Inspiring Conversations with Jennifer Lake of Brand Tonic

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Lake.

Hi Jennifer , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Looking back, I can honestly say I’ve always loved art — creating it, expressing it, admiring it. From the early days of messy watercolors as a kid to the precise brand identities today, it’s all been an innate part of me. My first college semester of graphic design set my path. I had found a way to use my passion for creativity and my professional skills and turn them into a life-long career. I started gaining experience in design jobs, working my way up in creative roles. But then my world changed. My mom died, and she was just 50 years old. Suddenly, life seemed too short. Inspired by my parents, who were successful business owners themselves, I quit my job and started my own business in graphic design. I had always dreamed of my own company, but I didn’t know how to do it. I worked hard to gain client trust and build something honest, and funny enough, I had no fear of failure. Success was the only option. Call it gut instinct, call it manifesting, call it unstoppable drive. Somehow, while mourning, I found the strength to pour myself into my art and my new business. Over 20 years later, here I am, still amazed how everything came together. It hasn’t been without a lot of ups and downs. Along the way I have faced challenges from clients, employees, partnerships, competitors and myself. But I have learned from each lesson and have given myself and others grace along the way. I’ve loved each moment, and still pinch myself that I GET to create something unique and beautiful every day.

Over the past 20 years, my business has evolved. Today, Brand Tonic is a boutique design studio specializing in brand development, messaging, logo design and campaign theming and creative. We are passionate about working with non-profits and helping them tell their stories. We also love partnering with Michigan-based companies to create brands that are purposeful, connected and inspiring.

As the business has evolved, I have also made an effort to make more time for myself to stay inspired. I cherish my time with my family, and close the office on Fridays so we can all enjoy time off. (4-day weeks do work!) I travel as much as I can for inspiration. I love looking at art, color palettes, landscapes and architecture around the world. I am drawn to the nature and believe it keeps us healthy. On my days off, I started to get back to my early roots of painting. I express myself in acrylics on canvas, and have enjoyed this abstract freedom. I am showing my work at local businesses, and plan to turn part of my studio into a gallery later this year. It’s a new adventure! (juice-gallery.com)

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Business is never completely smooth, but I believe that staying positive takes you further. I face challenges, but I try to find a way to learn from them.

It’s not easy to have a tough discussion with a client who is changing the scope, or an employee who is unhappy. But I have found most situations can be resolved with open, honest communication. I have learned to tackle tough conversations with kindness, understanding through listening, and an action plan with follow through. I have evolved to become a good communicator.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Brand Tonic specializes in brand development, from messaging to identity design and creative. We not only think about what a brand looks like, but also what it says to its audience. The brand messaging is just as important as the visuals we create. As a team, we are very good at helping clients sift through their core values and align stakeholders to craft a brand story that is intentional and unique to the organization. We are thinkers, we see the big picture and we are able to deliver the details too. You could say we are Right Brain + Left Brain thinkers — unleashing creativity with focused purpose and practical follow through. We offer brand consulting and development, naming, identity design, core collateral design, capital campaign consulting and creative theming.

I am proud of our client relationships and work for non-profits. We feel their passion and know we are helping them elevate their stories. I am also extremely proud of creating a work environment that allows flexibility for life, autonomy for growth and positivity for daily enjoyment. Life is too short for anything else!

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I don’t know if it’s luck or just believing that if you put good out to the universe, it will come back to you. I believe in helping others and keeping my intentions positive. I work hard, and expect that from others too. Maybe you can create your own luck through hard work and a good attitude? But there has always been a sense of things falling into place over the years. The right new client calls at just the right time. The new idea forms when I least expect it. If a day feels out of sorts, I reset and start fresh the next day. So yeah, Maybe it’s good luck. Maybe it’s magic. Whatever it is, I’m here for the ride.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://brand-tonic.com
• Other: https://www.juice-gallery.com