Before we dive into the year in review, can we be real for a minute?
whispers: I don’t like writing right now.
There, I said it. And this is coming from someone who won a statewide writing contest in 1st grade (hold the applause) AND wrote a 22-page report in 11th grade.
And I know (part) of what it is. My mind is going 100 mph nonstop, all the time. It’s tiring up in here. And when I’m writing, I put WAY too much thought into what I should say and how to make it *perfect.*
(My therapist says perfection doesn’t exist, but I’m gonna prove him wrong, just wait and see 🥲)
I just feel like I am SO worried about writing the wrong thing or upsetting someone that I just don’t write at all. So, that’s why I’m starting off this blog post by getting this off my chest. And why I’m saying it at the beginning of 2023. It’s something I want to let go of! I want to just write and enjoy it again. (and the same goes for reading).
So, hopefully, my writing will be enough to at least keep you somewhat entertained. I can tell you that if you enjoy sarcasm, saying ‘that’s what she said’ to literally everything, and think tik toks like Maddy’s are funny, then you’ll like it around here.
Now, let’s review 2022.
What the heck happened in 2022
This has been my first full year in website design and branding 🥳
When I decided to take the leap and open my LLC at the end of 2021, I really thought it would just be here-and-there projects and that no one would really *need* me. Because I thought everyone was on the DIY train and that I didn’t know anything anyone else didn’t know.
Boy, was I wrong.
Turns out, not everyone sits around for literal hours learning about WordPress, plugins, and themes and learning how to use Adobe to make designs. Who knew?!
I have been so surprised, amazed and beyond grateful for every single one of my clients this year.
Websites for 10 dietitians in private practice & 1 interior designer
The interior designer is actually my first client AND one of the people who encouraged me to start my design studio in the first place!
But, yes, the majority of my clients are fellow weight-inclusive dietitians in private practice. When I first started my design studio, some people questioned why in the world I would help others in the exact same field as me. Aren’t they my competition?! Sorry, but no. I believe in community over competition. And while we may all have similar philosophies and services, I promise you that we all have our own unique styles and personalities!
Let’s revisit some of the full websites I did this year for dietitians
Big Picture Nutrition – Samantha
Samantha was my first dietitian client who wanted a full website build. So shout out to Samantha for trusting me and for still being on one of my WordPress Care Plans today!
She, like many others, had DIY’d her website and branding. But, she knew it could be better and wanted some help. I was more than happy to help her create the website and branding of her dreams!
Check out the before and after for her website below:
I really wanted to keep the earthy, botanical feeling in the images on her original site, but wanted to pull in a lot more warmth. Her new brand photos are beautiful and perfectly captured the feeling of warm, earthy autumn. So, I pulled that in with the botanical logo, the warm yellow, and then the blue and green.
Samantha said, “Your help has been so invaluable, and I am grateful.”
I’ve loved watching her practice grow this year!
Stephanie Dorfman Nutrition – Stephanie
Stephanie was another super fun project! She had also done a DIY website and brand and we completely changed everything. We went from a more muted website with a very botanical logo and brand to something fun, vibrant, and colorful.
Check out the before and after below:
Stephanie said, “I love everything about the final product! I loved the process of working with Courtney and how she truly listens to what her clients want. I love my new logo, branding colors, and overall website – I feel that it represents me and everything I want my clients to feel when they work with me. Basically – everything about this experience was so wonderful and exciting.”
She has been doing great things in her practice and in her role with the Nutrition Entrepreneurs DPG for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics!
Don’t forget to check out Stephanie’s project page too.
Intentful Nutrition – Brooke
One thing that has been so freaking cool is that all of the dietitians I have worked with have been from places all over the country! Samantha is in Maryland, Stephanie is in New York and Brooke is in Alaska! It seriously blows my mind how small the world really is.
Brooke has an awesome niche where she specifically works with runners and helps them approach their nutrition from a weight-inclusive perspective. Her site was originally on Wix (see why I don’t recommend staying on Wix here) and was not responsive on all screen sizes, which is a very common issue in Wix.
So, we moved her over to WordPress and built a brand new site with more than the one page that was currently on Wix.
Brooke said, “Courtney was FAST and my site looked even better than I could have imagined. She takes a very personalized approach and will make sure you are happy with her designs. She doesn’t push you to do things that you don’t like.”
Check out her before and after (the only time you will ever see me say that is in relation to designs haha)
This project highlights one of my favorite things to do, which is to find the pops of brand colors in the photos and let them really shine.
Dietitian Mimi – Mimi’s VIP Design Day Website
If you haven’t heard of VIP Design Days, they are basically days where I focus on nothing but your project. Your project could be lots of different things and it could be more than one day! Why would you do a VIP Day vs. a custom 2-week website? A few reasons, but the biggest are time and money. A VIP Day website would be a template with no design changes (except colors, fonts, and images), but is obviously more affordable than a custom website with the same number of pages.
But, where the VIP Day really shines is when you have design projects that you need to get done, like presentation slides, social media post templates, brand collateral like business cards OR non-design-related things like helping you set up your email marketing workflows, etc.
Back to Mimi’s site! Mimi is growing her private practice and needed somewhere to send clients that was more professional. Her previous site was on Wix (seeing a theme here, yet?) and wasn’t up to the challenge.
We also did a ‘starter brand,’ which is basically just a mood board that helps us have consistent colors and 1-2 fonts.
Be sure to check out Mimi’s project page too.
Check out her before and after below:
Shelby Santin Nutrition – Shelby
Shelby’s website is one of my latest projects that I finished at the beginning of December. She had a one-page website that was no longer working for her growing practice. So, we developed not just a visual identity for her brand, but also a brand strategy that will continue to guide her practice as it continues to grow. She will be able to continue being clear on who she is speaking to, the tone of voice for her brand and the personality, and more.
The overall vibe for her brand’s visual identity focused on boho and warm, earthy pastels.
Check out her before and after below:
Confidently NourishED – Heather
This one is the newest kid on the block because I finished this project at the very end of December. This was yet another super fun project not just in the style, but the awesome people I get to work with!
Heather started out as a solo practice and is now growing into a group practice, so it was time to rebrand and get a shiny new website.
We did a full brand identity and strategy for their group practice, Confidently NourishED. As with most people who don’t live and breathe branding and design like me (what, it’s totally normal), their team didn’t realize how big and important having a full brand strategy is until we went through the process:
Heather said, “The branding experience went way beyond my expectations and even the team’s. I knew I wanted more than just a logo, but what you gave ultimately was a clearer idea of what our brand stands for, who we come off to customers, how we want people to feel, etc. It’s so much more and I think it really gave me good insight into the whole customer journey/experience with our brand at large. I never really thought about this before. I’m obsessed with all of the visual logos, images, and icons! I want them everywhere!”
I will be working on their project page soon, but for now, check out their before and after below:
It’s been a heck of a year for my website design studio
Well, it’s been quite the year for custom website and design projects! From custom websites for weight-inclusive dietitians in private practice to creating custom brands and strategies, I’ve had the chance to flex my design muscles and help some seriously amazing professionals in the process.
It’s been a wild ride, but it’s also been incredibly rewarding. And let’s be real, these projects have allowed me to show off my mad design skills and prove to the world (or at least a small corner of the internet) that I am the queen of all things web-related.
All joking aside, it’s been a pleasure to work with such talented and passionate dietitians, and I can’t wait to see where the future takes us. Here’s to more in 2023!
Want to work together in 2023? Reach out today and let’s do it!
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