When It's Not All About Me Anymore

A new logo for A.wordsmith

When I first started A.wordsmith in early 2009, it was more of an experiment than anything else. I had just fallen victim to the economy and was part of a large round of layoffs. I was also very pregnant and not very marketable when it came to a new job. I had nine years of professional experience under my belt and after conversations with several mentors and my family I decided to take the plunge and become my own boss.

My initial goal was really just to have a couple of clients and bring in enough money to support our household. The A.wordsmith moniker was born as a clever combination of my name and what I love doing and my logo was central to me, myself and I – with my beaming face front and center.

Fast forward to present day and what has been discovered is my own deep entrepreneurial spirit that is part of my Simmons-born DNA. Not only am I passionate about providing excellent client service, but also growing my business as part of that effort.  In early 2012 I came to a crossroads, realizing that either I needed put the brakes on new business and be satisfied with my current state, or forge on and grow. I could no longer go it alone.  Since then I have been fortunate to engage a stellar team of contract employees with skills ranging from strategic PR, writing, graphic design and copy editing.

Bottom line is that A.wordsmith is no longer just about Ann – and I love that!  But with that came the realization that no longer was my logo truly representative of the business. The original logo for A.wordsmith has served me well and prompted many a conversation. I’m deeply thankful to our friend, neighbor and graphic designer extraordinaire Vince Ewert who did the design back when there was no extra cash and his payment was truly a dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. For this latest phase of branding, I enlisted the help of designer Megan Zimmer, a member of the A.wordsmith team, and I’m very excited about the look and feel. The logo is definitely not a far cry from the first one, which I like…makes me feel at home, and I hope it evokes those same feelings for others who have been around for the whole journey or those just coming on board.