For a long time, I focused on making everything look aesthetically appealing.

I was the designer who made sure every pixel was quite literally sparkling. People were happy. Recognition was received. But something was still lacking.

Then I discovered the sobering reality: beauty does not address business challenges.

Strategy design was a totally new concept for me. It was not about how something would look. It was about how businesses would function. The change was painful but it had to be done.

At present, I don’t begin with colors or even fonts. I start with ‘What is the reason for the business’s existence?’ and ‘What is keeping the CEO up at night?’

As soon as I transitioned from being a stylist to being a business strategist, everything altered.

Everyone involved stopped talking about aesthetics and started discussing results.