CocoaBarz Media

03/26/2022

There will come a time where you are faced with an opportunity to shrink or grow. Fear will be an attendant to this opportunity and doubt will be it’s +1. Do not dread the inevitable presence of these two—recognize and honor their presence and then make the choice to push forward.
⁣⁣⁣
🌱So glad that you’re here!⁣⁣
🍫Ready to become an absolutely delectable brand? . She figures out all that graphic design stuff!⁣⁣
👋🏾Explore page peeps, join the community for more tips & content!⁣⁣

03/25/2022

I’m back running my mouth about things I know for a fact that y’all never asked for. 😘 But you know it’s because I love you and want the best for you! 💪🏾
⁣⁣⁣
🌱So glad that you’re here!⁣⁣
🍫Ready to become an absolutely delectable brand? . She figures out all that graphic design stuff!⁣⁣
👋🏾Explore page peeps, join the community for more tips & content!⁣⁣

07/03/2018

Listen...

I’m not mad at none of you who have found empowerment in becoming Jacks- and Jills-of-all-trades for the sake of keeping your overhead down. Canva, Ripl, Photoshop Mix and other DIY graphics apps are awesome, revolutionary tools that the solopreneur can utilize for their benefit, but there is one small bone I have to pick...

👏🏾SOME 👏🏾OF👏🏾Y’ALL👏🏾DON’T👏🏾HAVE👏🏾A👏🏾DESIGNER’S👏🏾EYE!

What do I mean? I’m talking about pixelated clip art, rainbow text, flat solid colors, poorly cut out camera phone images, illegible curly fonts in ALL UPPERCASE—the list goes on.

Stop the madness, please, and hire a designer! Remember, graphic designers are also your customers. If we don’t like the quality of work you’re putting out, we will do it ourselves or pass you by.

Maybe sewing is your gift and graphics are not. That’s okay... Leave that to the pros, or look into some courses on the fundamentals of graphic design.

Thanks,

Management

06/28/2018

One day ya’ll understand my deep, DEEP hatred of Fiverr. I don’t have to bring up their dirty laundry when their casualties find their way to skilled, principled designers every single day. Notice I said skilled AND principled.

Samantha’s designer did not listen to her requests, didn’t own up to his mistakes and certainly didn’t make a repeat client for himself when she contacted him for paid revisions. Thank goodness she did her research and made sure she received a vector file with her deliverables. Every Fiverr patron isn’t so lucky...

Do yourself a favor and RESEARCH the value within paying a logo or graphic designer. Understand the value in branding, and PLEASE put some respeck on our profession. Pennies will not do for the magic we bring to your company and the headaches we save you.

Need a consultation for your branding or logo design? Slide in my DMs, boo. Let’s chat. ❤️

06/27/2018

I hate to break it to you, but this isn't up for debate. I cringe when I hear someone talking about throwing together a logo in Microsoft Word or Photoshop. Those programs may be helpful for the brainstorming and prototyping phase, but they should NEVER be the output software for a logo.

Raster and clip art images do NOT scale well, and will often seem blurry, pixelated or "muddy" when scaled up or down. Conversely, vector images are perfectly and infinitely scaleable and will always yield clean lines upon creation/export.

What does this mean for you? You can toss your logo over to a t-shirt printer, graphic designer and a website developer and you will never get the dreaded e-mail that your graphics are useless due to their low resolution.

When selecting a logo designer, make sure that they are using a vector illustration software and that your contract detailed deliverables in .eps, .ai, .cdr, and/or .svg. PNGs of various sizes should also be included in your package.

So, do you need to go kick down some doors or do you need to start fresh? Slide in my DMs boo, let's chat.

06/27/2018

06/24/2018

This is a little random, I know. But today I found myself walking around in a daze. After weeks of sleep broken up by multiple wakings for bottle feedings and diaper changes, I have finally reached a point where my memory is starting to malfunction, my choppy workflow is inconveniencing others and my professionalism and zeal has grown stale. Spelling and grammatical mistake galore in business inquiry emails!

Find ways to protect your rest, peace and happiness. Schedule self-care time like you schedule appointments and deadlines! Don’t tarnish your first impression with someone because you’re all out of sorts internally. 🤗

06/24/2018

Simply being your authentic, driven, talented self WHERE YOU ARE is a powerful statement. I say this especially to my fellow Black women who break through barriers, ceilings and walls by existing as their excellent ass selves without apology.

Today is Sunday. Give yourself a pat on the back for fighting against the odds yet another week. ❤️

Shoutout to who blessed my soul by just being where she is and doing what she does. ✊🏾

06/24/2018

Help me understand!

We’re going to revisit this subject every damn time I see a business account with a shady-looking, blurry logo.

Could it be that you paid someone to create your logo in PowerPoint or Photoshop? Don’t get me wrong, Photoshop can cover a multitude of sins, but it was not made to create vector images. Remeber: vector images can scale indefinitely with no loss of quality and THAT’S precisely what you need with Instagram and Facebook auto compresses your images.

Ask your designer if they gave you a vector file for your logo. I expect to hear back from you next week. 👀

06/24/2018

Can I get a little personal here?

It really hurts my heart when I’m hired to do a promotional flyer or video and I have to go Google keynote speaker’s or host’s picture. I’m wounded even more when I hurriedly receive laptop and cellphone selfies from *business professionals*.

It is essential that we invest in our business image. We should make every effort to with our headshots, boo, brand assets, contracts, and lists of packages and services on hand at all times. If you do not have any one of these things standing by in a cloud-based service, I encourage you to set a goal to get those items prepared as soon as possible.

Looking to have an elegant flyer created for your next business event? Slide in my DMs, boo. Let’s chat.

06/24/2018

06/23/2018

That first one though!

I tell clients and colleagues alike that if you are trying to appeal to quality customer base, you not only have to catch their attention (in a good way) but you also have to make sure they can be proud of sharing your work with others. If your presentation is not on point, people will not buy. They also will not trust you.

Slide up out your feelings for a second and see it from the cusotmer's point of view. If you saw a Cadillac for sale on a shady corner lot off of the freeway, would you get the overwhelming urge to go buy it? Didn't think so.

Take some time to evaluate your website and take stock of where your weaknesses and strengths are. There's nothing wrong with posting a message on your home page letting potential clients know that you are under construction and striving to create a better customer experience. You may need to make room in your budget to hire a product photographer or purchase quality mock-ups from a graphic designer. Do what you must to scale your business! Take heed, entrepreneur.

06/23/2018

Take a moment to picture your mother’s face in your mind. Depending on your relationship, that either brings up some awesome memories, or bitter ones. You’re remembering times when she kissed your knees when you skinned them and laid into you when you did wrong. You can remember the scent of her perfume and the sound of her laugh. You know that when it’s time for her to cook, you’re in for a treat!

Now let’s switch gears. The title ‘mother’, along with the image of her face would be the logo, but her scent, promise of great cooking, laugh and the memories you share are her brand. You know it when you come across it. Those things uniquely belong to your mother and any element taken away from her would still stir memories of her within you. Her life lived out in front of you will forever stick with you.

So, when I say that your logo doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a brand, that 👆🏾is what I’m talking about. Are you making an impact on your audience? Do you stick with them when they’re away from you? Do they look forward to hearing from you? Are you a consistent presence in their lives? Where can you improve?

06/23/2018

While tuning into the Legion Of Toon podcast hosted by 3 black, male digital artists, said something harsh but incredibly profound: "Everone's dream is not worth your time." The ISTJ people-pleaser in me rose up with indignation for a few moments before I could fully process the full weight of what he said.

I had to be honest with myself. He was right. I can't afford to take on projects that may appeal to my personal interests while harming my business interests. If I'm not especially vigilant and analytical about each move I make, I could be spinning my wheels in mud for years. While I have a heart for small-businesses, I have a more powerful obsession with reaching the next level and refuse to be side-tracked.

06/22/2018

It's been 3 months since I officially established my business with the state, and in that time I've been blessed with 4 loyal clients that I gained from a follow-up conversation. I was completely sure that I'd missed my window, choked on my pitch or just flat out gave them sticker shock. To my surprise, they were not only very much interested in hiring me, but they would also love my work so much that they have stuck with me for multiple projects.

Every follow-up won't go this way. As a matter of fact, there have been dozens and dozens more who have either turned down my proposals or completely ignored me. But if I had let those 'no's kill my drive, I might not have met some of the most delightful people that are now my retainer clients. Honestly, I think they spoil me with their positive energy and willingness to drive their businesses to higher heights.

Need an experienced branding and marketing specialist on your team? Slide in my DMs, boo. Let's chat.

06/22/2018

Last week we had a heart-to-heart about branding and consistency. Since then, how have you tweaked your marketing game and company image to make sure your audience is able to recognize you? How have you committed yourself to paving your path to becoming a go-to for your services or products?

It's not always easy to figure out these things by yourself. Slide up a chair in my DMs, boo. Let's chat.