The road to The Artful Brand
The road to The Artful Brand has been an emotional journey … one birthed in tears, hard work and resolve. It hasn’t been easy, yet overcoming each challenge, each setback and each crisis has been what’s given the project its oxygen and its fire.
The Artful Brand was birthed well over one hundred years ago. Somewhere in Meru, a lush green hamlet that sits on the slopes of Mount Kenya, in the shadow of its greatness, grandeur and awe. It was on the these cool, sometimes icy mountain slopes that my grandparents were born.
My paternal grandfather was a great hunter, warrior and smitten kidnapper. His wife, a storyteller of great renown in the village, was snatched by said smitten kidnapper from the Maasai tribe and forced to marry the man who would later become the love of her life.
Their family legacy included a great grand uncle - a legendary griot, singer and songwriter whose poeticism enthralled a generation before bing mired in tragedy when he was murdered by a jealous brother.
My maternal grandmother was a humble housewife who lived to serve her children, while keeping peace with her husband’s second wife. My mother's father was a pipe smoking man of great girth, a renowned and revered farmer and entrepreneur who owned a series of pig farms and retail stores in the county. Yet if you asked me today who was the single most prominent individual between both sets of grandparents, I would say my humble grandmother Helen.
A stay at home mum who brought up 8 children, worked herself to the bone for her family, tilled the land and put food on the table most singlehandedly. She’d be exhausted every night, yet my mother would tell me how Helen would take the time, each night to pray individually for each of her children.
They’d hear her earnest prayers through the thin walls of the mabati tin hut they lived in, and feel surrounded by the rich glow of love and deep compassion.
My mother, now an internationally renowned trauma psychologist, is very much like Grandma Helen and between the two of them they’ve strongly influenced the woman I am today. Both imparted in me a legacy that I wanted to share with the world.
Guided by their knowledge and encouragement, I worked hard in my chosen field of marketing and brand strategy. All the toil paid off, and I’ve since had the opportunity to work with amazing brands and leaders. Yet somehow I felt nothing was missing - both inside myself - and within the boardrooms, offices and even homes of the professionals and executives I worked with. I read numerous self help books but they were filled with ra-ra and mumbo jumbo that wasn’t relevant to my 9-5 nor to my desire to create a legacy that would outlive me.I watched seemingly bright minds and soaring stars in their chosen fields plummet to the ground after repetitional attacks, poor life choices and mismanagement.
I began to sense a need for more. I started to explore the concept of life design - a wholistic look at destiny mapping - from understanding one's calling and meaning, to designing a brand, reputation and longterm legacy; an approach that was a radical paradigm shift; pivoting away from mere self development to legacy empowerment.
The content for The Artful Brand began to take shape. I decided to start with an online platform and an app. I kickstarted the project with excitement, naively believing the going would be smooth. Big mistake! I’d forgotten about the inevitable assault of birthing pains, almost always a given when you’re creating anything new and of significant value.
It began with an unexpected personal attack by someone I’d held dear and close to my heart. The hurt and betrayal had me in tears and knocked the wind from my sails. For a season I was tempted to give up on The Artful Brand. But somehow I found the strength inside me to keep plodding on - and mine the betrayal for material on how to deal with an attack on your reputation.
Then came the bugbear of every tech related project. Just as I was about to publish the app, the first set of developers went AWOL. This setback was especially unnerving because I began to question the project in entirety. Was this a sign I needed to give up? It felt that way for a few days as I despaired on the best solution and fix to adopt.
Eventually, and after good counsel from my husband, I decided to ditch them and start the project from scratch, once more with a new focus. Somehow the very content I was sharing with the app, to help push brands, businesses and personalities beyond their choke points, was what I needed to implement myself. In essence I was testing the validity of my content in real time.
This was all happening in the midst of a tough global season - impeachment, fake news, a climate in turmoil and the 2019 / 2020 bushfires (living in Sydney, my family and I were smack bang in the middle of the infernos).
Then came news of the Corona Virus outbreak, followed by grief and loss when Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in late January 2020. The planet seemed to be in a deep funk and it didn’t help my frame of mind. I was struggling. My soul felt weary.
As a clacked away on my laptop one hot, muggy afternoon, I searched for encouragement, desperate for anything to help me keep going on. Then in wandered my three year old son, who’s recently become enamoured with farts, body bits and butts. He cracked a joke about boobies in my face and proceeded to giggle incessantly at his own comedic genius.
I tried to keep a straight face but those giggles were weapons of despair destruction. I collapsed in a fit of laughter, and the cloak of gloom lifted immediately. It was at this moment that I realised the road to The Artful Brand was going to be paved by stress, worry and even pain.
Yet it would also paved by warm cuddles from my darling girl, a kiss from hubs, a call from a friend, the rain on my face, sweet memories of mum, grandma Helen and I … and their love, encouragement and more important, prayers over me.
I pray for my son and daughter daily. I pray for their peace, welfare, protection and their joy. It’s their joy especially that feeds my spirit and lifts my soul so I can continue my life’s work. It's these small things ... the tiny pin pricks of light that help to shine in and chase away the darkness.
The crux of my journey to The Artful Brand is this - we all go through dark times of despair. Especially when creating a new brand, project, business or concept. You’ll be tempted to run, to give up, to slide into depression.
Yet it's the very flames you walk through that will strengthen you, embolden you, empower you and be the oxygen you need to fire up your dreams and bring them to life.
Selah. May you all abound in joy, peace, promise and wisdom.
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