Our ten-week course begins on January 3, 2018! We'll be working Wednesday to Wednesday, with an extra few days on the end! Here is an overview of what we'll be working on throughout our time together:

Week 1: Who Are You?

During Week 1 we'll be filling out the VIA Survey of Character Strengths & beginning to work with other tools to come to a clear definition of who YOU are as a brand. We'll craft a mission statement & set some high-level goals as you move forward into 2018.

On the technical side, I'll introduce you to Photoshop and we'll work on a basic project together. You'll download a font and create a printable flyer, and begin looking for fonts you might like to use as part of your own branding.

Week 2: Who Are They?

In Week 2 we come to a clearer understanding of exactly who your target market is. I'll show you ways to drill down into demographic details such as gender, age, location as we build customer profiles that help you visualize who it is you'll be smiling at as you work with them.

Technical learning during this week includes setting up your file system so you can find all your business assets when you need them again. We'll also begin taking a look at icons and other graphical resources you can use in your branding, and begin identifying graphical styles.

Week 3: What Do You Sell?

Week 3 sounds simple - of course you know what you sell! But we'll be reframing your products or services in terms of the benefits they bring to your client. By their nature, your products or services address a point of pain for them. How will you change their world? Make their lives easier and better? We'll use your mission statement as the foundation for articulating how you can use your strengths to solve their problems in a way that wins.

In this week, we'll practice creating a web-sized ad using a stock photo. I'll show you some resources for royalty-free stock photography, and you can begin gathering your own photo assets.

Week 4: Why Should They Hire You?

In Week 4 we really begin to pull your brand together! Knowing exactly who you are, who THEY are and where they're coming from, and what exactly it is that you'll do for them is the foundation for creating tailored sales pitches that grab their attention and make hiring you almost automatic.

In this week, we'll describe the feeling we want our clients to have when they interact with you & your business, and then translate those into a gorgeous color scheme. I'll show you how to draw simple shapes in Photoshop, so we can begin to collect colors that really express The Brand of You.

Week 5: Your Color Scheme & Mood Board

As we finish up the first half of our course, we'll be translating all the details we defined in our first four weeks of branding, and begin to overlay those with visuals. First up, we'll create our color scheme, and then I'll show you how to create a mood board you can look at again and again to keep your branding consistent across all your client interactions.

Week 6: Your Logo

Fasten your seatbelt! It's no wonder that large companies spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on logo creation - this is the most difficult project we'll work on, because it involves the design of a logo that really expresses who YOU are. combining a font, some simple graphics, and your color scheme into a logo that really expresses who YOU are. We'll share these in the forum and get feedback from each other as well!

During this week we'll be talking about email providers. I'll show you how to set up your email list and create a broadcast in ConvertKit, and we'll talk about creating automated email sequences as well. *I'll be able to answer your questions about other email providers as well*

Week 7: Your Business Card - physical & virtual

In week 7 we'll be creating the print-ready files for our business card. I'll show you how to use your logo, type, icons, and pattern to create a gorgeous business card you'll be handing out wherever you go!

We'll be talking about creating a web site during this week, and you might as well not bother asking - you NEED a web site! I'll walk you through how to create a new site in Squarespace, and we'll talk about other site platforms as well.

Week 8: Your Headshot & Blog

In Week 8 we're going to take a step back from Photoshop and talk about photography. Specifically, we'll be talking about your headshot - everything from clothing to styling to colors to file size. Everyone needs a great headshot, and you'll learn how to make yours gorgeous!

We'll also be talking about blogging this week - do you need a blog? Where should it be located? How often should you post? And since we're on the subject of pretty pictures, let's talk about Pinterest, as well as online advertising

Week 9: Apply Your Messaging

In Week 9 we will talk about "brand voice" and how to stay consistent in both visual and verbal communication. We'll also be creating social media assets, including headers for Facebook, Twitter, Google + & YouTube (you choose which are right for your business), and I'll be providing gorgeous templates for Instagram to make posting a snap!

We'll also discuss how to use your brand to find related income streams, including affiliate, partnership, event co-sponsor, physical or digital products, branded products, and more!

Week 10: Brand Showcase

In our final week of class, we'll be showing off our gorgeous branding! I'll show you how to create an amazing Powerpoint/Keynote template for live or online presentations, as well as how to create a freebie handout for your site. I'll also show you how to install and take advantage of Google Analytics. You'll love all the cool info you get from it to be able to continually refine your audience and messaging.