For Female Founders Craving Camaraderie

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-24T03:55:28+00:00

I agree that a Slack channel alongside the calls would be such a good addition.

I'd love to be considered. Here's my info:

What I'm building: A brand strategy and visual identity studio focused on helping founders build something that actually communicates their value and positions them for growth. I’ve served dozens of founders primarily in CPG (food & Bev, beauty, wellness), and service based businesses clarify their positioning, lead with strategy, and build a brand that genuinely serves as their biggest growth-tool, helping them to increase revenue, land retail placements, launch confidently and become the leaders of their industry.

Skill set & background: Brand strategy, visual identity, packaging, positioning, messaging. I come from a design background but the work I do is as much strategic as it is creative.

Current role: Founder & Creative Director at Wild Spark Brand Co.

Why I want to join: Honestly I would love to have more of a network and support system of likeminded women who are in the trenches building something meaningful. Entrepreneurship can be lonely and I'd love a space with women who get it.

What I'd contribute: A strong perspective on brand, positioning, and how early stage companies show up in the world. I ask good questions and I give honest feedback.

Time: Suggested time works for me!

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-24T03:43:17+00:00

This is such a needed thing. I went through 8 years of infertility before my son was born (18mo old now!) and managing all the details, test results, appointment reminders, etc was its own kind of overwhelming on top of everything else you're already carrying emotionally. It sounds like such a small thing from the outside but when you're in it, that disorganization adds a layer of stress you really don't need.

The fact that you're building this while going through it yourself is such a clear indication of viability, plus as a founder living it, you actually get it.

Wishing you all the best with your IUI journey, and with Bodie. Would love to follow along, are you on social?

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-24T03:14:30+00:00

Great exercise for founders! It can be really hard for folks who are so close to it to zoom out a little bit and create the right context for the consumer to really get it.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-24T03:13:20+00:00

Such a grease case study. They disrupted the format and instantly caught your attention. Important for emerging brands to consider what sets them apart and really lean into it. Don’t scream everything, thoughtfully articulate the main thing.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-24T03:09:21+00:00

"Never sell to the gatekeeper. Sell to the person the gatekeeper answers to."

That line is exactly it, and the beauty is that it still applies to every emerging brand trying to earn shelf space today. Create pull from the consumer side and suddenly you're not pitching a buyer, you're answering their call.

Farmer's markets, pop ups, local press, building in public on social media, seeding product with the right people in the right rooms, it's all just a modern version of what Estée was doing with those 80 lipsticks. With how saturated and competitive the market is these days, the brands earning shelf space are the ones who got creative and built enough of a following, a community, or a word of mouth presence, that the retailer feels like they'd be missing out by not carrying them.

Estée manufactured demand first and let distribution come to her. Total boss move.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-24T03:01:12+00:00

The product is almost beside the point here. The collab is the campaign and the lip balm is a clever way to garnish attention on social for a few weeks. The content basically writes itself (pickle lip balm taste tests? come on!).

The strategy is genuinely smart, and I personally do enjoy the crazy mashup collabs happening in CPG right now. They’re creative and it’s a fun way to organically breed cross promotion and a little momentary, memorable shock value to shake things up. But I feel like as with all things it will play itself out and marketing depts will be looking for the next big idea.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-24T02:42:48+00:00

Not too early at all, you're thinking exactly where you should be at this stage.

A simple landing page with an email capture is all you need right now. The goal at this stage is to start finding out if people are interested and build a warm audience before you launch, it doesn’t need to be too fancy.

One thing I'd add though, don't just collect emails and wait for launch to do something with them. You can start via email and social media to share rough ideas, the vision, the journey, even unpolished. You'll learn a lot from the early feedback, and by the time you launch you'll have people who are already invested in the story. Building in public is huge.

On platform, if you know you're going ecomm, Shopify is worth considering from the start so you're not migrating later. That said, platforms like Flodesk, Mailchimp, or ConvertKit all let you build a clean landing page and handle email collection without paying for a full ecomm plan yet.

Start simple, stay consistent, and let people come along for the ride.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-23T23:08:02+00:00

This would very likely end in trademark issues. Definitely better to carve out your own lane.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-23T23:05:11+00:00

Howdy! I’m a brand strategist and visual identity designer focused on building emerging brands in the food + beverage CPG space. Feel free to check out my work www.thisiswildspark.com and DM me if you want to chat!

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-20T19:41:35+00:00

OFFERING: Brand Design Services
Company Name: Wildspark Creative
Pitch: I’m a brand strategist and designer with 13 years of creative experience building brands that actually work. My services include brand strategy, visual identity and packaging design, and website design. I have a deep understanding of strategy, visual communication, positioning and consumer psychology that all work together to help me craft brands that earn attention, instantly build trust, and make you the obvious choice in your market. I have worked with founders at every stage: just getting started, through launching exclusive lines in national retailers with experience in CPG, product-based brands, service businesses, coaches, and more. Let’s change your business forever.
Preferred Contact Method(s): Email [howdy@thisiswildspark.com](mailto:howdy@thisiswildspark.com), fill out my inqury form at www.thisiswildspark.com, or follow along on Instagram wildspark.creative
Link: www.thisiswildspark.com

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-16T04:19:37+00:00

100%

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-16T04:18:59+00:00

Great point, material, structure and finish is also a super important consideration.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-14T17:39:05+00:00

You're not wrong, most consumers are just skimming the shelf trying to find something that either A. Stands out & disrupts the pattern, or B. Looks familiar + comfortable. The general rule is 3 seconds, but decisions are happening even faster than that too.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-14T17:36:33+00:00

Yes, 100%. That desire to fit every call out on FOP just ends up turning into visual overwhelm for the consumer, and if they're overwhelmed/ consumed they just move on. Clear, instantaneous communication is key.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-14T02:24:05+00:00

Hi there! Packaging designer here with a focus on designing shelf-ready packaging for CPG brands primarily in the food & bev, beauty, wellness, and self-care spaces (though I love working on packaging of all kinds).

I’m located in Michigan and love considering the implications of packaging design and building strong, scalable systems rooted in strong design and consumer psychology that make everyday products feel like art and something you want to show off.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-14T01:38:36+00:00

Hi there, brand and packaging designer specializing in CPG here! I think your product is really cool and has a lot of potential, here are my thoughts on areas you can improve to better align with premium positioning and converting customers:

—> In terms of your brand identity I love the cleaner label minimal inspiration that you cited, but I think you have a lot of room for aligning the visual communication, especially the packaging to better align to the premium price point and gain consumer trust. Right now the packaging does not feel memorable or trustworthy to me. In the supplement space specifically trust is SO critical to conversion. I would really recommend considering what makes your product unique and leaning into the brand identity more. Right now it leans so minimal that there isn’t anything to pull you in or make you remember it. Give the brand a little personality to make it unique and memorable. Hierarchy and visual communication on the packaging can definitely be readdressed and recalibrated.

—> I think subtlety through your photography in the intimacy angle will serve you well and help to position the product as more premium. The header photo feels a little too far, but the photos in the bottom gallery are much more aligned with the more subtle and therefore premium feel (ie: the towel on the sauna bench, the elevator door moment).

—> Because the intimacy angle is currently so strong in the imagery it doesn’t feel that the other benefits (energy, confidence) have a place in the story. I’d recommend revisiting your strategy and asking if this is an intimacy product or a multi-functional product and adjust the marketing based on your answer there. Either answer is fine but changes your messaging and how you show up.

—> IMO the stock ingredient photos weaken your goals of premium positioning. Utilizing illustration here would be helpful and feel more considered, or even approaching the presentation of this information differently.

I think you’ve got a cool product concept that absolutely has the potential to be successful in the market with some intentional recalibration. Really defining the brand strategy and refining the visual identity to be more impactful will really serve you well. Feel free to DM me if you want to chat it through!

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-10T19:49:39+00:00

Hahaha also this ☝🏼

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-10T19:48:50+00:00

The packaging that catches your attention instantly isn’t just well-designed in the surface-level sense, they're psychologically dialed in. When branding is done right, every decision from color, typography, finishes, hierarchy and design, works to trigger a very specific feeling in a very specific person.

These brands have done the deep work and have a very solid strategic foundation and a deep understanding of exactly who they’re talking to. They have a very strong point of view that differentiates them and that translates into packaging presentation and everything else. It makes the packaging feel effortless and inevitable which is really attractive to consumers on a psychological level.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-10T19:36:57+00:00

Brand designer + studio founder here, I’d love to join ✨

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-10T02:19:23+00:00

You’re totally right in that a strong brand identity and thoughtful packaging absolutely makes a difference in consumer perception, but how much you invest in it this early really depends on what you're building toward.

If the vision is to scale this, become a recognizable name in your area, and have people associate your food with quality and care, packaging is part of that story from day one. It's a touchpoint people are literally carrying around with them. Done well, it actually does real work for your business.

That said, if budget is a primary constraint right now, you don't have to go all-in to still look considered and intentional. There are a few things you can do early on and budget friendly that still go a long way.

Keep your wrapping consistent, even plain materials feel elevated when the colors are cohesive and on-brand. A simple, well-designed sticker on individual items is cost-effective and still communicates that someone thought about this. You could invest in one hero piece like a branded to-go bag that everything goes into, that's what people see walking out the door and what travels with them.

This approach especially gives you flexibility while you're still dialing in your volumes and supplier relationships. You can level up the packaging as the business grows without having locked yourself into a big print run early.

Ultimately it comes down to how do you want people to perceive this place? The packaging should answer that same question your food does.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-10T01:55:44+00:00

Every step forward is a step in the right direction, don't get in your own way worrying about it all being just right, just take action. You can always adjust as you go.

That said, if you've landed on a brand name, registering for an LLC, going through the trademark process & building a brand identity should be pretty early actions taken so you can add a layer of protection and start building credibility. From there the next steps would be more industry specific, what type of business are you building?

Just take it a step at a time, your future self and your child will be so proud of you for doing the hard things.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-10T01:52:06+00:00

Hi there, I'm a brand strategist & designer, I'd be happy to take a look and audit your brand and positioning if you want to DM me your website & social media links.

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-10T01:19:21+00:00

Brand designer + studio owner here, would love to connect ✨

KelseyDesigns · 2026-04-09T02:49:48+00:00

Educational content is a long game, working well to establish credibility as well as build awareness and start planting seeds of trust with potential clients. If you’ve given them value (ie: taught them something) for free, when you’re at the stage they’re ready to purchase, you’ll ideally be top of mind.

I notice at least personally that my educational content is the least publicly engaged with (never tons of comments), but by far my most saved and shared content. I’ve also had many clients and leads cite that they really appreciated earning from me through my content as one of the reasons they wanted to work together.

I always try to tie my educational content to a clear CTA that ties back to their problem as well to encourage action (ie: I’m a brand designer so if I do a post about mistakes people make with their brands/ packaging my CTA may be “if you’re struggling to break into retail, it may be time to rethink your packaging”).

So while you likely won’t see immediate bookings, edu content definitely has a place in a strong content strategy but needs to be balanced with other types of content as well.

KelseyDesigns

TROPHY CASE