Clarity Before Colors: How Strategy and Mindset Set the Stage for Branding
A collaborative feature with Business Coaches Stephenie Zamora and Tracy Beavers
By Lyon Creatives
Before a brand can look right, it has to feel right. At Lyon Creatives, I often work with business owners who are ready to build or evolve their brand but haven’t clarified what they want that brand to communicate. And when the vision isn’t clear, the visuals won’t be either.
This month, I’m thrilled to feature two thoughtful business coaches—Stephenie Zamora and Tracy Beavers—who specialize in helping entrepreneurs uncover the strategy, mission, and mindset needed before investing in visual branding.
This post is part of Lyon Creatives' ongoing series, highlighting the creative professionals who make a strong brand possible, beyond the design.
Meet the Coaches
Stephenie Zamora
Founder of Choose Your Calling
Website: chooseyourcalling.com
Instagram: @chooseyourcalling
LinkedIn: Stephenie Zamora
Stephenie supports purpose-driven entrepreneurs who are working to establish themselves as thought leaders by helping them build what she calls Channels for Change™—whether that’s a business, branded movement, podcast, self-published book, or video series.
“Our Strategy Suites and one-on-one coaching cover everything from brand and marketing strategy to prospect nurturing and offer design to building appreciating SEO content funnels that meet their ideal audience in their active search queries.”
She begins by guiding clients to uncover the deeper “why” behind their work—what drives them, who they’re here to help, and how their purpose wants to be expressed in the world.
“Who do they want to serve, and why? What pain points do they want to support people with, and why? What methods of support do they want to offer, and why?”
For Stephenie’s clients, clarity begins with self-alignment. She helps entrepreneurs reconnect with who they truly are and uncover how their life experiences and values shape the work they’re here to do. Before diving into strategy, she walks them through the internal exploration needed to clarify their deeper mission and understand how their purpose wants to show up today.
www.chooseyourcalling.com
One of the biggest challenges she sees in early-stage entrepreneurs is the presence of subconscious blocks. Past experiences, internalized beliefs, or unresolved trauma often manifest as self-doubt, fear of visibility, or a belief that they’re simply not good at marketing, copywriting, or sales. But as Stephenie explains, this isn’t about ability—it’s about long-held survival strategies that no longer serve their growth.
When it comes to branding, she’s clear: visuals only work when they’re grounded in meaning. A business owner who doesn’t know what they’re trying to communicate—or to whom—is unlikely to create branding that resonates. Stephenie believes that strong visual branding must reflect the essence of the entrepreneur, which can only happen when the internal work comes first.
One of her favorite tools for helping clients find that clarity is an exercise she created called Finding Your Overarching Theme. It starts with a deceptively simple prompt: What lights you up? Clients list anything that brings them joy or makes them feel alive, without filtering for what’s “practical.” Then, with support, they dig deep into the “why” behind each item—sometimes 10 to 15 layers deep—to uncover insights and emotional patterns. Through this process, clear themes begin to emerge that reveal a client’s core values, purpose, and mission. That insight becomes the foundation for aligned messaging, offers, and visual direction.
Stephenie recalls one client who had been offering multiple services because it was the industry norm. But after gaining clarity on what truly worked for her, everything shifted. She streamlined her offerings into one core service she enjoyed, eliminated sales calls, and updated her pricing to better suit her ideal clients—busy coaches who wanted someone to “just handle it.” Her business flourished, her happiness increased, and the clarity she gained became the basis for a visual brand, website, and sales funnel that finally felt like her.
Tracy Beavers
Founder of Tracy Beavers Coaching
Website: tracybeavers.com
Facebook: @Tracy Lane Beavers
LinkedIn: Tracy Beavers Coaching
Tracy Beavers helps entrepreneurs grow their email lists and attract consistent new clients—without relying on paid ads or churning out endless free lead magnets.
“My strategies get email list growth happening automatically, every day, in the background of their business.”
www.tracybeavers.com
Her approach to brand and business clarity is warm, conversational, and rooted in alignment. Before diving into marketing tactics or sales funnels, Tracy takes her clients back to the foundation. She helps them explore who they truly want to serve, how they want to deliver their offers, and what kind of business actually feels good to run. Whether they’re struggling to price a program, define an ideal audience, or choose the right offer, she works to uncover what’s most aligned—not just what’s trendy.
One of the biggest mindset blocks she sees is perfectionism. Many entrepreneurs believe every new piece of content or offer needs to be their absolute best—packed with bells, whistles, and polish. That kind of pressure can quickly become paralyzing, causing them to lose momentum or stall completely.
When it comes to branding, Tracy believes strategy should always come first. Logos, color palettes, and websites are important, but they only work when built on a solid brand foundation. Without clarity around mission, messaging, and audience, those visuals are simply surface-level decoration.
To help clients build that foundation, she uses a simple yet powerful framework:
Who do you want to serve? How do you want to serve them? What feels good to you?
By anchoring their decisions in these questions, Tracy helps business owners create brands and marketing strategies that feel authentic and sustainable.
She shared the story of one client who had been overwhelmed trying to speak to four distinct audiences—moms, family members, birthworkers, and the deaf community. Together, they stepped back and uncovered the through-line: her focus on supporting individuals in the postpartum space. Once she had that clarity, she was able to communicate more confidently, move forward with intention, and speak to all of her audiences from one unified, mission-driven message.
Why This Matters
As a designer, my role is to bring your brand to life visually—but the most powerful brands don’t start with fonts and colors. They start with clarity. When your visuals are rooted in a strong mission, authentic messaging, and the confidence to share your work with the world, your brand becomes more than just beautiful—it becomes meaningful and magnetic.
I’m so grateful to Stephenie and Tracy for sharing their perspectives in this collaboration. Their insights are a powerful reminder that branding isn’t just about how things look—it’s about who you are, who you serve, and how you show up.
If you take one thing from this post, let it be this: Get clear before you get colorful. Because the most compelling brands aren’t just designed well—they’re built from the inside out.
“There are as many ways to build a successful brand and business as there are people in the world, and the more committed you are to building something that feels fully aligned with your purpose and mission, the easier that becomes to find.”
Need Help Creating a Brand That Feels Like You?
At Lyon Creatives, I help small business owners bring their vision to life through intentional design grounded in strategy. I believe your brand should reflect who you are and where you're headed—and that starts with clarity.
I also love collaborating with coaches, photographers, and creatives who help my clients show up with purpose, confidence, and consistency at every stage of their business.
