I first started working with Jami in 2019 after meeting her at our kids’ karate dojo. After years of leadership experience in nonprofits and technology companiesin the HR & Customer Success fields of large organizations, she made the brave and exciting decision to work for herself.
Starting your own business can be super stressful - where to start? Do I need a domain name? Do I even need a website? What about taxes and benefits and all these things I never had to think about before? While I’m no expert on taxes (thanks to those who are!), I do know something about building websites and creating personal brands.
The self-employment journey is a daunting process, often made more difficult by those lurking in the media-sphere who will prey on this insecurity and make grand promises of revenue growth and over-ambitious social media strategies. However, success begins with small, baby steps, not leaps.
In close collaboration with Jami, I designed and built her a simple website to showcase who she serves, what services she offers and a bit of background on what makes her fabulous and unique. And, a super simple logo - or more aptly, a brand mark, like adding a nice pair of earrings to an outfit to show the extra effort before walking out the door. And with that, she was off….first step ✅
Fast forward 5 years...
Jami’s business was thriving but hit a plateau. As she evolved, it became clear her online presence, especially her website, needed a major update to reflect her current brand and services and to showcase the success stories of her clients.
This next chapter commenced with a fun partnership with the very talented Linzi Cora and Kristen Loken. One of the things I LOVE about what I do is collaborating with talented & creative people. I truly believe that good, productive collaboration is key to any successful project.
Linzi brought her wisdom and thoughtful storytelling prowess to the project and developed a robust content strategy that authentically presented Jami as a human first and coach second. Storytelling is key to everything I do but it isn't always a given. All too often copywriters regurgitate resume bullets, aspirational ROIs, rigid case studies. Linzi did the opposite. She presented Jami's success stories, workshops and testimonials with honesty and kindness. The question "Why Jami?" was answered with the promise of more success, joy and ease at work, a mission statement that was meticulously refined.
With the content set and the mission clear, the next step was imagery. In the realm of coaching or therapy, there is no hiding the fact that people are hiring YOU! There are no stock photos out there that will convey your message as well as you. And, if you are a humble leader, as Jami is, this can bring up a lot of resistance. Despite initial hesitations, Jami agreed to a photo session with the very talented Kristen Loken and boy are we glad that she did! Kristen’s work proved invaluable, perfectly capturing Jami’s professionalism and approachability.
My job was to put the wrapping paper around the content and photography with design, focusing on simplicity and approachability. I designed some crisp iconography of abstract circles and lines to represent the various “puzzles” Jami helps solve through her services of Executive Coaching, Group Training and Job Search Coaching. The name Jami Zakem was a bonus gift in that I got to use the letters J & K which are very strong typographically. The result was an abstract-modern-deco style of typography and clean lines. The use of white space was intentional, providing a clear visual hierarchy of information and pathway through the website.
I could not be happier with the end result and Jami was too, which is what ultimately matters. It's a big deal to put your own personal brand out there for all your old colleagues, family members, mums from school to see....and now that it is out live, and broadcasted on LinkedIn, we are allowing ourselves to ring a victory bell and give each other high fives.
Josephine is the best! She is a creative partner, cheerleader, design expert and friend rolled up into one. Working with her on my branding and website has allowed me to visually tell my story and elevate my presence beyond what I had even imagined.
What truly sets Josephine apart is her deep understanding of the emotional journey involved in presenting oneself to the world. She approached our partnership with empathy and patience. She helped me along learning curves, came up with creative ideas, and listened carefully every time we met. Her ability to make me laugh even during stressful moments speaks volumes about her character and the positive energy she brings to every interaction. And her designs are beautiful!
She has been an invaluable partner in my journey as an executive coach and consultant and I feel so grateful for our partnership.
- Jami Zakem
