Ten years ago, I was a shell of the person I am today. Working sixty-hour weeks as a teacher, my body was breaking down in protest. I would come home and collapse on the couch. I cried from pain and exhaustion. It was what I now know as burnout in its purest form. My daily rituals became unhealthy doses of Advil and wine just to get through. But the physical strain wasn’t the only weight I was carrying. Beneath it all were years of emotional trauma which stemmed from a brutal divorce. Additionally, a lifelong toxic dynamic with my parents was draining me in every possible way.
One day, I snapped. Or rather, I opened.
I made the terrifying decision to leave teaching. It was also a freeing decision. I decided to return to my original creative roots in marketing and graphic design. That one brave shift became the spark that would ignite Sweet Pea Ink Creative.
And then came the real work. The healing. The walking. At first I could barely move. I literally had to teach my body how to move again. But slowly, walking became my therapy. My breath. My oxygen. My creative download space. Today I try to walk three miles every day and let the air, the rhythm, and the stillness speak. It often delivers the best ideas for my clients and my brand.
At the same time, I made the hardest decision of all: I stepped away from my relationship with my parents. A heavy, heartbreaking move, but one that lifted a generational weight off my chest. I’m sharing this because I know someone else out there is carrying this too. And I want you to know: I see you. I understand.
So what does any of this have to do with brand strategy and storytelling?
Everything.
Because your brand is not just a logo. It’s not a stock graphic, a trending template, or a washed-out Pinterest color palette. Your brand is your story. It’s your lived experience, your voice, your resilience, and your truth. It’s the hard moments that refined you, the choices that changed everything, the lessons that shaped your mission.
When we create soul-aligned branding, we’re not just building something pretty. We’re building something real. Something that resonates. That connects. That converts. Because people don’t buy from glossy visuals, they buy from stories. They buy from soul.
That’s the difference between a Canva quick-fix and a brand that breathes.
At Sweet Pea Ink Creative, I don’t just want to make your brand look good. I want to help it feel like home, for you and for the people who are meant to find you. Because when you share the real story? The right people will listen.
Want to start telling your story?
Download my free Brand Story Unfolding Guide and begin the process of crafting a brand rooted in your truth.
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