We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kayley Swan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kayley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

My business name has been a part of me and my journey for quite some time. I have actually helped many businesses create their name as part of the branding process. However, your own business name is, of course, very different. While it tends to be daunting naming a business, deciding to move forward with Pen & Co. Branding was an easy choice. Back in college, I became very interested in hand lettering and calligraphy. I started practicing, watching tons of videos, and ended up becoming pretty good at it. Soon, I had friends and family members start asking for personalized gifts from me. I got to thinking, “What if I could turn one of my favorite hobbies into something profitable?” Then, I got to work.

First, I needed to decide on a name. I started thinking about words that related to the work I was doing. “Script,” “writing,” “paint,” “brush,” “letters,” and “pen” came to mind. My next question was if any of these words had some sort of deeper meaning. I didn’t want for my brand’s name to be completely surface-level. I found that the word “pen” had an additional definition that I was not aware of – “a female swan.” I was shocked. If you didn’t catch my name, it is Kayley Swan. I am a female swan (in a sense). Perfect! I, of course, had to incorporate the word “pen” as it represented me, the artist, and the business purpose, creating art through penmanship. I added “& Company” as it represented the additional forms of media used in my art. Once I decided on my business name and general brand identity, I started posting on social media and promoting my work. I ended up selling tons of art and making a decent amount of money doing so. It was my first business venture.

Years later, I became busy with a full-time job, and Pen & Company was no longer a priority. However, when I decided to start working freelance, I had to pick a name. I thought about how important that name was to me. In a way, it still related to the work I was doing for my career – a female “swan” creating custom designs using pen, paper, and my laptop. Therefore, Pen & Company made a comeback with a little adjustment as Pen & Co. Branding.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a Branding and Marketing Consultant, who specializes in brand design and social media marketing. My goal is to make my client’s lives as easy as possible while making their business goals a reality. In addition to brand design and social media marketing, I also offer customized services related to the branding process, depending on the client’s needs.

If you’re not exactly sure what brand design encompasses or its purpose in general, take a moment and think about a business that you purchase from regularly. What’s the first aspect of the company that comes to your mind? Is it the colors associated or the logo design? Is it the feeling you get when you walk into their store or scan their website? This aesthetic, feeling, vibe, or whatever word comes to your mind, is all a part of the brand. A brand identity consists of the logo collection, color palette, typography, imagery, overall aesthetic, etc. There are tons of businesses within the same industry. In order to compete with others, it’s vital that businesses have a recognizable brand that allows them to truly stand out. A successful brand design creates trust and value with potential clients.

Social media marketing is how we get people to know about the brand. Because of social media’s extreme popularity in modern society, social media marketing can be a very important marketing avenue for businesses of all types. However, it’s not about simply posting and hoping for the best. In order to find true success in this form of marketing, researching trends, search engine optimization, and well-thought-out content is key. Not everyone has time for that! Having a social media manager can be very beneficial.

I have been working in branding and marketing for over four years, creating and elevating brands from many different industries. After having experience working for two businesses within the DFW area, I decided to take the leap and began working freelance. It has been an incredible learning curve as one could imagine. Working for yourself is a privilege, but it also comes with challenges. However, I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people, who have truly inspired me. I’ve grown tremendously in my skills and am very happy with the work I’ve done.

What I am most proud of in my work is my ability to create brands and designs that are completely unique to each business. I don’t have a specific design formula that I try to fit my clients into. I really focus on making sure that my designs are completely catered to the business owner’s goals, so that they can have a one-of-a-kind brand. I want for them to stand out from the rest, and that is also true for social media marketing. Because I am a one-woman-show, I have the ability to step outside of my comfort zone and take the leap with each of my clients. I have the freedom to create what is best for my clients in order for their businesses to truly exceed.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

While having a specific niche is important, I also think it’s great for clients to be able to access you in many areas of work related to your industry. For instance, my main focus of work is brand design and social media marketing. However, I offer custom projects for most anything related to the branding process. This could include website design, business cards, signage and other marketing tools. If a client and I connect, I want to be able to work with them for the long haul. With offering additional custom services, my clients don’t necessarily need to look elsewhere for other designers. I can be their go-to gal! We can get everything related to branding done all at once. It makes the process easy and stress-free for my clients. I believe that people truly appreciate when you can make their lives as easy as possible. This, in turn, creates loyalty.

There are many cases, however, that my clients can only do one project at a time. They may have additional projects that they plan to execute, but they can only afford or have the time to do one. This is completely normal and understandable. In this case, I will find ways to stay connected with them even with us not chatting regularly. This way, they are assured that I am there whenever they are ready to move forward. Social media is a great way of staying connected with clients. I always focus on interacting with my past, present, and potential future clients while scrolling. Allowing your clients to feel that you are supporting them not only professionally but also personally, is vital to creating a lasting client relationship.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is having the ability to turn ideas and artistic concepts into a reality. So many of us have wonderful ideas. We have dreams and visuals come to our minds but often don’t know what to do with them. As a brand designer, I have the ability to take one’s ideas and turn it into something memorable and real. Without a brand, a business is just a transaction. There is a lack of connection and experience without a true identity. I love being able to make an everyday activity, such as grabbing a bite to eat, something worth one’s time, energy and memory. Creating art as a career is a luxury that I’m happy to be able to experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.penandcobranding.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/penandcobranding/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penandcobranding/
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@penandcobranding
  Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/penandcobranding/