The Brand Event

Some relationships don’t begin the way you expect them to. Ours began years ago through a project that didn’t end the way either of us hoped. What followed was an unexpected reconnection, a conversation built on honesty, and eventually, a partnership built on trust, respect, and years of showing up for one another. Over time, that reconnection became one of the most meaningful professional relationships in my life, and in many ways, The Brand Event became an extension of that relationship. That’s how Nita and I found each other. It started with a posting on a job board. Nita needed a logo, and at the time, I was part of a small design group handling outreach and relationship building. Nita and I connected, and she hired us. The project was for her new business, It’s in the Details Travel and Events. She had a vision that blended both worlds together. We created a logo, but looking back, it never fully reflected who she was. At the time, we were focused more on creating something visually appealing than truly understanding the person behind the brand, and I think somewhere deep down, she could feel that too. Nita had revisions she wanted to revisit. I was out of town at the time and passed her request along to the group. I sent the response we collectively decided on, even though something about it didn’t sit right with me. Nita ended the engagement, the project closed, the design group eventually dissolved, and life moved on. But it didn’t fully move on for me. For those who know me well, I’m deeply empathetic. I think about how interactions land and how people are left feeling when things remain unresolved, which is why that experience with Nita stayed with me. When I started Intrinsic Maven, I thought a lot about the kind of business owner I wanted to become, and it made me think about her. Even though months had passed, I reached out simply to apologize for how things ended. No pitch. No agenda. I just wanted to close the gap because it was in my heart. She replied, and from that reply, everything changed. We reconnected slowly. At the time, Nita had already hired someone else for her branding and website, and I was genuinely happy she had found support. But as we talked more, I noticed something. Her branding didn’t reflect her. What I saw in the visual language of her business felt like someone else’s interpretation of who she was. Country. Rustic. But Nita is sophisticated. Chic. Warm but polished. Someone whose presence quietly fills a room, and none of that was showing up in her brand. As our conversations deepened, she eventually shared that she didn’t feel fully confident in it either. That was the moment of alignment, the understanding of: I see what you see. That’s where the trust truly began. We didn’t start over with a logo. We started with Nita, who she was, what she was building, and the conversations that happened when I sat across from her and genuinely listened. I’ve always believed the best brand work starts long before any design decision, and with Nita, the listening revealed everything. Over time, we rebuilt her brand together. We changed what needed to change, kept what was already true, and built something that genuinely reflected the woman behind the business. Nita has pivoted more than once, from travel and events, through COVID, into virtual experiences, and eventually into corporate gifting. Through every shift, my team and I have been there behind the scenes, helping ensure everything representing her business continued to feel aligned with who she truly was. She’s told me more than once, “You know my business better than anyone.” And while that may be true, it's because I’ve paid attention. I’ve believed in what she was building, even during the moments she doubted it herself. What Nita and I built became far more than a client relationship. It became a partnership built on repair, trust, honesty, and years of real conversation. We bring out something in each other, a shared energy, a shared standard, and a shared belief that the things worth doing are worth doing with care. This right here is the essence of what stewardship means to me and how I show up for my clients. And that’s exactly why, when the idea of The Brand Event came up, there was no question. It was always going to be us, together, creating something that reflected everything we had built. The room we created that night, the conversations, the connection, and the atmosphere became the expression of a relationship that started with an apology and evolved into one of the most meaningful professional partnerships of my life. Some relationships don’t begin the way you expect them to. The best ones rarely do.