September: New Clients, No Alcohol and Never Assume!

Welcome to "The Monthly Hop-through" where each month I’ll take you behind the scenes at Owl & Hare and offer a peek into my personal life over the last month too.

September has truly been a month to remember, filled with both professional accomplishments and personal milestones.

Let’s hop right in!

FROM THE OWL'S NEST

Exciting New Project

We kicked off September on a high note by welcoming Citizens Advice St Helens on board as a new client for an audience perception and market research project.

I’ve spent September deep in the planning phase and setting up surveys that are going live later this week!

This isn’t just about gathering data — it’s about connecting with real people to help craft meaningful strategies, make service improvements and collate robust fact-based funding bids.

Just Cruisin'

This month also saw the completion of a 12-page brochure for a wonderful repeat client ahead of an event - it needed a quick turnaround so we jumped right on it! On that note I'd like to thank THE BRANDED ITEMS GROUP LTD (BIG) for the super-fast print turnaround too!

It’s projects like these that remind me why I love what I do — turning creative ideas into tangible results that speak volumes.

If anyone fancies booking a cruise, Marcus Edwards is a top guy so check out his website!

Networking

I attended a local Business Expo earlier in the month - it was a bustling event and I met some fantastic people as well as catching up with some people I hadn't seen for years!

September’s real5 Networking St Helens meeting was also great (as always) — they’re a great bunch to be around, and I always leave feeling uplifted and motivated.

Behind the Scenes with MD Productions

Earlier this year we did a lot of work with MD Productions. We created a suite of brochures in their existing brand so they could promote themselves, while also working with them behind the scenes on a whole new brand identity.

Their new website will be launching soon, which will give the first glimpse of the awesome new brand we’ve created for them.

Until then, here’s a snapshot of some of the bits we’ve created in their current branding to tide them over until launch day!

A Time to Reflect and Refresh!

Significantly, September was a month of introspection for Owl & Hare.

We decided to migrate our website from Wix to a platform that aligns more closely with our values. You can read more about why here.

What started as a new website turned into a full-blown examination of our brand's core — leading to exciting changes in our proposition, how we present ourselves and how we connect with our audience. As it happens, you're reading one of the outcomes right now! I want to share more about what we're up to as a business and let you get to know the person at the helm a bit better too.

Look out for our new website coming soon - it's been a labour of love as I feel so much clearer about what Owl & Hare is here to do that I did back when it all began in January!

OFF THE CLOCK

I want to share a bit of myself here too, because the luxury of working with a small business like Owl & Hare is that the passion and personality of the MD shines through, so it's important that you get to know who I am, can see if our values align and get a feel for whether there's some synergy there for us to work together.

So here's a bit about what I've been up to in September beyond Owl & Hare.

Embracing Health and Wellness

While the thought of a Friday night glass of wine (or six) has gotten me through many a tough week in the past, I took a big decision at the end of August to quit drinking for 100 days. With so much war and unnecessary violence affecting our world, maintaining personal wellness and looking after our mental well-being is more crucial than ever.

Just over a month in and, combined with more focused fitness efforts — with the help of Bec, my awesome PT — I'm feeling rejuvenated, energetic and like an upgraded version of myself.

Running, hitting my daily step goals, and clean-eating are now parts of my everyday life.

Who knows, once I hit my 100 days alcohol-free goal I might just keep going!

Girls Rock!

A definite personal highlight of September was getting along to the Linkin Park gig at the O2.

Sadly, they stopped touring a few years ago following the tragic loss of their frontman to suicide.

Their comeback with a new singer has camps divided, but personally I’ve missed this band so much and I'm made up they’re back!

The band’s energy was through the roof, and their new frontwoman brought an incredible vibe that was super empowering - it’s so cool to see a girl rock so hard on stage!

On the wrong side of London - doh!

In my excitement when Linkin Park first announced the tour, I’d booked a room at Hilton Wembley because I just assumed that would be the venue… so cue a 45-minute tube ride each way to the O2.

My old uni lecturer's words rang in my ears, “Never assume, it makes an ass out of u and me.” Made for a long ride back to Wembley post-gig!

Celebrating my sister’s pending nuptials

Family is important to me, and with my big sis’s wedding just around the corner, we celebrated with a girls’ dinner out last week. She didn’t want a wild hen do so we went for a delicious Italian meal instead. Of course we brought balloons and some fun props along though!

It was an evening filled with tasty food, laughter, and great company!

THE WORLD AROUND US

Even as we strive to make a positive impact locally and join the fight to help redress the social balance here in the UK through our work, we're also deeply conscious of the broader world events that impact us all.

While sometimes we compartmentalise the daily horrors occurring in places like Palestine, Lebanon, and other parts of the Middle East so we can continue to function, turning a blind eye is not an option.

It's been a couple of months since I last attended a peace march, but as things continue to escalate I plan to get back to it this month as a way to lend my voice against injustice and express solidarity with those suffering.

Amidst our personal and professional goals, we should also hope for and work towards a world where peace and justice prevail for all. In October (and beyond) let's strive not only for personal success but also advocate for the global good.