Branding YOU Better! – Susan Newman Lerer

How long has your company been in business? Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
I just opened my door as Coach Misti in September, 2013 as a Business and Marketing Coach for artists and creative folks. I Empower Awesome. In other words, my mission is to help artists and creative professionals to have the businesses of their dreams – their Awesome. I do this by empowering creative peeps to break through the barriers that get in their way in terms of business and marketing. You CAN make money from your passion!

Do you donate to charities? Tell us about that also and why.
My plan is to actually create a charity. It’s still in the works, but I want to empower young boys and girls in the Chicago area to see outside of their circumstances and go for a bigger and better life. There are a lot of things in the city of Chicago that can distract young people from going after their dreams. I want to help remove those barriers and show these kids the bigger picture.

How did you know what typeface (font) would be right for your company wordmark or logo? If your logo has an illustration, describe why that art was the right thing, animal, place, object, etc…
I didn’t know the typeface I wanted, but I wanted something fun and quirky. In terms of the heart and the map – I use a map in my work to illustrate breaking down a goal. Also, I believe that dreams come from the heart. Put the two together (as Sara Lim did, my designer) and you’ve got my Empowering Awesome logo. Because that’s what I do.

How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel?
The colors that I love happen to also match up with the colors of a road map. It worked perfectly.

How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
I worked with a designer that I had kept an eye on for a while. Sara Lim. She’s local here in Chicago. Really like her work. We’ve worked on it together.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
I started my Coach Misti presence with my free session sales page. Now working on launching a blog, a more formal website, and community.

How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
I was working in social media before my biz was technically open.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
Before beginning my marketing presence on the inter-webs, I spoke to a lot of my colleagues and business friends and asked for advice. I have really smart friends.

Do you advertise locally in newspapers and/or nationally in magazines? Are they effective?
I do not currently advertise in local papers. May be a tactic in the future.

Do you advertise online using Google, Facebook or on other company sites? Are they effective?
I do not currently advertise on Google or Facebook.

When you printed your products, packaging, business cards and other print marketing did you choose an online printer or visit a local vendor?
I chose VistaPrint for my business cards – the only thing I have printed thus far. They have so many templates to choose from – SUPER easy.

Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
Yes. I’ve worked in print production before.

Have you ever used “green” technology in printing, using FSC certified papers or recycled paper and if not, how likely are you at trying this on a next project?
I have not used these materials, but I am open to it.

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
Working on a great content marketing strategy and new website. Those are next big projects. Also a Freebie for blog enrollment.

To learn more about Misti Patrella,  visit the links below:

Website: www.mistipatrella.com
Blog: www.mistipatrella.com/articles.html
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mistipatrella
Twitter: @mistipatrella
LinkedIn: Misti L Patrella
Google+: Misti Patrella

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