Hi Reader,
If you’re anything like most founders I talk to, you’ve probably told yourself some version of this: “I just need to rebrand and then it’ll click.” Maybe you’ve already done it once. Maybe twice. Maybe (no judgment, I promise) three times. And you’re still sitting with conversion numbers that don’t match how GOOD the business actually is.
That thought makes complete sense, by the way: When something isn’t working, you look at the most visible thing (the logo, your colors, the website, heck your stock images… anything). It LOOKS like the problem, so it feels like the fix.
Where that sends you? Oh Reader...
It sends you back to yet another designer, back to Canva, back to another round of “maybe this palette is the one.”
You end up with a fresher color palette, a new font stack, and the exact same flat results. The rebrand costs you time and money, and the conversion problem is still there on the other side of it, just wearing something prettier. That loop is expensive in ways that go beyond the invoice.
What’s actually going on then?!
Here’s what I’ve seen over and over again, and I’ll just say it plainly: the brand isn’t the problem. (GASP yes a designer just said that).
The strategy underneath the brand is! (I will die on this hill). Think about it this way: design is strategy made visible and when the strategy layer is murky (or missing) no logo in the world will fix it.
A rebrand without a strategy audit is just redecorating.
I see this play out differently for founders depending on where they are. Two businesses, similar offers, similar audiences. One converts. One doesn’t. The one that converts? Almost always has clearer positioning, a tighter message, and a site structure built around the actual buyer journey, not just a beautiful layout. Same effort. Completely different foundation.
The receipts (because we ALWAYS keep the receipts)
TIQUE came in for what felt like a redesign need. When we dug into the strategy layer, it turned out the positioning of the customer journey just hadn’t caught up with where the business had grown and their offers and how they have different paths for the 4 main ideal client personas they had. We rebuilt the strategy first (as always, non-negotiable), THEN the brand + website + shop followed. Black Friday sales went up 52%. The ROI was 6x. (not a typo, SIX!) It was all speaking and connecting their audience to where the business actually was.
(And not to brag but their team just told me they hit 200 sales for a new $300ish new offer we just launched the sales page for 3 weeks ago 🥹🎉 THIS is why I believe in what I do!)
So yep, strategy, THAT is the lever!! And it’s almost never the one people think it is.
Can we do it together? Heck yes!
I do my research (same as I do with my 5-figure projects: audience research, messaging framework, positioning strategy, strategy document) and bake us a plan.
Then in our 90-ish focused minutes, we do three things: we identify the specific layer where the breakdown is actually happening (strategy, positioning, site structure, or something else entirely), we map what’s actually costing you conversions right now, and you leave with a clear, specific next step you can act on immediately, whether that’s working with me further or handling it yourself.
It’s intense but we do real working-session thinking in the time we have.
What you walk away with:
You’ll know (with specificity and zero vague language) what’s actually going wrong and why your current setup isn’t converting the way it should. You’ll also have the framework to diagnose this yourself next time, so you’re not guessing or rebranding for the millionth time again.
This is for you if you’ve already invested in your brand or website and still aren’t seeing the numbers move. (and maybe, just maybe, you’re tired of being told to just “freshen things up.”)
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Cheers to finally getting a straight answer (and a plan!) 💜
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— Ingrid
The Brief
September 2026 Edition
Build your customer journey offer tracker! Identify gaps in your current offers and create offers that cater to your customer’s at different stages of their journey. For multi-passionate founders who have a lot of ideas and want a clear map on what to focus their attention on.
I'm showing you exactly how to map it out (plus you'll get my actual spreadsheets to track it all!)
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Learn how to use a quiz to funnel your audience into paid services or products. (Cash in on the power of interactive quizzes to boost sales and revenue!)
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MORE WAYS TO MAKE $$$
You can now sell any digital product with HoneyBook lead forms. Easily (and instantly) sell worksheets, e-books, courses, etc, to expand your revenue stream. Learn more about HoneyBook’s digital products here.
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Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can work together:
Brand + Website — Get a brand & website that truly feels like you.
Showit Shops — Add a shop to your Showit website. Zero overwhelm.
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Penguin Designing
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