Introducing: Just Enough Brave

You know that tingling in your toes, the kind that comes just before you make that introduction, that leap, or that big move? It’s the best mix of fear and bravery -- and really, all you need is just enough brave to step forward. That’s the quiet, confident bravery we’ve come to know and love from Katie Blackburn.

We’ve been fans of Katie Blackburn and her blog, Just Enough Brave, for some time. She writes with the warmth of a best friend, but with the wisdom of a seasoned mentor. Her words are filled with grace and hope, but you won’t find her brushing past the gritty challenges of life. So when her email inquiry landed in our inbox, we immediately replied with YES, and got to work on developing a new logo for Just Enough Brave.

We love the story of how her blog came to be. So much so, we’ll let Katie tell it to you herself.

“About 2 years ago when I started Just Enough Brave, I had 2 babies under 2 and felt totally, completely overwhelmed by the needs in my own home and the chaos of the world we live in outside my home. I was so easily crippled by fear, yet so longing to live a life that wasn’t afraid— a life grounded in the God who says again and again: fear not.

As I started thinking about what I wanted my faith, my family, and my writing to be grounded in, the thought that ‘I only need just enough brave’ came to mind. Just enough. Jesus’ work in the world seemed to me to always happen with just enough faith, just enough disciples, just enough bread and fish… and if I could have just enough brave, I could live out a life boldly for His kingdom.”

Earlier this week, Just Enough Brave celebrated its second birthday, and we feel so honored to have been able to be a small part of what’s happening through the words and stories shared on Katie’s corner of the interwebs. Do yourself a favor today and head on over to Just Enough Brave.

Margot + Co x Designlovefest

Some days, inspiration strikes. Other days, we find ourselves seeking it out. We put on our hiking boots, we pick up a new magazine, we scan design blogs. We discover unique color combinations, lettering, and even some new home decor ideas and recipes along the way (you can’t blame us, can you?) One of our favorite lifestyle and design blogs is Designlovefest -- their color palettes are bold, but everything has a sweet femininity about it.

And we’re so honored to announce that today they’re featuring some of our designs on their blog as part of their “Dress Your Tech” series. Can you tell that our inspiration for this set of prints came after two glorious weeks traveling the coast of California? Hello palm trees!

Head on over to their site and snag some of these **free** fun summer prints for your laptop and phone!  
 

Introducing: Delight Summer Series

These girls were among our very first clients, and we’re consistently impressed by their brand and growth over the past few years. This past year alone, Delight Ministries doubled their presence from 40 to 80 school chapters -- and that number is still growing! You can find them across the U.S., and yes, even internationally.

At Delight, their mission is to invite college women into Christ-centered community that fosters vulnerability and transforms stories. They study, serve, and celebrate alongside one another, and they do it with such joy. The energy and creativity of its founders is contagious. You can’t help but want to be part of it, too.

It’s a breath of fresh air to sit across from them over a cup of coffee. They’re transparent and honest, striving to live intentionally and vulnerably in every aspect of life, even beyond Delight. As founders, Mac and Kenz are connectors, mentors, leaders, creatives, and so much more. They consistently cheer on their community, and embody what it means to truly love well.

They’re passionate about their brand, and they’re in tune with their audience. Mac and Kenz have a clear understanding of what their audience needs, and are always striving to be one step ahead of the game. They’re every designer’s dream.

We were thrilled when they asked us once again to be part of their Summer Series. This summer, we worked together to develop a brand for the summer series, and created postcards, tank tops, and a print for the newest set of Delight stories. Check out some of Summer Series promo photos below!

We’re already gearing up for the next set of Delight designs, and can’t wait to share them in the coming months. Stay tuned, friends!

The *Real* Launch Day

On February 16, 2016 we officially launched Margot + Co. Keyword: officially. It’s funny, because in our minds we’ve been doing this for years, working towards that launch moment.

We’ve shared the full background story here. Once we had decided to move forward with Margot + Co, we started planning for our launch day. It would be our chance to announce to friends, family and potential clients our goals for this company. We printed our business cards, edited our website and worked to define our processes.

We were hustling, trying to get ourselves to a place in which we felt like everything on our launch day to-do list was completed exactly how we envisioned it to be. Quickly, we found ourselves frustrated that no matter how much work we completed, we still weren’t feeling “ready.” What we realized is that this would be a continual process of developing, iterating, changing our processes with each client and project. So we chose a launch day, marked it on our calendars, and finished preparing.

But here's what actually happened: our launch day didn’t go as planned. Due to some unforeseen scheduling changes, we decided to postpone it. But on Tuesday, February 16, our launch email unexpectedly landed in inboxes. The beauty of pre-scheduled posts and emails is that in a matter of minutes, we had our blog live and social media announcements were made. Fifteen minutes of chaos, and then we grabbed ourselves a cup of coffee and took a deep breath. We were live.

That’s how life goes sometimes. You schedule everything out, you create those one-year and five-year plans. Hear me when I say this: those are good things. Plans and goals are necessary to get anything off the ground, and to keep you focused on the journey ahead. But sometimes (who am I kidding?) -- oftentimes -- they won’t go as planned. You’ll sometimes just have to roll with the punches and make the leap. Let's learn to just embrace the mess. 

Here’s the thing: you don’t need a fancy launch day, complete with a perfect website and an impeccably written blog. You’ll always be editing and improving your process, and it will probably never feel “done” or “ready.” And even when you think you have it together, as close to perfection as it could get, your planning may not account for, well, life. Forget about the picture perfect launch day: if you’re creating, developing, writing business plans -- you’ve already launched. Cheers to you and this imperfect journey we call entrepreneurship.

Introducing: Called Collective

We first met this client in a coffee shop across the street from our alma mater. Her eyes were full of life and her vision was captivating. Jocelyn (no, not the “Co” part of Margot + Co -- we know, confusing!) is one of the most genuine and compassionate individuals we know. She’s dedicated and focused -- no dream is too audacious or insignificant for her.

Called Collective is a gathering of women centered around the concept of career and calling. Through conferences and workshops, they’re creating a community of dreamers and doers. Jocelyn’s not just passionate about the topic of “calling,” she’s intent on equipping and encouraging women to make that calling a reality.

And today, we’re thrilled to share with you our brand board for Called Collective. We chose earth tones that were confident, and yet, still maintained a soft femininity. Green, a color that represents life, incorporated with the leaves, are representative of the growth and action Called Collective seeks to inspire. We can’t wait to see this brand grow and impact the lives of women, as they discover how their passions intersect with their career and calling.

Head over to their website and make sure you’re subscribed to their newsletter so you don’t miss any of their amazing events!

Space to Call Our Own

We’ve spent over a month in our new office space. Yes, you read that right. Our own office space.

We’re as excited as you might imagine, and probably more so. The last three years we’ve dreamed and worked alongside each other anywhere we could find space to sketch and write. Kitchen tables, living room floors, coffee shops -- in Nashville and beyond.

Now we have a well-lit haven where we each have our own chair. We have supplies and organization and a big desk. We even have doors and windows to open to the beautiful weather today. And our favorite part of this new space: the freedom to make it our own, to decorate, and finally put those Pinterest boards to good use!

It feels like the best next step. This is our space to create, to envision, to gather. Just as the seeds in our little garden need a good place to begin sprouting, so too do we need this space to grow some roots. Having an office creates a sense of legitimacy for us. It’s no longer something we casually discuss over earl grey at our favorite coffee shop, or work we complete at the kitchen table on Saturday mornings, trying to see if this dream will stick. It’s become a sacred space for us, because it’s where we challenge each other to be our best, to iterate, to clarify -- it’s where we’re digging in and figuring out what it looks like to be Margot + Co.

Since moving in, we’ve hit the ground running and we couldn’t be more excited about the work we’re doing each day. We’re still figuring out how to make our space work best for us, rearranging and decorating a bit more each day. So for now, we’re sharing some of our office inspiration below.

It’s amazing what a dedicated space to create can do for a creative spirit.  So we challenge you today, find a space to call your own. Maybe it’s a corner booth at a coffee shop, or maybe you finally clear all that mail off your desk. Begin creating.

We've Got News!

Hey friends!

We are so thrilled that you’re here.

It’s amazing to think that this story began over two years ago when one of us picked up a set of paintbrushes, and the other started reading this book. At the time, Margot was living in London, and I in Scotland. It seemed like an improbable dream -- working together, doing something we loved -- but it didn’t stop us from sending countless (and lengthy) emails to each other, packed full of ideas and inspiration. We wanted to tell stories that inspire, pairing simple design with effective communication.

I remember meeting up in Greece a few months after, and while sitting on our terrace one evening, we turned to ask each other, “What if we really did it? What if we created jobs for ourselves?” I mean. We were in Greece. And anything felt possible at that moment -- whether it was the copious amounts of vitamin D or the idyllic island setting, we can’t say for certain -- but the dream was firmly planted within us. We walked away from that conversation and began working towards making it a reality, owing much gratitude to internships, mentors, entrepreneurship fairs and early clients.

But the journey hasn’t been as linear as it sounds. We took a few detours along the way: time off, travels, moves, and we even accepted jobs after graduation. Yet, somehow, we found ourselves at the end of 2015 more certain than ever that this dream was worth the pursuit.

So here we are. Cultivating Margot + Co with all that we’ve got. We’ve been planning and finessing and are bursting at the seams with joy to be able to finally see our dream in action. And more than anything, we are excited about bringing your dreams to reality, too.

We want to create materials that not only look impeccable, but that share your story with clarity, concision, and purpose. We’re pairing communications and visual design to equip startups, established businesses, and events. By enhancing visuals and simplifying messaging, we’re clearing out the clutter to present you with clean, cohesive content.

Here’s just a few of the ways we’re accomplishing that: hand-lettering, illustration, graphic design, logo creation, copywriting, print marketing, event materials, presentation design, and brand development.

Day-to-day you’ll find Margot sketching, designing, and adding new prints to our shop. I’ll be working with our clients, handling all communications and copywriting. Along the way, we’ll be sipping that Earl Grey and documenting the ups and downs of launching a company. Slip-ups and spills included.

Margot + Co is merely an extension of ourselves -- a girl who picked up a set of paintbrushes and another who is sincerely passionate about well-told stories. And that’s what we want to create for you.

Since we’re over here celebrating and toasting new beginnings, we want to give YOU a chance to join in the festivities! And while we’d love to have each and every one of you over to gather around our table to eat cake and pour some champagne, instead we’ve decided to spread the celebration. We’ve designed two postcards for you to print and send off to family, friends, coworkers, whoever! Take a few moments today to celebrate the people around you -- their bravery, small victories and dreams.

Feel free to stay awhile longer, check out our site, and drop us a note to let us know what you’re cultivating this year. We would love nothing more than to share in that dream with you.

Until next time,

Margot + Jocelyn