Brand Design for Erin Thorp

Today I’m thrilled to introduce you to Erin Thorp, a Leadership Development Coach and Author, who knew it was time to upgrade her brand. She was tired of thinking “oh, crap!” every time a prospective client visited her outdated website. Erin’s warmth and professionalism weren’t visible in her old brand, and she didn’t realize until after working together how much she had been hiding her genius. Well, she’s not hiding anymore! Come on in and I’ll show you the transformation!

As a civil engineer and certified coach, Erin is equal parts left-brained get-er-done and right-brained empathic. What also makes her unique is her belief that there’s a leader inside all of us (yes, you too!) and the best leaders—the ones whose team will eagerly follow them—are those who can discover and develop their “soft skills” like empathy, connection, and vulnerability.

Through her book Inside Out Empathy and her coaching expertise, she shows how emotional intelligence and technical excellence are not mutually exclusive. In fact, both skills are critical to becoming the confident, compassionate leader we all want to be. She’s passionate about helping rising leaders discover their personal leadership style and strengths before they reach the C-suite or whatever their next big step is.

1 | Brand Strategy

For her Brand Strategy, it was important to capture the unique blend of Erin’s corporate and curious sides. As an engineer and a female in a predominantly male industry, she understands the stuffy boardroom approach that many of her clients are familiar with. She also knows first-hand that the typical “check your emotions at the door” doesn’t work.

Our keywords for Erin are insightful, curious, and ambitious. The color psychology of slate blue is sophisticated and trustworthy and chartreuse is optimistic and energetic. The color palette is a beautiful blend of depth and curiosity which perfectly captures her ideal clients and her coaching method.

2 | Logo Design

After a few minor tweaks to her Brand Strategy, I began creating Erin’s logo. You can see how her old logo didn’t capture her personality at all, and she knew it. Early in the process, we had a little pivot in her new logo design which I’ll share in a future post. Combining the sans serif and script fonts keeps the logo professional and fun, just like Erin. The unique icon is a very subtle blend of her initials, communicates her focus on leading from the inside out, and emphasizes the upward, forward growth of her clients.

3 | Brand Board

The logo and additional pieces come together in the Brand Board with a variety of logo marks for flexible consistency, on-brand fonts, specific colors, and a custom pattern.

4 | Collateral & Social Media

As with most of my clients, I created a suite of files in Canva for her to easily update and publish. These included the usual social media templates in addition to a digital letterhead, bio sheet, and service package templates.

Having a detailed Brand Style Guide and organized assets has enabled Erin and her team to create all the marketing materials she needs. In the four weeks since we wrapped up, she has submitted multiple proposals, launched her free training series, updated her website, opened enrolment to her new program, and consistently shown up in her social media platforms. Here’s an example of what they’ve created this month.

She’s also a member of my Marketing Mastermind which has given her the container and support to continue growing her business. It makes me so happy to see clients fully implement their new brand and do it with complete confidence!

This rebrand is a perfect example of my Signature Brand Package which includes all the elements you need to take your brand to the next level and Let Her Fly, just like Erin did.

How does Erin feel about the final result?

“I’m in love! I truly couldn’t be happier. Every time I see a social post, visit my website, or produce another proposal, I’m excited to see and share my work in the world.

I didn’t realize how much I was hiding until I received my new brand assets and started using them. She has taken me from a homemade DIY disaster to a professional brand that finally feels like me.

Michelle was a dream to work with, and I couldn’t feel more supported on this journey. Thank you for giving me the gift of a brand I love!”

– Erin Thorp, Leadership Development Coach and Author, erinthorp.ca

To learn more about Erin Thorp:

Erin recently led a 5-day workshop, Tackling Tough Conversations, which you can access in her Facebook group here. It was full of practical, applicable tools and tips, and I highly recommend catching the replays if you ever struggle with how to handle those sticky conversations—you know, the ones you know you need to have but are avoiding at all costs!

As a follow-up to her recent training series, Erin is launching a new group program called Confident Conversations. If you want to increase your confidence when faced with difficult conversations at work, at home, and in your community, this is for you. The 8-week course begins March 8 and you’ll have Erin’s expert training and group support; all the details are here.

How about you?

If you feel like Erin did and are tired of cringing when prospective clients visit your website, book a free consultation and discover the confidence that comes with a brand that truly feels like you.