Looking back on my previous blog anniversary posts, I still feel the same way about Hot On The Street. It’s my piece of the Internet that I can proudly call my own. What’s more, it’s not just a website or my Instagram handle — it’s a brand with a visual identity and a long-term investment. Today is Hot On The Street’s 8th anniversary and I’d like to take this opportunity to show you how I built my brand in the last year.
Business Cards
When I was in university, I ordered small packs of business cards from MOO. As my career and blog evolved, I never replaced them with new ones featuring updated contact information until recently. Recognizing how much I enjoy going to conferences and events, it felt like I waited too long to buy them.
Once MOO had a sale, I designed red, grey and white business cards to match Hot On The Street’s colour scheme. I also used similar fonts as my blog. I’ve already decided that I should stick to 1 font style instead of 2 going forward, but otherwise I’m happy with how they turned out. It feels good to be prepared when I meet someone and they want to keep in touch or check out my blog.
Cupcakes
I’ve had a couple birthday parties in the last few years with custom cupcakes, which were so fun and delicious. At both parties, I ordered cupcakes with my blog’s name, social media handles and logos of popular social networks. At the first one, I included Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Then at the second one, I included Instagram and featured the Kardashians. Not only did they look and taste good, but my photos of the cupcakes are also easily re-usable year-round. In fact, I promoted the cupcakes so much that HR at my office asked me for details about the bakery so she could order ones with Taylor Swift’s Taymoji. They were cute too!
Fashion
I started making clothing with my name on it many years ago in elementary school before I ever formally thought about my personal brand or established myself as the girl in the red jeans. I designed custom red sweatpants with “PRINCE” across the back and I remember thinking that was way cooler than the other girls who got “PRINCESS” sweatpants. Because they’re super stretchy, they still fit!
I’ve always had fun with my last name and I wanted to make something new that I could wear to events. I created a t-shirt inspired by the silhouette of a Disney prince with my Twitter handle @ThatPrince and I debuted it at Social Media Week. Since then, I learned that putting words on a t-shirt is not very photogenic, especially under a blazer or sweater. However, it’s original and I love it.
I also purchased custom Converse with my last name written on the side. I’ve been collecting Converse in different colours since high school and these are by far my favourite for obvious reasons. They’re neutral, classic and awesome. That’s why I’ve featured these shoes in the cover photo on my Facebook and LinkedIn accounts.
It feels good to be an OG blogger and I appreciate your support!