I waited until the actual day of our rebrand to write this post. I suppose I wanted to sit and soak in every single emotion of the hours, days, weeks and months leading up to the big day. It’s my first post in almost three months and while I’ve deeply missed the outlet of my fingers stroking these keys, if I’m being completely honest with myself, the thought of maintaining a blog in the middle of both a rebrand process AND a global pandemic only increased my anxieties. So the silencing of my entire website – blog included – for a few weeks was a welcome reprieve.

But…I’m back!

And I can’t wait to share all of the details behind our big reveal earlier this week!

PARTNERSHIPS

Ya know, I’m not quite sure if people really understand all that goes into a small business. Don’t worry – I still don’t, and I’ve been at this thing – fully committed – for just over two years. Small business owners are BEASTS, hands down. They juggle – literally – everything from sales and marketing, research and development, customer service, accounting, human resources and legal, social media, to … oh, yeah – being a human along with whatever hats that carries. When I reached out to Jess (@jessjordana) and Kelsea (@kindlybykelsea), I, naively, thought that I’d just pay them to do all the work for me. I had ZERO idea how much hard work – and especially HEART work – would be necessary to successfully birth LoveMo 2.0.

One of the most frequently asked questions – especially by my family – WHY A REBRAND? What’s wrong with your current box and products?

Simple answer: nothing. They were good. Things were good. Business was good. I think, sometimes, people see change and naturally assume that its impulsive and sudden, when in reality, some changes begin a deeper work looong before they ever break through the surface to be seen. That’s where I was. The rebranding of LoveMo wasn’t just something that happened in the new year. It didn’t happen because I was laid off. It’d been in the works. For a little over a year actually.

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I stumbled across Kelsea’s page in 2018 after we both attended the Creative at Heart Conference in Bermuda Run, North Carolina. Attempting to connect with like-minded creatives, I found myself gravitating to businesses outside of the overwhelming photography population at the conference and Kelsea’s stood out like a sore thumb. I did a thorough search of Kelsea’s site maybe twice before penning her into my goal sheet and keeping my eyes set on her. Her website had these little sentiments that talked about her mission of capturing the “story” behind the brand – and honestly, after the first round of Creative at Heart, I was fixated on the word “story.” I felt it in everything! My ears perked up anytime I heard it. Any mention of that word and I zoned in as if God, Himself, were sticking fluorescent Post-It notes on everything He had set in front of me. Kindly by Kelsea had a Post-It note. And I wouldn’t remove it until I fully explored every detail. I explored for about a year and in May of 2019, I reached out for my first consultation call.

Now, Jess – she came in like a lightning bolt. I’d never once considered copywriting services because frankly, I was pretty pleased with my own writing. I’d often think, “good thing there are copywriting services for those folks who just can’t seem to structure a sentence together.” Silly goose, I know. I realized pretty QUICKLY – i.e. after falling deep in her word trance via Instagram and her website – that partnering with Jess was a must. That she would only enhance my voice in a way that could – and would – allow me to connect with my audience in an even deeper way. A more meaningful way. That, in the same way Kelsea was drawing my story out and displaying it visually, Jess would do the same and put language where maybe there had never really been words. I was mesmerized by her ability to create instant connection with the way she put words, sentences, punctuation, and calls to action together. I may or may not have messaged her that very day requesting availability and pricing. Definite Post-It note. And contrary to my investigatory process with Kelsea, I locked Jess in the same week. July of 2019.

Now I was just fresh off the heels of my StudioMo shed purchase, so while my wallet was viciously clearing its throat in an attempt to get me to pay attention, my focus remained on these Post-It notes. Again, I couldn’t remove them until I’d fully explored. And I explored. I often wondered, primarily financially, if I should’ve increased the time in between projects, but in hindsight, I’m grateful to have lined them up back to back. Not only because Kelsea and Jess are good friends (products of Creative at Heart) who have partnered together before, but because again, the heart work that was necessary for each project individually was bundled into a season of blooming instead of a little chisel here and a little chisel there. I sit here, unemployed during Covid-19 thinking about all of the seeds that were planted as a result of conversations with both of them, simultaneously. And in that, I’m certain the overlapping of copywriting and brand designing services was purposed. It was pouring a confidence in me and growing a reassurance that I’d need to stay firmly rooted during this time of isolation.

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PROCESSES

SO WHAT DID YOU LEARN? WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE?

Incredible. I continue to sing these gals’ praises and I’d do it all over again in an instant. But not for the reasons you may think. Sure, I’m so deeply in love with LoveMo’s new look. I’m obsessed with the voice narrating my website. And hey, I’m crazy proud of the new web designing skills I’ve learned (thanks, Google) over the last few weeks. All worthy of applause. But for the third time – the HEART work – that happened in the middle of these projects was unparalleled. The multi-page homework Google docs and deep, insightful questions asked over the phone – those changed me. They challenged me. They forced me to really dig.

My time with Jess was … fragile? I’m not sure if that’s the most appropriate word, but when I dove into our project with both feet, I was 9 days into a 21-day soul fast at church and the Lord was doing all sorts of work in my heart. I think I cried for the first few days of that fast – hence, why I use the word fragile. The most impactful moment of my weeks with Jess came pretty early on upon completion of a homework workbook thingy. A 14-page thingy. JESS. DOES. NOT. PLAY. I finished the workbook, submitted it, and waited for our first call. I remember being super anxious – in a good way – but about a day or so before our call, the doubts started creeping in, maaajor. And I started having all sorts of thoughts about how my homework may have translated, how it would be received and interpreted and overall…was this even a smart business decision? Jess just got it. She got my heart. Like, my whole heart. And I had so much revelation on our first call. So much clarity. So much confirmation.. I was on pins and needles waiting for her to return my brand messaging guide and when she did…WHEN. SHE. DID…I cried at work. Like, lump in my throat and all cried. Guys, I don’t really know how to express what it feels like to have, essentially, a stranger ask a few questions, share a brief phone conversation with you and somehow translate your heart into words like this. As I said before, I was emotional. Fragile. Sensitive. That fast was doing a total work in me. And it felt harder and more emotional because LoveMo was always my “intended” focus of the fast. God steered me left on day 1, and I was certain that I wouldn’t be focusing on LoveMo AT ALL that month. But that brand guide from Jess – that brand guide was what reminded me that He hadn’t forgotten about my intentions for the fast. That even though He was concerned with other heart matters at that time, He’s also a God that can work on two million and one things at the same time, even when I don’t have the capacity to handle just two. I ended that work day by messaging my friends with the following: …”I’ve been super affirmed. Super encouraged. Super excited. Super SEEN. I think that’s what’s bringing these tears. SEEN. Not forgotten. And wow, just purposed.” But wait – it gets better. A couple days later, I’m sending in my edits to the brand messaging guide when I receive a comment from Jess that reads: “I hope you feel SEEN, because this is all you, girlfriend!”

Just like that, too. Capital SEEN and all. Mhmm…you bet I cried again.

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My time with Kelsea always did feel – and still does kinda feel – like a dream. Maybe it’s because I researched her longer, Or because I locked her in sooner meaning it was a CONSTANT countdown to our start date. Whatever the reasoning, I was in a heart space that was just ready. Ready to have the story I worked on with Jess translate aesthetically. Ready to continue moving forward. Ready for a creative relief after a reeeally hard January and an equally challenging February (…mind you, at the time, I had ZERO clue that a global pandemic would hit mere weeks later). In that moment, Kelsea was air. And WOW! She blew my mind. Ya know, sometimes (read: MANY times), I spend so much time focused on everyone else that I neglect to see some of the incredible gifts that lie within me. It’s always easy for other people to speak them, but I have a hard time allowing them to soak in. To do this work and to understand what I’ve always envisioned LoveMo to be is one thing. But seeing it staring back at me on the other side of a screen? Seeing it laid out in a certain way? It felt almost like it was the first time I was meeting myself. And it was in my weeks with Kelsea that I really learned to affirm myself and soak in what others see in me, instead of shying away from it. We preach at LoveMo all about getting honest with yourself – well, nothing drew that out in ME more than experiencing a rebranding process. As Kelsea so eloquently shared, “…this is for the girl with such a heart for others. We’re teaching her how to have a heart for herself.” And that’s exactly what I tapped into during my work with her.

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PRODUCT REVEAL

I’m extremely excited to usher some new products into the shop. The vision for LoveMo was, and has always been, self care gift boxes. And from my earliest dream sessions, I’ve always referred to my main three as the Signature, Heart Heavy and Heart Happy. The Signature transitioned into Heart Healthy for a short time until finally settling on Heart Habits – which really is so fitting for those looking to incorporate self care into a daily routine.

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But of course the dreamer in me – and the chronic lover and shopper of creative-made products everywhere – saw something more than gift boxes. When I envisioned a new shop, I saw small add ons or a la carte gift options that could be simple ways to share the message while also being the perfect little something for those you love.

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Pssst…have you taken a #LoveMoMoment for yourself today?