✌️ The 40 Year Old Rebrand - Part 2

I said I’d give you an update in a few weeks… it’s been three months. Oops.

In this follow-up episode, I’m diving into what’s changed (and what hasn’t) since my 40-year-old rebrand began. Spoiler alert: I injured my shoulder, hit pause on everything, and accidentally discovered the clarity I didn’t even know I needed.

This isn’t your typical branding tips episode. It’s an honest catch-up about the messiness of the in-between, resting, resetting, redefining, and realising I want to speak more, coach more, and lean fully into the podcast.

If you’re in that ‘what now?’ phase of your business or life, feeling a little lost, a little tired, or wildly unsure of what’s next, this one’s for you.

Because evolving doesn’t always come with a plan. Sometimes it comes with a forced break, a mindset shift, and a reminder that you are not behind... you are becoming.

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 and welcome to part two of my 40 year old rebrand. And if you haven't had a chance to go back to listen to the first episode, it kind of sets the scene of why I'm doing this series and how, you know, when I turned 40 a little bit earlier in the year, I completely freaked out. So this episode isn't about branding tips or audits or any of that stuff. It's just a really honest reflection of what's been going on with me and what it takes to pause and question everything. And I'm so grateful to have had such beautiful DMs. And I even caught up with someone in person who mentioned the episode, which was so nice and such a relief because, you know, when you put yourself into the world with something a little bit more vulnerable than normal, it kind of feels a bit uncertain. And I was wondering whether it was a bit much. But this podcast is a part of my evolution too, so I'm so grateful that I've been sharing with you guys about what's been going on with me.

And today I want to do what I promised in the last episode when I said over the coming weeks I'd share with you. Well, it's been three months, so. So, yeah, lucky I'm here. I feel like this time in the middle of the year flies, especially if you have kids. So weeks has now turned into months. But I'm here, and let's get into catching up and seeing what's actually changed. Hello and welcome to the Fearless Designer podcast. I'm your host, Morgan McDonald, 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 probably a good few weeks after that episode about my rebrand went live, I injured my shoulder. And when I say I injured my shoulder.

I mean, I was completely off the tools. I couldn't design anything, I couldn't carry the groceries. I couldn't type properly. I had to learn how to do everything with my left hand pretty much. And it was super painful. But more than that, it was. It was perspective altering because it was the first time in a long time that I wasn't producing anything. And it's really kind of funny.

Do you know what happened? I exhaled. I didn't do it straight away. First of all, I panicked and freaked out and tried to figure out how I was going to keep up and what about all my current projects, all that kind of stuff. But once I accepted that, that I had really no choice to rest, I realized just how much I needed it. And it was a forced reset, pretty much. And it gave me the clarity that I didn't even realize I was searching for. So here's what came up or started to come up while I was in that quiet moment. I realized that I love working with clients, but I don't want to live on the design tools forever.

I also realized that I love branding, but the part that really lights me up is the meaning and the mindset and the strategy behind it all. And I also realized that I love talking and sharing stories and connecting and having heart to hearts with you and my clients. So I've made some pretty massive decisions, and this next season of the Fearless Designer is going to look a little bit different. I am going to lean back into the podcast, like fully lean in. I want to give it more time, more love and more intention, and I just feel like it is such the right time to do so. I love sharing my knowledge with you guys, and I just feel like being all in is just going to be so much more rewarding. I'm also going to keep reworking my website. Not in a get it live in a week kind of way, but in a more slow and meaningful and foundational way.

I want it to reflect where I'm going, not just where I've been, and have more of a nod to my podcast and some of the other exciting things that I have coming. And here's the big one, this one's the scariest and makes me feel the most fear. I'm going to start to own the part of me that wants to speak. I want to speak on stages, in rooms, in communities. I want to share my stories, I want to share my learnings, I want to share my thoughts. I want to share my beautiful framework that I created many years ago. It really lights me up and it's something that will be so valuable for me and my growth. So yes, things are shifting, but I really want to be honest with you guys about the messy kind of middle bit which I spoke about in the last episode because I'm still right in that spot.

I don't have a five year plan. I don't know what my offers are going to look like. But I'm not, not rushing and I'm listening and I'm still sitting with it and I'm letting the next steps emerge from rest, not from pressure. You may remember from the last episode, I spoke about journaling and how I was using it as a really important tool to kind of build a routine and help me process things that I was feeling. Well, since I injured my shoulder that's fallen away because it was my right shoulder and I'm right handed, writing it was actually very painful. So, you know, I could have, I could have figured out a way to do it. I could have done it with voice notes, so many different options. But I decided to.

Not just to let me sit in the pain of the shoulder and process. And now that I want to return back to it, I just want to make sure I'm doing it because. Because out of kindness rather than guilt, I don't want to feel guilty about not journaling. So I'm just waiting and hoping that I'll feel the urge to do that very, very soon. Another thing because of my shoulder injury is I've been really allowing myself to move my body in a very safe way. I've been doing hydrotherapy, I've been exercising again and I find that love the feeling post exercise, which is very common. So I think that's a really important part of this process is to make sure you're moving, to make sure you're looking after yourself. I had an iron infusion done because I'm very low iron.

So I just want to invite you to think about the things that make you feel really good and make sure you lean into those during this process as well. And finally, I've been something that's been really helping is I've been inhaling the book that my coach and mentor, Erica Kramer has released this year and it's called Becoming Magnetic. It's part workbook, part kick in the butt, part mirror, but it's been really helping me to unpack. Who am I? And not just the designer and the entrepreneur, but just me, just Morgan. And I think it's really powerful to do that because sometimes to build A fearless brand, you have to reconnect with that person and it's just come at the right time. So if you have been feeling stuck or unsure or like your business doesn't work quite feel like you anymore, it is okay to pause. It is okay to not know what the next move is and it is okay to completely change direction. We are meant to evolve.

We are meant to, you know, we are. We're supposed to slow down. We're supposed to have seasons. And sometimes the best ideas come from not hustling harder, but from stopping completely and noticing what feels heavy and giving ourselves permission to want more or be different or to break that routine. So this is what I'm doing next. This is my list. This isn't my five point plan because I don't have that. I am taking the pressure off designing the next perfect offer.

I don't know whether you're like me, but I get distracted by shiny things. I will organize, thrust things into motion. I'm not doing that this time. I'm going to put my energy into my podcast, into this podcast and make it really useful and real and more me and be a beautiful legacy tool for me, but also hopefully be a really helpful vehicle for my listeners. I'm also going to explore what it's like to coach again. I have been coaching, I coach a number of my clients, but leaning into that a little bit more in this season as well. And as I mentioned earlier, I'm really opening myself up to speaking, terrifying, exciting, sweaty palm kind of speaking, which is amazing. So look, it's not polished, it's not all mapped out, but it's honest and it feels right.

So if you're in a season like this too, if you're reimagining what comes next, or if you're just really plain tired, I want you to hear this. Please hear this. You are not behind, you are in progress. You are becoming. And that is more than enough. And I just want to thank you so much for being part of this journey. I'll keep you up to date as more unfolds. It'll probably be in a few months time, but again, if you are in that messy middle, if you're in that middle transitional phase, if you're forced to pause or something has landed with you from this episode, please get in touch.

I would love to have a conversation with you and support you as well. So until next time, please be gentle with yourself, try and be a little bit bold and keep showing up, even if it looks messy and is imperfect, because that's what a fearless brand really looks like. 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 loved today's episode, don't forget to hit the subscribe button so that you never miss a dose of fearless branding 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 Epps, 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 Sam.