Wanna know more?
About Me
Hi! I’m Sian. I’m a Creative Entrepreneur & Graphic Designer from New Zealand, currently living life in British Columbia, Canada. I stoke on design & branding, deep house tunes, dunking in crystal-clear water, and summer road trips.
Creative Entrepreneur, Designer, Kiwi
Here’s my deal —
Hey, I’m Sian.
My mish? Helping other entrepreneurs save time in their biz, impress the shit out of their clients, boost their creativity (and confidence), & find new ways to do things on their own terms. This through-message of ditching the trends going all-in on what makes you different has been the core message of my brand for the 12+ years I’ve been in business, and it’s not going anywhere… So, you in?
I’m not here to pitch you some bullshit-generic dream, then try to convince you that what I'm selling has all of the answers...
Because it doesn’t. There isn't a single product on the planet that will solve all of your problems… (but you already know that).
So here’s what I can tell you —
I truly believe that you can get to where you want to go, if you commit to doing the work on your own terms.
When you take the time to know yourself, that self-awareness becomes the foundation of your Brand & Biz. And once you've got that locked in, there's no stopping you from going all-in and carving your own damn path.
My ultimate mish? To help you…
Build a brand worth noticing.
You might be thinking, okay sounds sick, I’m in, but WTF actually makes a brand worth noticing? Here’s what I’ve boiled it down to.
A brand worth noticing is one that…
…doesn’t follow trends or worry too much what the rest of their industry is doing, because they’re all-in on doing shit their own, unique way.
…values solid, clean, and aligned design.
…backs itself, because they know they have awesome & valuable shit to offer.
…isn’t afraid to call it how they see it.
…commands attention, because the energy is so fucking dialled they can’t help but attract their dream clients & customers.
A brand worth noticing isn't just background noise or an echo of what already exists; it's an innovator, carving its own unique journey in the world.
Build a brand worth noticing.
—
Build a brand worth noticing. —
"Don’t try to fit in. If you have to change to do a job, it’s not YOUR job. Practice being yourself and practice doing the work you like, the work that moves you. Learn to follow your inner compass. It will guide you and help you to find your voice and style. And ultimately, this is what will be attractive for clients. If you follow fads or the status quo you’ll always be…following, and worse yet, inauthentic. After all, if your work appeals to everyone, it moves no one. Give ‘em hell."
— James Victore
Here’s what I believe in —
-
I learned this in the early days of my business, and I know without-a-fucking-doubt it’s helped me in a huge way in getting to where I am now.
Call it ignorance, call it naivety, call it whatever you want — but full commitment to doing your own thing will help you carve the shit out of your own path. Stop worrying so much about what the rest of your industry is doing, and focus on how you’re gonna do shit differently, in only the way that YOU can.
-
You have a chance to make people pay attention.
With your words, with design, with your strategies — with any of that shit, there’s always an opportunity to make a statement. *Not* just for the sake of it, but because you’re here to keep it real and be who you are — and if you do that, you’re gonna command attention in ways only YOU can. And don’t apologise for it. EVER.
-
There’s more to life than just our work.
Maybe it’s my inner kiwi spirit, but I don’t live to work. Yes, I absolutely love what I do and I can’t imagine doing anything else — but the time spent away from my laptop on road trips & out in nature is massively important to me (which is why you see so much of this vibe in my photography). I think one of the major reasons a lot of us become self-employed is because we want time-freedom to do what we want, when we want to, but somewhere along the way we forget that sometimes, and we can’t detach from the work.
-
Creativity is allowed to feel easy. It doesn’t always have to feel like a struggle-fest.
There are absolutely times when it takes a lot to get to the finish line of a project… But not always. When you’ve done your time, and put in the work — it can be really fucking incredible, fun, easy, if you’re open to it. And while you’re at it, get the fuck outta here with the myth of the starving artist, too.
So, you with me?
If you’re down with this shit too, then we’re gonna get along juuuust fine.
I was never the kid sitting out the front of my house on the weekends, slingin’ homemade lemonade to anyone who’d take it.
I was too busy messin’ around with the sewing machine, painting, cruising around with my camera, or doing anything that meant I got to be creative.
Fast forward a few years, and I found myself as a full newb 20-year old kiwi expat living in Sydney, Australia. A recent graduate with a Bachelor of Media Arts (majoring in Graphic Design), I was doing the 9-5 grind + spending my days churning out work that wasn’t creatively fulfilling, while I dreamed of the ripper sunshine and possible adventures waiting outside my window — and the fact I wasn’t getting amongst it. (Which was one of the reasons I left NZ in the first place.)
Wanna know more of my story?
Let’s take it back.
It didn’t take long before I was bored AF with itchy feet, so I started a travel + lifestyle blog on the side, documenting my mini-road trips and thoughts about life. I began meeting like-minded people on the interwebs, who stoked hard on my visual vibes and wanted to hire me to design things for ‘em. (BINGO!)
After living the stable 9-5/freelance side-hustle double life for a while, I decided to go with the ol’ ‘fuck it’ approach and quit my job to see if I could make a go of the freelance/self-employment thing.
That was in 2011. And lemme’ tell ya, I’ve never looked back.
Over the past 12+ years of running my business, I've had the honor of collaborating with some of the most soul-driven entrepreneurs out there to craft Brands & Websites that demand attention, leaving a lasting impact in the game. I’ve also brought to life my fair share of digital products & collaborations, in the way of a couple magazines, a handful of eBooks, much-loved Branding & Squarespace Design courses, and so much more.
It's time to level up and spread the love even further. Now, I'm opening up the doors to help more folks do really awesome shit, with design & biz templates and educational resources.
Design is what I do, and it’s what I’ve always done for as long as I can remember.
I fucking love it, and I stoke on using my skills to jam with people who are committed to doing things, unapologetically, on their own terms.
Past Work
Clients
Madison Morrigan
Ash Johns
Kelle Howard
Raw Beauty Talks
Bee Bosnak
Nisha Moodley
Hayley Carr
Melissa Ambrosini
Brianna Rose
Stevie Dillon
Geralyn Power
Kate Byrne
Peta Kelly
Steph Jagger
Kylie McBeath
Rachel MacDonald
Projects
The Unmistakable Effect Magazine
16HOURS Magazine
Fave Musician
Human Design
Dream Travel Spot
Marmite or Vegemite
My Time Off is Spent…
Secret Talent
One of my fave TV shows
Place That Feels Like Home
Here’s what’s I’m offering right now —
Template Shop
The best thing about a solid template is the foundation it gives you to build something that works for YOU, so you can truly take what you've got and run with it. Right now in the Shop you’ll find a collection of Notion Templates, and Squarespace Templates!
Design Education
New resources in this arena are coming soon! I’ve created many design courses, workshops, masterclasses & more over the years, and I’m working on some fresh new ones right now that I can’t wait to share. Join my email list to stay in the loop on what’s coming, and when.
Work With Me 1-1
I am working with a small handful of 1-1 clients throughout the year, on select projects where we can really dive deep into the vision you have for your business, to build something truly fucking incredible. Check out the page linked below for full deets & to get in touch.
Want the in-depth deets of my story in design & business, and what led me to where I am now?
Watch this video on my YouTube channel.
Join the squad. Get the emails.
We’re a rowdy tribe of friends dedicated to building the futures we want to see. You should come hang with us. I send weekly-ish emails on all things design, creativity, and doing shit on your own terms. You in?
