Behind the Scenes... and here it IS!

The morning before the photoshoot for my New “Donna McCallum” brand and website – I cried.????

But I’m skipping ahead of myself in this story. Let’s Start with a CELEBRATION!???

Last year I shared with you that I said "Bye Bye" to my identity as the Fairy Godmother -?if you missed it, Read Here.?

And now Drumroll…

I’m SO excited to share with you my new??

Donna McCallum – Manifesting + Money + Magic - Website!

Please take a look and hit reply to let me know what you think!

And...?If you’re curious about Marketing and Branding and my process to get to this website…??

Then grab a cup of tea??and read on.... because here’s a loooooong?Behind the Scenes peek?at the Thinking, my Inner-Energy-Work, the Design, the Pics and the end Results…

Step 1: Student Feedback

I emailed 40 students who’ve done many of?my programs (like 4, 5 or 6 programs). Some over the past couple of years and others over more than a decade.???

I did this because sometimes you can’t SEE yourself as others can see you.?

I wanted to work in two different ways with how the Students who love my programs, coaching and teaching “see me.”

1. I wanted to?Internally do the Inner Work of Integrating their perceptions?(to expand my view of myself and my sense of self-worth.)

Don’t get me wrong – it wasn’t for validation.??

My programs are F-ing good, and because I have almost 2 decades of experience, I feel really skilled and Masterful in my coaching and being able to Catalyse Transformation quickly for my clients.

It was because I spend 90% of my working life sitting behind a computer, alone, in my head and typing.

So I have a strange experience of being disconnected from the impact of my work.

I didn’t have such a disconnected experience when I used to facilitate many in-person seminars and workshops.???

• So the Energy Work I did with this feedback was:I set up a ceremonial space
• The?practice was:?I read some lines of feedback and imagined it permeating all of my energy and body until my cells vibrated with it and then locked it in as fuel for my future work.?
• And then I did some chanting for each of the Chakras to really ground it into my energy field.?

??

2. To have the?External View pull into my new brand design and copywriting.

There was valuable feedback… like

“Donna is a bridge between the deep magical and spiritual realm and the practical, sensual and manifest realm to create your own Heaven on Earth.”?

“Donna is Down-to-earth with a great sense of humour and an amazing intuitive gift of when to lead with the practical or the energetic to help you shift”?

“Donna helped with mindset changes, emotional shifts and practical solutions that have made me feel whole, happy and at peace with the natural topsy-turvy nature of life.”

And the feedback helped me to clarify the words for my Business and Brand:??

Inspiring, Authentic, Transformative, Holistic, Insightful (Wisdom), Impactful

?

?Step 2: My Customer Avatar (an Epic Fail!)

I started working through yet another Customer Avatar worksheet, hoping that this time, it would be the grand “a-ha marketing moment” that so many marketing gurus say it is.

The first time I ever did a Customer Avatar process was in 2012 and I’ve battled several times in the past decade to try and follow this?“holy grail of digital marketing.”

This time, I got through a quarter of the worksheet and felt like I wanted to vomit.?

And then I thought “F%^k-it! I’m not doing this again.?If it feels so “off”, it’s because it is! This is NOT my path.”??

Serendipitously, two things happened.

?

1. An email from?Abigail K?landed in my inbox talking about Customer Archetypes.?

I luuurve Abigail – she has been my photographer for several brand shoots. She also shot and edited my Dreams & Goals with Soul and Money Magic Videos.??

So I read her email curiously and then took her?online quiz.?(The Answer: I’m a Catalyst, then an Explorer!)

I booked a discovery call with her and did her basic Understanding of Archetypes course on Udemy.?

?2. I had an insightful?Human Design Reading with?Lauren Armstrong

From my Human Design chart…?

(if you’re curious - I’m a 1/3 Self Projected, Projector)

… she explained how to use my strengths to show up in my business.??

“Shine your light like a lighthouse and whoever is attracted to your light, is right,” she shared.?

?

The sessions with Abigail and Lauren gave me the?permission (that I didn't even know I needed) for the FREEDOM to “Just Be Me” in my business.??And to bring out my strengths in my brand.???

This is one of the reasons why I find coaches, practitioners, colleagues and?mentors so valuable to work with.?Because sometimes you can't see what's?obvious.?

Step 3:?Brief my fabulous Designer

I’ve worked with?Vasti Visser?for more than 5 years. It’s one of those lucky, lucky working relationships where you “get each other” and things flow so easily. She knows me and my programs really, really well.???

She’s been a participant in my?Money Magic?and?Dreams & Goals with Soul?programs. She’s created an abundant life in Bermuda that she really loves. She gets it!

I briefed her with words from my clients, some Archetype ideas, My mission, My Vision, Brand words plus Colour ideas, texture, imagery and even music.

And?I even created a?Pintrest Board?for her

She came up with this as a Brand Mood Board…

... And then went to work on the Brand Logo.?

Step 4:?A New Photoshoot

Synchronicity again! I was asked in July to be a part of the photoshoot for the Retreat Centre where I live. I loved the vibe of the photographer -?Laura Fontoura.?“She’s the one,” I thought.?

The photoshoot was initially booked for the end of September - think blue skies, sunshine and warm weather - but my photographer cancelled because her father was rushed to hospital.??

I was travelling back to South Africa to run a retreat in October, so we had to delay the shoot until early November.?

I prayed that the weather would hold out. I used a lot of my woo-woo to conjure up a warm, sunny day between the rain.

On the day of the photoshoot, I woke up and it was pouring with rain.?

I cried.??

“Do you want to cancel?” Laura, the photographer, messaged me.

“Nope. I’m sad, but I’m ready and I wanna do it,” I replied.

Plans for a whole lot of shots I wanted flew out the window.

And instead, Laura,?Margarida (the make-up artist)?and I vibed together and spontaneously flowed and created… And wow!?

It really, really worked.?

Here we are working together

And a Team pic.... That Luke couldn't resist jumping into

And you'll see the pictures I love on my?new Donna McCallum website!

I also?made a?Spotify Playlist?for the Photoshoot to “tune into” different vibes, which really helped when my energy dipped.?

Step 5: Finalising the Brand, Colours and Fonts

The Three Early Iterations from Vasti…

We were at this point when Vasti started to design the Website...

Step 6:?Creating the Website

I wrote the copy and Vasti, used her brilliant design magic.

And?as Vasti designed the website, it became clear that the Brand wanted to incorporate the colours of Manifesting (Blue) and Money (Green) and Magic (Purple) and?hence be this...

and the icon of the spiral and how Transformation of Cosnciousness as a process is a spiral, informed this...

Wheuuuuw, if you got this far,?thank you for indulging me!

I trust you found it interesting and useful in your own marketing, design or brand thinking.??

And I'm so excited to be a guide for you this year in your Manifesting + Money + Magic.?