In 2022, I was approached to collaborate with two other women founders to re-launch a personal branding startup. We rebranded the company from Ossu to Distinctly to better reflect our mission of building distinct personal brands for influential leaders fighting inequality and seeking positive change.

We conducted user research to understand the product demand and better define our target audiences. We found that many people needed guidance on how or where to communicate who they are and what they do. This led us to restructure the product, focusing on the customers' foundational needs (copy tonality, content strategy, etc.) rather than the previously offered personal brand package (logo, business cards, etc.).

We also identified LinkedIn as the optimal platform for personal branding and voice amplification. Early data showed that LinkedIn conversion outperformed peer platforms by as much as 277% in generating leads and building professional connections.

The Distinctly identity embodies the complexity of human nature and the duality between strength and imperfection, with a relaxed yet rebellious brand color palette. We've created an equilibrium between two contrasting elements within the mark—a bold sans serif vs. hand-scripted 'ly,' evocative of what you might see when someone signs their name—and throughout our verbal expression (i.e., "we are tough and we care about others").

It was a humbling experience building a company and designing a product that elevates the unique and authentic voices of those who've overcome pain and hardships yet march on with meaning and purpose to create positive change in their social circles.