After 2 years of dreaming about a physical therapy practice of her own, Marieke Crawford made the leap.
“If you never take risks, you’ll never get where you want to be,” said Marieke, who likes to take action rather than overthink big life decisions.
“My work is my passion. So I’m excited to have finally taken the plunge of starting my own business.”
If you never take risks, you’ll never get where you want to be.
-Marieke
As we talked by phone last week about the foundation that’s now in place for her physical therapy practice, I was excited to hear that I had helped Marieke express what was most important to her.
“You helped me find my why and understand more about where I needed to concentrate my energy from a business aspect,” she said.
Yes. Amen. Alleluia, sister!
That’s what I live for.
Here’s a snapshot of how Marieke’s new brand strategy and identity came to be.
Making the transition to entrepreneurship
With 25 years of experience as a licensed physical therapist and a natural talent for winning people over with her positive energy, Marieke had all the right stuff to do things her way.
But she was uncertain about where to start in creating a brand that was true to her. She also wanted to ensure her private-pay practice resonated with the patients she dreamed of serving.
Determined to set herself up for success, Marieke asked for my help.
Our goal: To develop a brand strategy, logo, web page and LinkedIn profile for her new business Marieke Crawford Physical Therapy LLC.
Right time to unearth the real you
There’s never a right time to reflect on the life you really want and design the path to get there. That’s why, according to Marieke, you have to make up your mind, and just do it!
She has walked that kind of talk as a native of the Netherlands who moved to the U.S. after completing her bachelor’s degree.
“It can be scary to get out of your comfort zone, like when I moved to a new country. But I ended up where I needed to be, and now I have less fear of trying new things,” she said about leaving her full-time job.
While taking on new contracting opportunities and managing her busy family life with her husband Randy and their three kids, Marieke followed through with her commitment to herself.
She dug in deep to explore her passion for physical and manual therapy.
After a few weeks of coaching sessions, online assessments and survey input from her inner circle, we unearthed a beautiful brand that today represents Marieke’s most authentic natural strengths.
What we learned together is that Marieke’s ability to motivate through her accepting nature and positive energy stood out and needed to shine in all her brand elements.
Her brand is always inclusive and friendly. It’s never dark or serious. It’s always smiling.
We also discovered that as long as Marieke can engage daily in these 5 things (which are part her nature), she will have meaning and fulfillment in her work:
- Play up her outgoing people-loving personality.
- Share her optimistic outlook with others.
- Use her intelligence to solve problems.
- Be a reliable rock for friends, family and patients.
- Care for others in a nurturing way.
M is for Motivate
Once we mapped Marieke’s most authentic strengths, values and her vision for success, the design of her brand identity fell right into place.
We call the icon in the center of her logo the Uplifting Bloom. It combines the elegant forms of a flower with the first initial of Marieke’s name.
Can you see the hidden M within the flower?
It’s a fun detail that reflects Marieke’s essence as well as her promise to keep you motivated on your wellness journey.
The brand’s color palette combines deep blue, cool green and earthy brown to represent her positive and reliable yet lighthearted brand attributes. The look and feel also represent her aspiration to maintain balance in her life and encourages her patients to do the same.
Marieke’s web page and LinkedIn profile work together to create a well-rounded digital brand that establishes her credibility as a physical therapist and the positive outlook she wants to be known for.
With gratitude and joy
I’m incredibly grateful for Marieke’s trust in me and the opportunity to work with her in bringing her dream business to life. It’s always a joy to work with women who truly love what they do.
If you’re interested in starting a new business or side gig, see HerNature’s Authentic Career Roadmap to review the framework that guided Marieke’s journey in crafting her story and authentic brand.
Happy trailblazing,
-Carole
Photo: Marieke Crawford, Baton Rouge, LA by Jenn Ocken Photography. All rights reserved.
As founder of HerNature®, Carole Dupre’ guides high-achieving women in unearthing their natural strengths, clarifying their niche, landing their dream jobs and launching businesses that honor their true nature. She is a career and business branding coach and a certified personal brand strategist, resume writer and digital marketer.
