hearten and hone
For someone who supports other entrepreneurs in crafting their brands, you might expect one to work on theirs fairly easily. Not quite. Branding myself was one of the most difficult endeavors I’ve had to tackle. After an entire year of contemplating about my brand, my approach, my message, and how I can best support you, it’s such a fulfilling moment of satisfaction to have all of these culminate into a tangible representation of what I’ve been meaning for my business to represent. So in January, I announced the rebrand of the studio from Marion Tan Design to Hearten + Hone.
Why Hearten + Hone?
How I came to these words was actually rather random and accidental. I was reading a book, and found the words ‘heart’ and ‘hone’ in one sentence. And then I thought, hey, that sounds nice. So I looked up the meaning of the words “hearten” and then “hone”.
hearten • to make more confident
hone • to refine over a period of time
I realized that it couldn’t be a more fitting description for what I intend achieve in the work that I do. Maybe it wasn’t such a random discovery after all?
Here at the studio, our heart lies in helping you refine every piece that makes up your brand – your message, personality, voice, values, visuals – so it speaks directly to the quality of the work that you do. With every client that comes through our doors, our goal is elevate your brand to a position where its known, recognized, and well-loved by the people you’re meant to serve.
“Hearten + Hone” encapsulates the values that we stand for, the values that we know would stand the test of time, whatever direction we’re heading. I’m not sure where my business will be 10 years from now, but one thing I’m certain about is that I will always, always operate my business from a place of empathy, service, and a genuine desire to make this world a little lighter.
So what can you expect from Hearten + Hone?
1. Tailored services to high-end health & wellness businesses
If there’s anything the pandemic has taught me, it’s how vital our health & wellness is in our lives – not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.
And it made me think, how can my passion for strategy + design contribute to something that actually improves the lives of others? That’s when it clicked. I’ve always known in my heart that I wanted to work with brands that moved people, brands that made a significant difference, brands that were made for good.
That’s why we’ve tailored our branding services to specifically support health & wellness businesses like you in translating your value into high-end, human-centered brands that people will seek out and stay with. Whether you’re a coach, a boutique studio owner, or a resort owner, we acknowledge your transformative role in today’s time. And you deserve a brand that reflects just that.
2. Brand strategy as a starting point
No matter what type of business model you have, we’re here to make your brand last. Seeing success in your brand is all about the long-term game. We want to ensure that you’re equipped with the foundational structure that will ensure your brand’s stability, adaptability, and durability through time. And we’re able to achieve this by going through our empathy-led brand strategy process.
For every branding and design partnership, we’ll firstly hone in on your brand’s essence, understand how you relate to your audience and market, and map out a bespoke roadmap for how we can shape your brand and delight your audience along the way.
3. A continuous effort to employ a trauma-informed approach towards doing business
Setting up a high-end wellness brand is a bit nuanced. It requires a different level of care and intention especially since we’re dealing with something that’s personal, vulnerable, and sometimes sensitive for most people.
With this in mind, the brands that will come out of the studio will be crafted from the lens of values-driven foundations, empathetic messaging, and non-manipulative brand executions. I’ve also taken myself to invest in Katie Kurt’z trauma-informed space holding training so I could learn more about these principles and properly apply them to better serve you.
4. Resources for fellow brand designers
One of my dreams is to see a world where brands are able to responsibly use their voice for good. And I believe that us brand builders play such a pivotal role in shaping up brands like these. That’s why, aside from catering to the health and wellness industry, we’re also branching out to teach & educate fellow brand designers on how to build brands that are rooted in purpose, meaning, and intention.
Ultimately, my vision for the studio is for it to be a resource for health and wellness leaders like you to immerse in inspiration, learning, and dwell in lightheartedness and hope. All the days leading up to the rebrand studio has had so much thought and intention towards it, not because I wanted the perfect brand – but because this space is also yours. And I wanted to make sure that you feel safe, comfortable, and welcomed.
I wanted to make sure this brand experience delights you. So please make yourself feel at home. 😌