Brand Crush: Lauren Hooker of Elle and Company Design

I’m so excited to do another Brand Crush Interview! Today we’re talking to Lauren of Elle & Company Design all about her innovative branding + design business, her hubs as her business partner (oh how I know this craziness! ha!) and more!

1. What do you do now in your business(es) + how did you get started in biz?

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t enamored with all things art and design, and it was always a given that I would pursue a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts after high school. But when I graduated with a graphic design degree from Virginia Tech 3 years ago, I had a hard time deciding which direction I wanted to take. My pipeline dream was to work for myself, but I didn’t think that was a possibility until later in my career. So I took a job as an in-house designer for a local start-up company and helped them through a rebrand and a new site design.

Two years and several freelance projects later, my dream of having my own design company came to fruition and I started Elle & Company. I spend my days designing brands and websites for my design clients, sharing content for other bloggers and business owners on my blog, and adding to my ever-growing collection of printables that I call The Library. I absolutely love what I do!

2. What does branding mean to you?

A brand is much more than a logo or a color palette; it’s the entire identity of a business. Branding is the process of getting an audience to say the right things about a business. A strong, memorable brand is one-of-a-kind, recognizable, cohesive and attracts the attention of ideal customers. It pays attention to detail and maintains consistency across all outlets, whether it’s through their business cards, email signature, wording on social media, or website.

3. What would be your #1 tip with branding a business with authenticity?

Stay away from the trends! When branding a business, it’s important to create a visual identity that is unique and specific. That doesn’t come by copying a pretty logo on Pinterest or using a calligraphy logo because everyone else in the industry is taking that route. A one-of-a-kind brand is built by doing research, learning about a business’s goals and needs, and getting creative.

4. You’ve recently changed the way you do design & branding work in a way that’s super innovative. Can you tell us a little bit about how you came to that decision and maybe how we can each apply it to our businesses too?

Last fall I took on several design clients at once and struggled to juggle all of the individual projects and timelines. So this year I took a different route by booking clients for 2-week timeframes. I work with one client at a time, each for 10 days, and by the end of that time period they walk away with a new brand, 4 collateral items, and a custom-designed Squarespace site. My new system has allowed me set definite start and end dates for each project, it’s made scheduling client projects much easier, and I’ve found that I’m much more creative when I can focus on one client at a time. I’m on my third 2-week client, and I have been thrilled with how much simpler this new system has made my process!

While it was a little scary making the leap – especially because I hadn’t seen any other designers using this system – I’ve learned that you have to do what works best for you, your ideal clients, and your situation.

5. You’ve talked a lot over the last few months on Instagram and your blog about how your husband Jake has become a business partner part-time while he’s in school. How do you balance business talk with more quality time, marriage talk?

That’s a great question, and something we’re still figuring out day by day! Because we’re both invested in (and excited about!) Elle & Company, it’s become common to talk about the business in the car, on neighborhood walks, and during dinner dates. But we’re learning more and more how essential it is to take a step back from everything and talk about life outside of the business. Each morning we have coffee and quiet time together and we do our best to free up our evenings so that we can have downtime at the end of the day. We’ve also discussed scheduling one Saturday a month as a down day where phones aren’t on, school work and business work are set aside, and we can just focus on each other. We’re learning that it’s all about intention and setting boundaries!

I couldn’t resist asking Lauren to join us and share her amazing wisdom after only a year in business! Check out her amazing printables & designs in ‘The Library‘ and don’t miss out on her home design project reveal soon. Follow #homesuitehome on Instagram!

Plus our kittens are calico twins! So of course, following her Instagram is a must!