🥳 The 40 Year Old Rebrand

I turned 40 this week… and something feels off. 

Ok, more like I'm pooping my pants 🥹

So in this episode, I’m sharing with you why I’m rebranding. Not just my business, but my life. From creative restlessness to needing to check back in with my purpose, I break down the 3 big reasons behind this shift and how I’m navigating the messy, in-between space that no one really talks about.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, misaligned, or like you’ve outgrown the version of yourself you’ve been showing the world, this one’s for you.

Because fearless doesn’t mean having it all figured out perfectly. It means being willing to evolve and keep showing up.

x Morgan

Connect with me:

• Follow The Fearless Designer on Instagram
  @the.fearless.designer
  
  
• Head to The Fearless Designer Website for more info
  www.thefearlessdesigner.com.au

Transcript

Hi guys. Welcome back to the Fearless Designer podcast. This episode's going to be a little bit different today. I'm not going to be telling you what to do. I'm not going to be teaching you, giving you all the tips and the tricks because I'm turning 40 this week. And while I could pretend that I'm going to be totally cool about it, I really want to be honest with you guys. For the last few weeks, I've been really scared and unsure, and if I'm being completely 100% honest, I've actually been feeling a bit lost as well. So as I said, this isn't going to be a branding tips episode.

This is a life one. But if you've been around here for a while, you'll know. You know that I don't really believe that the two things are separate. So today I want to talk to you about what it means to rebrand your life, your purpose and your business when everything just feels that little bit misaligned. And I'm going to share with you three reasons why I'm leaning into a personal and professional rebrand right now and how I'm going to plan to navigate this next chapter. So if you've been questioning your direction lately or wondering whether the version of yourself you've been showing the world is still true, this one's perfect for you. So yeah, let's get into it. Hello and welcome to the Fearless Designer podcast.

I'm your host, Morgan MacDonald, aka the fearless designer, and I'm here to help you embrace your fears, level up your visual brand, and take your business to fearless new heights. For two decades, I've worked with business owners just like you, designing brands that are bold, consistent and authentic. I've lived a profesh corporate life as a graphic designer and I've also spent the last 13 years running my own brand and graphic design business. So whether you're running a six or seven figure business, craving a brand refresh, or just ready to add a little more wow to your visuals, I got you. Each week we'll dive into Fearless brand strategies, design tips that you actually can use, live brand audits, and interviews with fellow business owners who have dared to do things differently. So if you're ready to stop playing small, take control of your brand and lead with confidence, you're in the right place. Lets go. So 40.

I've said this out loud a few times this week and every time it feels strange. I know it's just a number, but. And I can completely talk myself into that, it's okay. But there's something in my body that just feels a bit off. And it's not because I've been dreading getting older. Exactly. It's more like I feel like I've just blinked, and all of a sudden, I'm here. And I've built a business that I love.

I've helped hundreds of women show up fearlessly in their brands, and I've got such a beautiful and so much to be grateful for. And yet I also feel this little internal rumble. A quiet question that keeps kind of going around and around in my head. Is this still it? And am I still aligned with the person that I'm becoming? It's really hard to admit that out loud, especially when everything looks like it's working. But I'm a designer, and if there's one thing that I know, that good design isn't about how things look. It's about how things feel. And lately, for me, something's just been feeling a little bit off. So what do you do when your brand starts to feel like it isn't quite the right fit anymore? Well, you rebrand it.

And I'm not talking about a logo update or a new color palette. I'm talking about a deeper, messier, more personal kind of rebrand, one that starts on the inside. Here are the three reasons why I'm rebranding right now and why it's not just about the business for me. First of all, I've changed, and I just feel like my brand hasn't caught up. You know, when you get stuck in the cycle of doing and doing client work and not really putting all of your effort and time into your marketing, that's where I'm at. There are parts of my brand, my messaging, my visuals, and even how I show up that still reflect the older version of me, the one who was hustling hard, head down, trying to prove that I could do it. But I'm just not her anymore. I've grown, I've softened, I've got braver.

And my brand really does need to evolve with me, not just to stay current, but to stay true. I'm also feeling a little bit creatively restless. And if you know me, I just live and breathe creative energy. But lately, I've just felt stuck in a loop. Doing the work, showing up, but not actually feeling really lit up. It's like the designs are still beautiful, the strategy is still solid, but the spark, it's. It's kind of dimmed a little bit, and I think that's my cue. It's time to play again, experiment and get really uncomfortable.

And then I'm also actually craving more meaning. So the Fearless Designer was born from a desire to help women to show up confidently for their brands and design confidently for their brands. And that's still the heart of it. But as I turn 40, I'm thinking bigger. I'm thinking about legacy. I want my work to have. I want it to transform people from the inside out. Not just give them a beautiful brand, but help them be fearless in the way they show up in life.

And that means I need to realign with that purpose again, to stop playing small and to start showing up in a way that reflects the impact that I want to have. And before I share what I'm doing about all of this, I want to pause on something that doesn't get talked about enough. And that's the middle part, the part where you know where something has to change, but you don't know exactly what comes next. It's the part where you've said goodbye to an old version of yourself, but you haven't fully stepped into the new one yet. That space is utterly terrifying, but it's also where the magic happens. This is the moment where I'm really learning to sit in the unknown, to stop trying to rush to fix things or replace it with a thousand shiny new things. This is where the reflection happens, the slowing down, the uncomfortable in between that so many of us try to avoid. P.S.

I avoid all the time, but I'm realizing this is where we become who we're meant to be. So what does a life and business rebrand actually look like? Well, I'm not actually sure what it looks like, but here's where I'm starting. Something that I've been working on all year is journaling and visioning. I'm giving myself that space to think, not plan, not produce, just reflect. And I'm finding it incredibly hard to find that time, but just giving myself the space to ask some questions, to put down what I'm feeling, what I'm thinking. How did the day go? I've been finding it really important in my day. So I've been asking myself these questions. What do I want my days to feel like? Who do I want to work with? And what kind of legacy do I want to leave behind? Also, as part of this business life rebrand, I'm tapping back into my why.

I'm revisiting the work I did so many years ago when I first launched the Fearless Designer. And guess what? I'm doing it all over Again, because this new chapter needs a new foundation. And this is what I do with all of my workshop clients, my design clients. I have to understand the why and the foundations before we can build a brand. Another really important thing is I'm making space to play. This is a huge one for me because I don't give myself space to play. This means new visuals, new messaging, and even new offers. And it doesn't have to happen all right now, but I'm allowing myself space to explore.

Even if it's messy, which I don't like, even if it's slow, which I also don't like. Giving myself the time and space to come up with these. This new iteration of what I'm creating is so important. And finally, I think this one is a great one. And this one really does put me out of my comfort zone. And that's with I want to bring you with me. I'm not waiting until it's polished and perfect to share. This is a behind the scenes, raw and real version because I know some of you are feeling exactly the same way.

Maybe you've been feeling stuck or unsure or like something in your business just doesn't feel aligned anymore. Maybe you've been wondering if it's okay to want something different, even after all years and years of building what you thought was your dream. And the answer is yes, it's more than okay. It's necessary. And I'm doing the same thing and I want to bring you with me. So that's where I'm at. Turning 40 has brought up a lot. I've cried a few times this week.

I've had, yeah, so many emotions. But it's also cracked open this opportunity to redesign my life with much more intention. And that's what the next chapter is really about. And if it is, then I'm definitely ready. I'll be sharing more of this journey over the next few weeks. The big questions I'm asking, the shifts I'm making, the experiments I'm trying, the failures that I'm making, the whole lot. Because being fearless doesn't mean having it all figured out. It means being willing to ask the hard questions and show up anyway.

Messy. Real, evolving. All of that. So thank you so much for listening today. If you've been feeling the tug of a rebrand too, whether it's for life or for your business, well, you're 100% not alone and we can totally do it together. So please reach out, send me a DM on Instagram, send me an email, whatever it may be. Share how you're feeling and what you're going through at the moment, because let's do this together. Until next time, stay fearless and I will keep you updated.

And that's it for today's episode of the Fearless Designer podcast. I hope you're feeling really inspired, fired up and ready to go. Make some bold moves with your brand. If you love today's episode, don't forget to hit the subscribe button so that you never miss a dose of fearless branding goodness. And if you're feeling extra generous, drop us a review. It just helps more fearless legends like you find this podcast. If you've got any ideas or questions for future EPS, please slide into my DMs or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.

And until next time, keep being bold. Keep being fearless. And remember, your brand is your superpower. So go out there and dare to be different. Bye.