Brand You Design & Marketing

03/12/2025

02/12/2025

Getting back into posting feels harder than starting in the first place.

The last few months have been… a lot.
Life got full.
Work got heavier.
My mental health took a dip.
And somewhere in the middle of all that, I stopped showing up.

It’s strange when you come back after a break.
You open the app and everything looks different.
People have moved on.
The platform has shifted.
And there’s that tiny voice whispering,
“Where’s she been?”

It’s uncomfortable.
It feels like stepping back onto a stage you walked off months ago.
Everyone looking.
Everyone noticing.
Even when they’re not.

But here’s what I’m reminding myself.
We’re allowed to come back.
We’re allowed to take a breath.
We’re allowed seasons without explaining or apologising.

I’m finally feeling more like myself again.
Calmer.
More grounded.
And December feels like the right time to ease back into things gently, without pressure.

So if you’re returning to something you’ve stepped away from, please know you’re not behind.
You’re human.
And you’re allowed to find your pace again.

It’s strange coming back after a break.han beginning?

28/11/2025

It’s Friday already
How did that happen

Weeks like this make staying visible feel impossible
Your brain’s tired
Your ideas have left the chat
And you’re already thinking about wine

But it doesn’t have to be hard
You don’t need new ideas every day
You just need a few things in place that make showing up easier

A bit of repurposing
A bit of planning
A little content bank
And sometimes, letting someone else take it off your plate

You’re allowed to make life easier for yourself

And if you want support staying visible without the stress
I’ve got two spaces open for content support this month
Message me if you want the details

PS, which one of these do you think you need the most right now

25/11/2025

I meant to post this yesterday

But life had other plans
And honestly, it proves the point of this post perfectly

I haven’t been consistent with my socials recently
Personal things came up
Client work needed attention
And my own wellbeing had to come first

Showing up online slipped to the bottom of the list
Even though that little voice kept reminding me
You need to stay visible
People scroll fast

Here’s the interesting part
Even though my own content slowed down
My clients’ content didn’t

Their posts kept going out
Their feeds stayed cohesive
Their brands stayed visible

Because the systems I create for them are designed to keep things consistent
Even when life gets messy
Even when the week doesn’t go to plan
Even when I miss a day

If you’ve struggled with consistency lately
You’re not the only one
It happens

And if you’d like support staying visible even on the hard weeks
I’ve got two spaces open for content support this month
Drop me a message and I’ll share the details

19/11/2025

Our kitchen roof is leaking. AGAIN!

We’ve had two “fixes” and three different professionals come out to offer advice.
But the problem’s back, so once again we’re trying to find someone to take a look.

And like always, it’s the same routine.

Start with Google.
Check their website.
Look at their socials.
Read the reviews.

Because I wasn’t just looking for someone who could fix the leak.
I was looking for someone I could trust to fix it properly.

When we’re deciding who to buy from or work with, we all look for signals.
Consistency. Professionalism. Credibility
Do the visuals match the message?
Do they look like they know what they’re doing?

If their website looks dated, their page is half empty, and their logo looks like it was made in Word, that sends a signal.

And it’s usually not a good one.

We do the exact same thing when people find our businesses.

Your website, your socials, your visuals, they’re all sending out signals before you even speak.

And when they don’t line up, people lose trust.

So here’s the question.

What are your signals saying about you?

17/11/2025

The truth is… I don’t really follow the rules.

Design has a lot of “rules” or principles that get drilled into you if you study it properly.

Don’t use too many fonts.
Stick to the grid.
Keep everything balanced.
Make sure the text is legible.

And most of the time, I do stick to them.
But sometimes, I don’t.

Because I’ve never really been a rule follower.
Rules feel like someone trying to box you in.
(That doesn’t mean I regularly break the law though… just to be clear 😅)

The thing is, what works for one person doesn’t always work for the next.
And sometimes breaking the pattern is exactly what helps you stand out.

Big brands do it too.
They bend the rules to grab attention, to make people stop scrolling, to make a point.

And when it’s done right, it works.

I’ve found the best results come from trusting your gut, trying things out, and doing what feels right in the moment.

Because creativity isn’t about following every rule.
It’s about knowing when to break one.

Are you a rule follower or a rule breaker?

14/11/2025

It’s not all about you!

So many people put themselves first when it comes to design.

You pick the colours you love.
Fonts that feel like you.
Layouts that make you happy.

And honestly, I get it.

You want your brand to feel like you.

But here’s where it goes wrong.

When you focus too much on what you like, you forget about them.

Your audience.
The people you actually want to attract and connect with.

They’re the ones who need to look at your content and think, “That’s for me.”

Not “That’s nice, but I don’t really get it.”

Because here’s the thing about design, it’s not just about what looks good.

It’s about what feels right to the people you want to reach.

Design is communication, not decoration.

So when you start designing for yourself instead of your audience, it stops connecting.

It might still look nice, but it’s not doing its job.

There’s a simple fix though…

Design should always start with empathy.

Before you start designing anything, ask yourself:

Who is this for?
What do I want them to feel?

When you focus on them, your visuals stop being random and start building real connection.

That’s when your brand starts working for you.

Save this for later as a reminder.

12/11/2025

Most people think design is just about making things look pretty.

Spending hours in Canva or Adobe, moving things around until it looks ‘good’.

But that’s not what design really is.
Graphic design is a skill that takes time to learn.

And before you even touch the software, there’s the back work.

Understanding your audience.
Knowing the problem.
Knowing the brand.
Every little detail has a purpose.

From the white space to the text size, nothing is random.

A logo design starts with a spider diagram.
Social content starts with a strategy.

A good designer knows when to take something away instead of adding more.
And no, the logo does not need to be bigger.

People call me picky all the time when I give feedback, but I can spot a misalignment a mile off.

Those small details make or break a design.

It’s like my husband who’s a DJ, he can hear when a mix is off-beat.

You refine your craft. You train your eye. You become an expert.

Design isn’t about making things pretty.

It’s about creating visuals that tell stories, spark emotion, and make your business look s**t hot.

What’s one thing people always misunderstand about your job?

05/11/2025

If I could go back and give 16-year-old me one piece of advice, what would it be?

First off, she’d probably tell me to F*ck off.

Back then, I didn’t listen to anyone. What 16-year-old does?

But I’d still tell her, because it would plant a seed. And sometimes it’s that one small moment that sticks.

I’d tell her she doesn’t need to please everyone.

Some people will love you. Others won’t. And that’s okay.

It would have saved me years of pouring time and energy into the wrong people, the ones who made the journey harder than it needed to be.

All she wanted was to fit in, even if that meant dulling her spark, putting up with people’s crap, and making herself small.

It held her back.
It hurt her.
It stopped her from seeing her potential.

Yes, I could give her some business advice, but she doesn’t need it.
That 16-year-old girl achieved her dream.

She became a graphic designer.
She led a design room.
She built her own business.

But that people-pleasing streak still lingers, even now.
It’s a battle of wills, two sides of the same coin, and you never quite know which side will show up.

So if I could go back 25 years to chat with her, I’d say…
Hey Nikki, you’re perfect the way you are.

You don’t need to please everyone.

Be you.

PS: What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance?

03/11/2025

It’s always good to remind people who you are, right?

I’m Nikki, the woman behind Brand You Design & Marketing.

A mum.
A wife (finally, got the paperwork to prove it!).
A wine lover.
A rave lover.
A Frenchie owner.

And someone who got so fed up with a toxic job that I finally took the leap and went all in on myself.

It’ll be three years this December since I said goodbye to being employed, and what a rollercoaster it’s been.

Tears, tantrums, huge highs, and the occasional meltdown, but I wouldn’t change it for the world (most days 😉).

With 20 years in design and marketing, I help ambitious business owners show up, stand out, and stay visible with bold branding, scroll-stopping content, and lead magnets that actually bring clients in.

I love what I do. You kind of have to when you work for yourself!

If you’re new here, say hey in the comments 👋 or tell me what kind of business you run.