or part time business in the earlier years when my kids were pre school. I am also proud that I have invested in growth tools, courses and mentors that have really helped me spear ahead.

And Im also really thankful for the opportunity to buy my previous employers business almost three years ago which is what has really lit my heart on fire, provided me with new challenges and given me so much more purpose and direction while also providing employment for others (this would be my most proud accomplishment because of the stepping out of my comfort zone in so many ways and hours I have worked and effort I have poured into this). I am proud of what I have accomplished in these last few years and so thankful for my awesome team who have supported me in this too.

Another key milestone would be about 7 years ago teaching myself to build websites. I had a supplier who would build them for me and she became really hard to get hold of, so I jumped in taught myself and followed this up with a course to make sure I was doing everything right and learn what could be done to be more efficient in the build process. And now I would have built 40+ websites myself, and we host them on our own servers, such a valuable revenue stream to the business.

I am also really proud of the systems and processes I have honed over the years, my business coach keeps telling me I am already super organised and streamlined that theres not a lot I need to change in that regard but I am always looking for ways to improve things from a client journey perspective and efficiency inhouse. I am proud of my drive and motivation to be better.

And lastly but most importantly, I am most proud of the brands and businesses I have been entrusted to work with, and seeing my clients success as they launch their big dreams and go after their goals. As a graphic designer that feeling of excitement when you see something you have designed out there in the wild, never goes away.

What have been some of the biggest challenges you've faced so far?

Covid, I literally thought that was the end of my business, thankfully it was just me back then, and I had just booked a brand and website project which flowed into another booking and another, so I had plenty to do in the end.

As a business owner, having a team has brought some really big challenges, I have had to have some really hard conversations but I am also a very understanding and an emphatic person so a big part of what I find challenging is caring deeply for my team and the challenges they face.

What are your future goals in your business?

This is an interesting one, as someone who is always looking to grow and evolve the business, I can see and imagine growth happening but I am also not convinced I want to grow the team. There are three of us currently and I like who we are and our small but mighty approach we have but you never know!

I am most excited right now to dive into our own rebrand, I merged my two design businesses last year (my own + the one I bought) and renamed as Brand Refinery but had to take imperfect action to make it happen otherwise it would still be in progress and to do that I had to quickly whip something up without as much intention behind it that I would have liked.

Also now that we have been operating as Brand Refinery for a year, this gives me more clarity and data to build something further refined from and hone our positioning.

What’s worked best for you to build brand awareness and get customers?

Initially, word of mouth, letting everyone I already knew, know what I did and then word of mouth from people I had worked with.

Having a website and posting on socials regularly (well at least a few times a year). And posting in facebook groups to answer requests for designers, no matter how small the request.

I still remember one post, she just wanted a vector of her logo she already had which I did and then a few years later she came back for a rebrand and then a website and then another website. I dont like to turn away clients based on "red flags" according to whats popular in design communities to do, or work that may not be profitable, everyone deserves respect and the opportunity for good graphic design to enhance their business.

I also think investing in decent photos and good website copy with SEO in mind, ensuring all brand touch points look professional - combined with brand design by myself of course!

What is one of the important lessons you've learnt as a business owner? What advice would you share to someone starting out?

Education, keep learning. As I look back on the past 14 years in business, from where I started to where I am now, it wouldn't have been possible without doing some self work to build confidence and also educating myself constantly, on business, design, web, colour psychology to propel and evolve into what we do and offer at Brand Refinery today.

How does being a part of She Owns It help you in your business journey?

When starting out, I think its huge if you can have a community where you can ask questions, no matter how big or silly you think they are, and also having in person catchups as working for yourself, by yourself can be quite lonely.

And now, its lovely to be in a community where I am able to give back and answer questions and provide support and encouragement where I can.

⚡️ FAST 5:

1. One thing you’d tell your younger self starting out?
Be bold, trust yourself, you've got this.

2. Your favourite biz or personal development books or podcasts?
Fiona Humberstone, from The Brand Stylist

3. How many tabs do you have open right now?
Only 13 on my computer (and a whole lot more in my brain)

4. What's your go-to power song?
Go by the Chemical Brothers (I watched Apex the other day and now Im addicted)

5. A quote you love?
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ― Marianne Williamson