Unveiling the Brand Seasons

Cyclical branding + business + knowing the season you’re in

I have a question for you.

Do you ever feel directionless as you navigate the different cycles of your creative life and work?

After a year of mentoring clients and seeing them grapple with the seasons in their brands and businesses, I felt there had to be a way for me to offer an anchor, something grounding that would give them greater insight into the phases they find themselves in.

This “something” arrived in the form of Brand Seasons, a framework I'm developing into a product and podcast to support my business, my clients, and those on their own creative paths. I'm slowly unpacking how this might look in practice, and today I'm introducing the method and the four seasons so you can get a feel for the direction I'm moving in.

It's not uncommon for me to rush into creator mode when something fresh is on the cards. So, on this occasion, I'm choosing to go slow. My feeling is that - to stay true to this framework - I need to lead by example, nurture the concept and model the ideas in a way that feels clear to me and, most importantly, clear to you.

I'm genuinely passionate about the Brand Seasons because, despite being a shiny new thing, there's a sense of familiarity surrounding it. I strive to help clients build brands that feel like home. And whether you're creating a business or personal brand, I believe this method can offer a soft place to land as you move through the cycles in your creative life and work.

In this post, I share a brief guide to each season, and each month moving forward, I'll delve into them more deeply, providing examples of where I stand in my creative process. I'm excited to see it all come together on this platform and journey through the Brand Seasons with you.

So, what exactly are the Brand Seasons?

A Season of Sowing

This is a time for planting new seeds - a spring-like space where ideas begin to take root. Whether you're nurturing a new business, refining an evolving vision, or shaping your brand style, this phase is about laying strong foundations.

I find myself in this sowing season as I expand my vision for Brand Seasons. What once felt like a vague idea is now taking shape - a specific product concept that is finally ready to be pursued. At the same time, the groundwork is being laid for a podcast, making this the perfect moment to harness my enthusiasm and embrace the fresh energy that comes with new beginnings.

Now is the time to gradually build momentum, draw on your inventiveness, and unravel your goals and plans with intention. Let curiosity guide you, embrace the sense of optimism that fills the air in springtime, and trust that every small step contributes to something greater.

Draw on: imagination and renewal

"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."

— Audrey Hepburn

A Season of Blossoming

Summer is a time of clarity and refinement. Your brand is beginning to take shape visually, and this season invites you to hone your identity, explore mood and aesthetics, and build a style that truly reflects your essence.

This is where we focus on design—experimenting with colour and type to ensure every visual element feels cohesive and intentional. Whether you're refining an existing look or crafting something new, this is about bringing harmony to your brand style.

Summer is also a season for finding focus and taking action, a chance to collaborate, test a product or service, engage your audience in your plans, crowd source more ideas or do the thing.

Draw on: playfulness and vitality

"Summertime is always the best of what might be."

— Charles Bowden

A Season of Harvesting

Akin to autumn, you’re reaching the culmination of your journey. You may be deeply immersed in marketing, enjoying the rewards of selling or binding all those loose ends. Now is the time to move towards completion and realise those goals and plans.

This is a season of storytelling — where your brand narrative is unfolding, shaped by the choices you’ve made along the way. Whether you’re marketing your work, launching a project, or refining your brand message, now is the time to weave it together with purpose.

As you bring the season to a close, consider how your work is resonating with your audience and how your experiences will inform the next season of growth. What stories are emerging from your journey?

Be mindful of balance. Harvesting can be weighty work, and your energy is precious. Much like the turning of the seasons, this phase offers insight and closure—a chance to assess what worked, what could evolve, and what new opportunities are on the horizon.

Above all, celebrate your efforts, honour the process, and embrace the wisdom this season brings.

Draw on: insight and analysis

"The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale."

— Lauren DeStefano

A Season of Grounding

A cosy, contemplative time for reflection and evaluation - you've arrived at the winter of Brand Seasons. This phase is about giving yourself, your business, and your creative practice the space to breathe, rest, and mulch things over. The word "composting" comes to mind because, just like in nature, what settles and decomposes now will nourish the next season of growth.

Composting has become a cherished part of my writing process. Over the past two years of attempting to write my memoir in this season, I’ve come to see it not as a time of struggle, but of quiet curiosity. It’s my thinking season, an inward focus where ideas surface organically - without pressure, without expectation. Sometimes, creativity happens off the page.

If you love to plan, this is the season for mind mapping, vision boarding, and list-making. But don’t underestimate the power of a daydream - some of the most profound insights emerge when we allow ourselves to simply be.

Draw on: clarity and intuition

"Wisdom comes with winters."

— Oscar Wilde

Moving through the Brand Seasons

There is no linear approach to navigating the Brand Seasons. You may find that you move backwards and forwards between them as your creative efforts take shape. And, to offer an example, different parts of your business may be in distinct phases because you're marketing one thing while contemplating another.

These are ideas that I'm excited to expand on since they reflect aspects of my brand strategy, styling, and storytelling practice, and I'm eager to help you relish the flow as you move and mature through these cycles. They all hold a place along your creative path and have something positive to bring.

Now, I'd love to know, if you're currently working on your business or a project, which Brand Season do you find yourself in? What most resonates with you?

As a free subscriber, you can enjoy articles and essays exploring the rhythms of our creative lives and work, written through the lenses of curiosity, creativity, and connection.

If you’re ready to craft a brand that feels like home and access exclusive insights and resources, consider upgrading to join my Brand Seasons paid community. Here, I support you with a gentle, nurturing, and playful approach to brand strategy, styling, and storytelling. I’d love to welcome you!