👋 It's me, Hi! A personal one...

Hi guys! Thanks for joining me today on this incredibly heartfelt episode. 

I shared how embracing fearlessness is my mantra for 2025 and all the bold moves I'm making with my brand. From personal challenges to professional growth with new workshops and a killer brand update – it's all about slowing down to speed up. 

Remember, whatever challenges you're facing, you're not alone. Your brand is your superpower and I hope you enjoy getting to know me even more.

x Morgan

Connect with me:

• Follow The Fearless Designer on Instagram
  @the.fearless.designer
  
  
• Head to The Fearless Designer Website for more info
  www.thefearlessdesigner.com.au

Transcript

Hi, guys. Welcome back to the Fearless Designer podcast. Thank you for joining me today. I know I can't get away with this for very much longer, but I really hope you're having a wonderful start to 2025. I know we're already a good few weeks in, so this isn't exactly a new year, new me episode, but I really wanted to give you a bit more of an insight into what's been going on in my life, with my business and with myself lately, and give you a little sneak peek of what's going on for the year ahead for me. I know I'm usually teaching a lot on here and telling you what to do. So this is a bit of a different episod episode and it's not something that comes really naturally to me. So as the Fearless Designer, I feel like being fearless this year.

I'm going to let you in a little bit more and share a little bit about me and a little bit more about what my business does and how I cope and all of the good stuff. So let's go, let's dive in. Let's get started. Hello and welcome to the Fearless Designer Podcast. I'm your host, Morgan MacDonald, aka the fearless designer, and I'm here to help you embrace your fears, level up your visual brand, and take your business to fearless new heights. For two decades, I've worked with business owners just like you, designing brands that are bold, consistent and authentic. I've lived a profesh corporate life as a graphic designer and I've also spent the last 13 years running my own brand and graphic design business. So whether you're running a six or seven figure business, craving a brand refresh, or just ready to add a little more wow to your visuals, I got you.

Each week we'll dive into fearless brand strategies, design tips that you actually can use, live brand audits, and interviews with fellow business owners who have dared to do things differently. So if you're ready to stop playing small, take control of your brand and lead with confidence, you're in the right place. Let's go. So I'm going to start with a little bit of a reflection. The last six months have been really amazing for me and my business. I've been in a massive growth phase, which is exciting, but I have to say, it has been something that was designed by me. So six months ago, I made a commitment to myself that I was going to give this business a red hot crack. Not that I haven't been for the last 12 years, but I really wanted to drive growth.

More clients More work, more impact, the whole thing. So in this growth phase, I have seen amazing new clients join me. I have created a signature framework for my business, which is now the foundations of everything that I do. I have started growing my team, which is so exciting. And I'll touch on that a little bit further down the line. And I've really been working on creating an offer that really stands out to people that I want to work with. So I suppose towards the end of last year, I started to hit a point where I was running at full speed without taking a break. And I was honestly okay.

But I had a conversation with my coach and they gave me a piece of advice which stuck with me. And it was, sometimes you have to slow down to speed up. And that really kind of like hit me like the lightning bolt that I needed. I was running at full speed, but I needed to get my shit in order and I'll explain more about what that looks like. So, for me, getting my shit in order means I need to get some people in the the right roles in my team. I have to put some better systems and processes in place and I need to carve out more time in my week, in my day, for big picture thinking. And a really interesting part to that is, even though I preach consistency and prioritizing your brand, I'm going to be really honest with you here as well. My own branding has taken a back seat and I've been so busy and focused on my clients and business growth that I haven't actually given my brand much attention.

But in saying that there is a learning in this, this is what I'm going to start doing again, to make it a priority, I am redesigning my website and updating my portfolio. I am refreshing my visuals, keeping my signature fonts and colors, but making everything more elevated and cohesive and putting out a lot more content. I'm inspired by Gary Vee. Just go for it, because tomorrow isn't promised. I'm going to start putting out more content that I love, that really inspires me, that inspires my clients, and I'm just going to go for it. So if you have been procrastinating with your own branding, consider this your little nudge, my little elbow and your rib. Let's do it together. Let me know if what's been holding you back.

Send me a dm, whatever, and let's work through it together, because I hear I'm on the same page. And on a personal note, I want to share something pretty huge that's been taking up a really Large part of my life lately. And at the, at the end. Towards the end of last year, my mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer. It's been huge. Not only has it put a lot of pressure on my family, but it's also been a really weird adjustment for me, balancing being there for her as well as running my own business. Family for me is everything, so being there for her has been my top priority. But I've also been learning how important it is to be there for myself, you know, to make space to process and recharge and just be.

But it's been really hard and my brain and my body were operating very differently for quite a while where I was feeling okay, but my body was like, no, no, no, no, no. You're really stressed and giving us all those cold sores and ulcers and feeling run down and, you know, all the stuff that your body's pretty much screaming that there's something going on and you need to stop and listen. So, yeah, it's been a very interesting road. We're still on the journey. Mum's undergoing treatment, she's doing really well and we're hoping things are on the up and up. But I know we all have these challenges in our lives and things impact how we show up in our businesses. So whatever you're going through, I see you, I hear you, I'm with you. And yeah, we're going to learn a lot from this.

And on a really positive part of this journey, it has given me the opportunity to make sure that I am ticking all my health boxes as well. So I've had my 12 monthly bloods check, I've got a few little things that I'm investigating. Like, I haven't gone full noise with this, but I've been making sure that I, you know, get my cervical screen done. I'm turning 40 this year, so I'll be getting my breast just having everything sorted and checked and covered. So it gives me that peace of mind to know that I am, you know, looking after my health as well and business wise. What's coming for the fearless designer in 2025? Well, I touched on some stuff before, but I absolutely fell in love with running my in person workshops last year. Am looking forward to running some more of those this year, expanding them into maybe some online options to reach more people. But I had so much fun and they brought so much joy to me and I absolutely love connecting with people in person.

So that's, that's one part of my growth this year as well as doing all My brand updates, new website, new portfolio, some beautiful content putting out there and just embracing everything fearless because I just feel like I have been maybe holding back a little bit. So you'll see me showing up more online social media on this podcast. I have so many ideas for new podcast episodes. I'd be looking forward to bringing on some guests, past clients of mine and some peers to share their branding journeys and how they work with their visual brand and design for their business every day and just share their stories on how brand growth has really impacted their businesses in a positive way. So I just, I'm so excited for what the year is bringing, business wise. But it is again, that kind of seesaw effect on family and business. And yeah, sometimes it can be really hard. So if you don't know this about me, I am a mum.

I have two boys, 11 and 9, and I have a husband. But I'm also turning 40 this year. So I feel like I've been around the block a few times and I'm really, really excited for what the year is going to bring. But I live in regional Australia. I am trying to do all of the things and juggle and keep myself healthy and be there for my mom who's unwell. So if you're finding it really challenging and have all the balls, the air as well. I hear you and I see you and I feel you, like I said earlier, but one thing that I'm really, really excited about is knowing it's okay to slow down, recalibrate, build a strong foundation before you move forward. It's not a setback, that's actually a strategy.

So whatever you're working on this year, please know that you're not doing it alone. If you're building a bold, fearless brand, let's do it together. I would love to connect with you and hear about what you're up to and I can cheer you on from the sidelines. And I just really wanted to thank you for letting me share my life and plans with you. It means the world to me to have you here and I look forward to sharing more episodes coming soon with tips and brand audits and founder stories. And I look forward to chatting to you next time. So I appreciate you and I'll talk really soon. Bye.

And that's it for today's episode of the Fearless Designer podcast. I hope you're feeling really inspired, fired up and ready to go make some bold moves with your brand. If you love today's episode, don't forget to hit the subscribe button so that you never miss a dose of fearless branded goodness. And if you're feeling extra generous, drop us a review. It just helps more fearless legends like you find this podcast. If you've got any ideas or questions for future EPS, please slide into my DMs or send me an email. I would love to hear from you. And until next time, keep being bold, keep being fearless, and remember, your brand is your superpower.

So go out there and dare to be different. Bye.