• Giveaway closed. Thanks for participating!! . . . . . ✨GIVEAWAY✨ Today, I'm turning 32 and re-launching my long-overdue website. This lettering piece is an oldie but a goodie, and a reminder that although I (much like my website) am a constant work in progress, better things are always ahead. To celebrate, I'm giving away a $100 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, do any or all of the following (an entry for each): 1️⃣ Follow me (@jenellesantosdesign) 2️⃣ Like, comment, or share this photo 3️⃣ Tag a friend (separate tags = more entries) 4️⃣ Sign up for my mailing list (link in bio) This giveaway will be open until Thursday, April 11 at 11:59 EST and the winner will be randomly selected and announced on Friday morning. Open to Canadian and US citizens. This giveaway is not in any way affiliated with or endorsed by Instagram or Amazon.
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    Giveaway closed. Thanks for participating!! . . . . . ✨GIVEAWAY✨ Today, I'm turning 32 and re-launching my long-overdue website. This lettering piece is an oldie but a goodie, and a reminder that although I (much like my website) am a constant work in progress, better things are always ahead. To celebrate, I'm giving away a $100 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, do any or all of the following (an entry for each): 1️⃣ Follow me (@jenellesantosdesign) 2️⃣ Like, comment, or share this photo 3️⃣ Tag a friend (separate tags = more entries) 4️⃣ Sign up for my mailing list (link in bio) This giveaway will be open until Thursday, April 11 at 11:59 EST and the winner will be randomly selected and announced on Friday morning. Open to Canadian and US citizens. This giveaway is not in any way affiliated with or endorsed by Instagram or Amazon.
  • Guys. 3 big things: 1️⃣ Today is my birthday. I was reminded recently not just of the brevity of life, but also of just how far I've come in this journey God has placed me on. Today, I am 32 and grateful. 🎂 2️⃣ Today, I'm launching my website. They say done is better than perfect, and my website is neither fully done nor perfect, but anything is better than nothing, and I'm slowly working towards completion. 3️⃣ Today, I'm hosting my first giveaway. In honour of my birthday, and my website launch. Details in the next post!
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    Guys. 3 big things: 1️⃣ Today is my birthday. I was reminded recently not just of the brevity of life, but also of just how far I've come in this journey God has placed me on. Today, I am 32 and grateful. 🎂 2️⃣ Today, I'm launching my website. They say done is better than perfect, and my website is neither fully done nor perfect, but anything is better than nothing, and I'm slowly working towards completion. 3️⃣ Today, I'm hosting my first giveaway. In honour of my birthday, and my website launch. Details in the next post!
  • So I get a lot of comments about how awesome it must be to work from home, with the freedom to do my own thing, plan my days my way, and just be able to do what I want to do. And don't get me wrong, this is the path I chose, and I love being able to do what I do. While entrepreneurship and running a business does give me that freedom I've been wanting in all aspects of my work and life, it's definitely not without its struggles as well.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ I'd like to dialogue for a minute about some pain points and struggles we as entrepreneurs might be facing, because real talk, it's not always about finding awesome clients and doing awesome work, or fitting in mid-morning brunches and mid-afternoon naps, lol. Sometimes, we struggle with a lack of finances, resources or time. It could be a lack of business clarity that forces you to explore many directions, often resulting in dead ends. Maybe you're struggling with the art of the hustle and you're burnt out from doing all the things.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ My biggest struggle right now is probably a lack of time. I've got a never-ending task list populated with client needs as well as my own business needs that need to get tackled. I'm juggling nursing and nap times with design work and project management. And I just never seem to have enough hours in the day to do everything I need to do! Add to that the fact that I am a textbook overthinker and perfectionist who just needs to have everything done a certain way, making it hard for me to delegate tasks to others. Prioritizing is also difficult, when everything is important, and everything needs to get done in order for my business to be run efficiently. The struggle is real, y'all!⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Let's open up some dialogue about what some of your pain points and struggles are as an entrepreneur! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
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    So I get a lot of comments about how awesome it must be to work from home, with the freedom to do my own thing, plan my days my way, and just be able to do what I want to do. And don't get me wrong, this is the path I chose, and I love being able to do what I do. While entrepreneurship and running a business does give me that freedom I've been wanting in all aspects of my work and life, it's definitely not without its struggles as well.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ I'd like to dialogue for a minute about some pain points and struggles we as entrepreneurs might be facing, because real talk, it's not always about finding awesome clients and doing awesome work, or fitting in mid-morning brunches and mid-afternoon naps, lol. Sometimes, we struggle with a lack of finances, resources or time. It could be a lack of business clarity that forces you to explore many directions, often resulting in dead ends. Maybe you're struggling with the art of the hustle and you're burnt out from doing all the things.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ My biggest struggle right now is probably a lack of time. I've got a never-ending task list populated with client needs as well as my own business needs that need to get tackled. I'm juggling nursing and nap times with design work and project management. And I just never seem to have enough hours in the day to do everything I need to do! Add to that the fact that I am a textbook overthinker and perfectionist who just needs to have everything done a certain way, making it hard for me to delegate tasks to others. Prioritizing is also difficult, when everything is important, and everything needs to get done in order for my business to be run efficiently. The struggle is real, y'all!⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Let's open up some dialogue about what some of your pain points and struggles are as an entrepreneur! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
  • Who else spent all of late Sunday evening getting all organized and ready to hit the ground running this Monday morning?? 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️⠀ ⠀ Last week’s transition back to work was a bit of a rough one but things are semi back to normal so here’s hoping I find better footing this week. Rooting for all you working warriors! Get it! 👊🏻
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    Who else spent all of late Sunday evening getting all organized and ready to hit the ground running this Monday morning?? 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️⠀ ⠀ Last week’s transition back to work was a bit of a rough one but things are semi back to normal so here’s hoping I find better footing this week. Rooting for all you working warriors! Get it! 👊🏻
  • I like to tell my clients that branding is an overall experience, and every single touchpoint that a customer interacts with contributes to how they experience your business. This obviously extends to far more than just a nice logo and beautiful website, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that visuals don't often influence how we perceive value. Visual branding, in particular, can effectively be a promise to your customers about the things they can expect from your business. Often, the very first interactions they'll have with your business are entirely visual- and they can devise both first impressions and final conclusions about you based on the first 3 seconds they interact with a business card, a website, or a product package. What promise is your visual brand currently making to your customer?
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    I like to tell my clients that branding is an overall experience, and every single touchpoint that a customer interacts with contributes to how they experience your business. This obviously extends to far more than just a nice logo and beautiful website, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that visuals don't often influence how we perceive value. Visual branding, in particular, can effectively be a promise to your customers about the things they can expect from your business. Often, the very first interactions they'll have with your business are entirely visual- and they can devise both first impressions and final conclusions about you based on the first 3 seconds they interact with a business card, a website, or a product package. What promise is your visual brand currently making to your customer?
  • Happy Monday! I'm easing my way back into the studio this week after 9 weeks of uninterrupted newborn snuggles and sweet skin-to-skin sessions, and I'm excited but nervous to be working again! The beauty of entrepreneurship means I have the freedom to focus on my babies while running my business, but there's always that creeping sense of self-doubt that I'll be able to balance my mom and boss titles effectively, especially now that I've got two littles in tow.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ But this past week, I juggled nursing, naptimes, and diaper changes with on-boarding new clients, creating proposals, writing blog posts, and working on my website. It isn't easy, and it's a far cry from the fast-paced productivity that comes from firing on all cylinders. But the beauty of being my own boss means I can nurture my babies and my biz at a pace that works for everyone, and it's this kind of freedom that reminds me of why I do what I do.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ That said, it feels great to be (slowly!) getting back into the swing of things, work-wise. I've been putting the finishing touches on my still-yet-to-be-launched website, but I'm realizing more and more, that, where some things are concerned, done is better than perfect. SO instead of a massive launch, I'll be rolling out parts of my website in stages, starting with my first blog post that will drop next Monday. Stay tuned!⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ My blog will cover all things branding and I'll be sharing some great insight on design, strategy and business-related topics. I'd love to know what other topics you'd be interested in reading, as entrepreneurs looking to elevate your businesses through strategic branding and design. I'm working on quality content created specifically for you guys, so leave me a comment below with what you'd like to learn more of!
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    Happy Monday! I'm easing my way back into the studio this week after 9 weeks of uninterrupted newborn snuggles and sweet skin-to-skin sessions, and I'm excited but nervous to be working again! The beauty of entrepreneurship means I have the freedom to focus on my babies while running my business, but there's always that creeping sense of self-doubt that I'll be able to balance my mom and boss titles effectively, especially now that I've got two littles in tow.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ But this past week, I juggled nursing, naptimes, and diaper changes with on-boarding new clients, creating proposals, writing blog posts, and working on my website. It isn't easy, and it's a far cry from the fast-paced productivity that comes from firing on all cylinders. But the beauty of being my own boss means I can nurture my babies and my biz at a pace that works for everyone, and it's this kind of freedom that reminds me of why I do what I do.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ That said, it feels great to be (slowly!) getting back into the swing of things, work-wise. I've been putting the finishing touches on my still-yet-to-be-launched website, but I'm realizing more and more, that, where some things are concerned, done is better than perfect. SO instead of a massive launch, I'll be rolling out parts of my website in stages, starting with my first blog post that will drop next Monday. Stay tuned!⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ My blog will cover all things branding and I'll be sharing some great insight on design, strategy and business-related topics. I'd love to know what other topics you'd be interested in reading, as entrepreneurs looking to elevate your businesses through strategic branding and design. I'm working on quality content created specifically for you guys, so leave me a comment below with what you'd like to learn more of!
  • My most recent project delivered in a not-so-tiny (9.2 lb!) bundle on January 9 at 8:11 am. Our second son, Micah Valor Santos, bears a striking resemblance to his older brother at birth (right up to the generous mop of hair, lol!) and is yet another reminder of the good and perfect gifts our Heavenly Father continues to lavish on us, in His own perfect time and way. (James 1:17) Grateful for family, both blood and love, who continue to meet our needs and exemplify the power of prayer over us. We are overwhelmingly, astonishingly in love with our growing family. #thesantolins #MicahValor
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    My most recent project delivered in a not-so-tiny (9.2 lb!) bundle on January 9 at 8:11 am. Our second son, Micah Valor Santos, bears a striking resemblance to his older brother at birth (right up to the generous mop of hair, lol!) and is yet another reminder of the good and perfect gifts our Heavenly Father continues to lavish on us, in His own perfect time and way. (James 1:17) Grateful for family, both blood and love, who continue to meet our needs and exemplify the power of prayer over us. We are overwhelmingly, astonishingly in love with our growing family. #thesantolins #MicahValor
  • And that's a wrap on my 2018 business year! I've officially (a week later than I'd anticipated, of course, lol) shut down the studio to get started on Christmas break and MAT LEAVE, so I won't be back on client projects until MARCH 2019. If you're looking to take your business to a new level in the new year, feel free to schedule a consult call with me (link in bio) so we can dialogue about making that happen! With my final project (the baby, lol) due for delivery in about 2 weeks, it's been absolute madness over here, trying to get all those client projects closed out, while simultaneously transitioning our house and our family to welcome a new member. And maybe it's the hormones that have my emotions all over the place but I'm feeling so so many things about the past year. Mostly gratitude that I get to do this for a living- work with some amazing clients on creative that positively impacts their livelihoods, while supporting and raising my growing family. I never thought I'd be one to run my own business, but here I am, by God's grace. Hashtag-blessed is such a cliché, but that's what I feel right now. So overwhelmingly, unconditionally, undeservedly blessed. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to all of you that continue to follow along this journey with me- to my awesome clients who have entrusted their business dreams and goals to my craft, and to all of you friends and family who continue to support, encourage and cheer me on. Even if you're just a passerby on social media engaging with my content and reading what I have to say. All of your support means more than you'll ever know. And now, I get to enjoy the next few weeks celebrating the Christmas season with my loved ones, while actively throwing myself into the nesting instinct. Looking forward to all that's in store for 2019!
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    And that's a wrap on my 2018 business year! I've officially (a week later than I'd anticipated, of course, lol) shut down the studio to get started on Christmas break and MAT LEAVE, so I won't be back on client projects until MARCH 2019. If you're looking to take your business to a new level in the new year, feel free to schedule a consult call with me (link in bio) so we can dialogue about making that happen! With my final project (the baby, lol) due for delivery in about 2 weeks, it's been absolute madness over here, trying to get all those client projects closed out, while simultaneously transitioning our house and our family to welcome a new member. And maybe it's the hormones that have my emotions all over the place but I'm feeling so so many things about the past year. Mostly gratitude that I get to do this for a living- work with some amazing clients on creative that positively impacts their livelihoods, while supporting and raising my growing family. I never thought I'd be one to run my own business, but here I am, by God's grace. Hashtag-blessed is such a cliché, but that's what I feel right now. So overwhelmingly, unconditionally, undeservedly blessed. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to all of you that continue to follow along this journey with me- to my awesome clients who have entrusted their business dreams and goals to my craft, and to all of you friends and family who continue to support, encourage and cheer me on. Even if you're just a passerby on social media engaging with my content and reading what I have to say. All of your support means more than you'll ever know. And now, I get to enjoy the next few weeks celebrating the Christmas season with my loved ones, while actively throwing myself into the nesting instinct. Looking forward to all that's in store for 2019!
  • JUST LAUNCHED! A beautiful website for an awesome client @tesapadilla, a GTA realtor committed to providing mindful millennials the knowledge and insight they need to find the home and community that allows them to live the life they've always wanted.⠀ ⠀ From the beginning of this project, Tesa had a clear mission to help young couples and families with small children navigate the choppy seas of buying or selling to get to that forever home. This helped us build a unique strategy and tailored visual identity system that we hoped would help her stand out in a highly saturated market of real estate agents in her hyperlocal area.⠀ ⠀ Simple but refined, we wanted her branding to really deviate from what we often referred to as traditional realtor branding and really honed in on this super clean, light and airy aesthetic that was both modern yet approachable. We created a custom typeface for her word mark, bringing in creative little nuances that would really elevate the design, and incorporated it with a soft and subdued colour pallet with warm and inviting earthy tones. Her website features a clean and modern wireframe design and focuses on educational content for her clients. This project was a joy and honour to work on!⠀ ⠀ ALSO! From now til November 17th, she's doing a SWEET giveaway of a $100 Homesense gift card (yes please!!!) -- visit @tesapadilla for more details!⠀ ⠀ Branding & Web Design: @jenellesantosdesign⠀ Copywriting: @danikreeftwrites⠀ ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #jenellesantosdesign #branding #brandstrategy #brandidentity #design #graphicdesign #logodesign #identitydesign #branddesign #webdesign #ux #ui #minimalistdesign #designspiration #brandstylist #brandstyling #whitespacefall #risingtidesociety #communityovercompetition #smallbusiness #torontodesign #torontographicdesign #graphicdesignyyz #designyyz #realtorbranding #mississaugarealtor
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    JUST LAUNCHED! A beautiful website for an awesome client @tesapadilla, a GTA realtor committed to providing mindful millennials the knowledge and insight they need to find the home and community that allows them to live the life they've always wanted.⠀ ⠀ From the beginning of this project, Tesa had a clear mission to help young couples and families with small children navigate the choppy seas of buying or selling to get to that forever home. This helped us build a unique strategy and tailored visual identity system that we hoped would help her stand out in a highly saturated market of real estate agents in her hyperlocal area.⠀ ⠀ Simple but refined, we wanted her branding to really deviate from what we often referred to as traditional realtor branding and really honed in on this super clean, light and airy aesthetic that was both modern yet approachable. We created a custom typeface for her word mark, bringing in creative little nuances that would really elevate the design, and incorporated it with a soft and subdued colour pallet with warm and inviting earthy tones. Her website features a clean and modern wireframe design and focuses on educational content for her clients. This project was a joy and honour to work on!⠀ ⠀ ALSO! From now til November 17th, she's doing a SWEET giveaway of a $100 Homesense gift card (yes please!!!) -- visit @tesapadilla for more details!⠀ ⠀ Branding & Web Design: @jenellesantosdesign⠀ Copywriting: @danikreeftwrites⠀ ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #jenellesantosdesign #branding #brandstrategy #brandidentity #design #graphicdesign #logodesign #identitydesign #branddesign #webdesign #ux #ui #minimalistdesign #designspiration #brandstylist #brandstyling #whitespacefall #risingtidesociety #communityovercompetition #smallbusiness #torontodesign #torontographicdesign #graphicdesignyyz #designyyz #realtorbranding #mississaugarealtor
  • Going through completed client projects to build out a portfolio of case studies for my website and I found this little number, which was a #prettylittlereject the client and I didn't end up moving forward with, but it can live here :) Happy Friday, friends! . . . . . #jenellesantosdesign #branding #brandstrategy #brandidentity #brandingagency #design #graphicdesign #logodesign #identitydesign #branddesign #minimalistdesign #designinspo #designspiration #brandstylist #brandstyling #logo #designisinthedetails #visualstyle #logolove #whitespacefall #mindsparklemag #designagency #risingtidesociety #communityovercompetition #creativeentrepreneur #torontodesign #torontographicdesign #graphicdesignyyz #designyyz
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    Going through completed client projects to build out a portfolio of case studies for my website and I found this little number, which was a #prettylittlereject the client and I didn't end up moving forward with, but it can live here :) Happy Friday, friends! . . . . . #jenellesantosdesign #branding #brandstrategy #brandidentity #brandingagency #design #graphicdesign #logodesign #identitydesign #branddesign #minimalistdesign #designinspo #designspiration #brandstylist #brandstyling #logo #designisinthedetails #visualstyle #logolove #whitespacefall #mindsparklemag #designagency #risingtidesociety #communityovercompetition #creativeentrepreneur #torontodesign #torontographicdesign #graphicdesignyyz #designyyz