It’s always cracked me up that writing coach prospects would inevitably mention how beautiful and sophisticated my website was. They never said a word about the writing. Their comments were always just about the look and feel of the site.
So why would I even consider messing with something that obviously worked? Why embark on a rebrand when there was nothing really wrong with my branding?
For starters, although the site was lovely, it was also dated. More importantly, however, the branding just didn’t convey a sense of who I am and how I work. I’m certainly sophisticated in my way, but that’s not the first impression you get when you work with me (or hang out with me for that matter). A host of other words come to mind, including: lively, smart, creative, irreverent, ridiculously organized, fun, communicative, caring. I could go on, but you get the idea. I wanted a website that reflected those qualities at a glance. I wanted a website that felt like me.
I started by morphing the branding that Silvia Stephenson—my friend, former second grade student and immensely talented graphic designer—had created for another one of my businesses that has since bitten the dust. I just love that little chick breaking out of its shell, hopping through the ink blot and then singing its song. That’s what we writers do. We hop through ink blots in order to sing our songs.
Then I went in search of websites and website templates I liked. When I had an idea of what I wanted, I got together with Scott Burns, a friend I often team with on projects such as these, and we started to play. The result speaks for itself. The website is clean, with punches of color and plenty of whimsy. I’ve cut back on the verbiage, so you get a taste rather than the whole story, which usually ends up being more than you ever wanted to know. And, as of today, I’ve added a page that features all the books my writing coach clients have published over the years.
I’m sure I’ll continue tinkering over the next days, weeks and months. But I love my new website. I hope you do, too.
Have suggestions on how to improve it? I’d love to hear them.
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