Staying Visible When Life Is Full: Evolving Your Brand with Ruthie Sterrett + Ashley Wyatt

If you’ve ever felt the pressure to “show up more,” especially in seasons where your time and energy are stretched thin, you’re not alone. In this conversation, Ruthie Sterrett sits down with brand and web designer Ashley Wyatt to talk about what true visibility really looks like for founders who are also navigating motherhood, busy life seasons, and the never-ending mental load of running a business.

Instead of focusing on posting more, this episode digs into visibility from the inside out—building a brand that reflects your values, honors your capacity, and evolves as you evolve. Ruthie and Ashley unpack why DIY branding often leads to confusion, how clarity becomes the antidote to overwhelm, and why consistent visibility is more like planting seeds than chasing instant results.

You’ll hear honest insights about navigating maternity leave, rebuilding confidence after long breaks, leaning into SEO for sustainable visibility, and knowing when it’s time for a rebrand or brand refresh. Whether you’re growing a business alongside raising kids or stepping into a new season as a CEO, you’ll walk away with clarity and reassurance that you don’t have to burn out to be visible.

✨ After listening, head to the Self-Made Life Podcast for part two!

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode, and follow along over on Instagram!
@ruthie.sterrett
@theconsistencycorner

Transcript

Ruthie Sterrett (00:01.49)
Hey, welcome back friends to the Consistency Corner podcast. And today's episode is actually gonna be a little bit different and a little bit special. I'm joined by my friend Ashley Wyatt, a brand and web designer and mom of two and host of the Self Made Life podcast. For our conversation we're calling Visibility from the Inside Out. Ashley is the founder of Monarch Design Company and she helps service-based entrepreneurs build beautiful strategic brands and websites that actually work without the stress and the endless DIY loop.

And as a mom and creative herself, she brings a unique lens to how we can show up online in a way that feels true to who we are. In this episode, we're actually gonna be talking about what it means to stay visible from the inside out, not just by posting more, but by building a brand that reflects your values for your season of life and your long-term vision. We're gonna talk about things like navigating maternity leave as a business owner, showing up when your time or energy is limited.

and creating a brand that evolves with you because you're a human, you're gonna evolve and so is your brand. And this conversation is actually one of a two-part crossover between our show. So after you listen here, make sure you head over to the Self Made Life where Ashley will interview me and we'll talk about the other side of visibility, the outside looking in. So I'm excited for our conversation today. Ashley, thank you so much for being on the show today.

Ashley Wyatt (01:23.724)
Yeah, thanks so much for having me Ruthie.

Ruthie Sterrett (01:25.886)
Yeah, so we met at a conference. We went to a conference together and followed each other's podcasts, followed each other online. And I had this idea for this collaboration episode because honestly, I work with a lot of brand designers and I think it's such an interesting perspective as a social media manager. I could do my job so much better.

when the brand has been defined and articulated and everybody understands and is on the same page. So I'm curious your perspective. Let's dive into this conversation around the evolution of your brand, because I think that's why a lot of people who are DIYing often struggle because there is so many moving parts and evolution. Talk to me a little bit about like why it's important to acknowledge that brands evolve.

Ashley Wyatt (02:16.696)
Yeah, I think it's important to kind of like look and do the inner work, not just following trends. So something that I saw recently was someone that I had been following for a while, they decided to take a two month Instagram break. And when they came back, they are really focusing on their brand, their values, their tone and their mission.

Ruthie Sterrett (02:25.918)
and

Ashley Wyatt (02:44.172)
which I think a lot of people kind of get stuck in like the hustle and bustle of things. And I think that is why now more than ever in this growing season of AI, that it's so, so important to stand out with your own brand and really develop that solid foundation so that you can stick out in like the sea of sameness.

Ruthie Sterrett (03:08.892)
Yeah, I think that conversation about AI and the sea of sameness, it's so true. And I think as a business owner, I, yes, I use AI, but I've also learned that I'm better at using AI because of the perspective I bring to the table because of the feedback that I can give to AI. What are some things that you have found is maybe missing for a business owner who's been trying to DIY their branding that like often will click when they get support?

Ashley Wyatt (03:39.607)
I find like when we really dive deep into the brand strategy, really uncovering their unique story, their mission, their vision, their values, and really crafting a unique and authentic brand, both visually and with the messaging, that's when things start to click more. It's like, I can actually, you know, I have these like set parameters of my brand.

to build that consistency, which then builds that like know and trust factor. And they're not like starting from a blank screen. They're not like spinning their wheels every time. They're not looking at blank templates on Canva and trying to like, you know, choose a different font every time. Like they know, and that is, think, what really

makes them stand out too and builds that recognition because when people come across your content and they see, know, for instance, your brand colors that like teal and your fonts and the pink, they know right away like, that's Ruthie, right? It builds that instant recognition and support and link.

Ruthie Sterrett (04:52.668)
Yeah, I'm curious. Let's back up a little bit from that like kind of storytelling evolution perspective and your business. How did your brand start? How did you get to where you are today? And what are some of the evolutions that you've gone through?

Ashley Wyatt (05:07.01)
God.

Ruthie Sterrett (05:08.424)
I mean, I'm sure we could have an entire podcast about just that, but like the two minute high level version.

Ashley Wyatt (05:14.848)
Okay, so here's the Coles Notes version. I went to school for brand and web design, graphic design, worked in corporate for a bit, bounced around, ended up wanting to get off of the computer, teaching myself calligraphy, then pivoting into teaching calligraphy, learning stationary, offering luxury wedding stationary.

Then COVID happened, all of our clients postponed overnight. And I really went back to my brand and web design roots in Canada. I'm in Ontario. We were shut down for a really long time. So I went back to helping fellow wedding pros with their brands and their websites. And I really saw the impact that that had on their business and their growth. And that's kind of

where I wanted to go. I wanted to go back and really have more of that stronger impact business to business rather than creating beautiful paper goods, which is still lovely, but I really wanted more of that impact. So I went all in and brand and web design, had two babies in between, navigated maternity leaves back to back, and here I am.

still doing branding and web design and have been loving it ever since.

Ruthie Sterrett (06:41.086)
Yeah, so as you're building this business with two babies, post COVID, during COVID, I'm sure that visibility and showing up in the market is like one of 10,000 things to do on your to-do list. So how do you manage visibility in the throes of these incredibly busy seasons?

Ashley Wyatt (07:05.376)
I think really figuring out like what my bare minimum was and realizing that I did not have to show up every single day on the spot. What I did kind of like with both maternity leaves was scheduling out content using like a program like Later or Planely, I use Later and just like mapping out content. And when I...

came back from my first maternity leave, I was really nervous just to show up again, because it's like riding a bike, right? Like eventually once you get back on, it's easier. But I realized that I didn't have to show up every day. It was just more about building that consistency. So I started with two times a week, then three times a week. And then after having my daughter this time around, I

scheduled out posts twice a day, just to kind of see like what would work and what didn't. And coming back from maternity leave into a very slow season and being the sole provider for my family was really difficult. But I looked at it more as like, okay, this post is not going to go viral. It's not going to like get me that next client, but it's going to plant the seeds that will eventually bloom.

And I don't know when those those seeds are going to start, but just knowing that it was and that's what happened. People started to notice I became I became visible again, top of mind. And then people started reaching out and I eventually got busier and came back from maternity leave.

Ruthie Sterrett (08:50.77)
Yeah, you know, that's such an interesting point that it wasn't going to happen immediately. But if you didn't do it, it wasn't going to happen at all. And because you decided to pour maybe some extra volume in, even though it felt uncomfortable, it potentially happened faster. And it's so funny because when I work on like my messaging and I work with chat GPT, it's so funny. It'll say, it'll write content all the time that says

you don't need to post more, you just need to post intentionally. And I'm like, Chad, sometimes you do need to post more. Like sometimes that is the thing that's gonna move the needle faster. And I think it's a matter of understanding the difference between faster visibility, slow visibility, but that none of them are instant visibility, right? And I know that you do like to lean into things like SEO and blogging and Pinterest for your marketing.

How have you incorporated those pieces into your visibility strategy?

Ashley Wyatt (09:53.665)
Right. So I think it was like recently, just like a couple of months ago, that Instagram went through this whole revival of now utilizing SEO, which is a huge game changer for people. And SEO just stands for Search Engine Optimization, if people aren't aware. And something that is also becoming really relevant today is AI Visibility, or SGE, which

really leans on like AI visibility really leans on SEO. So those that were blogging and consistent with their SEO, like this is really going to favor your AI visibility tactics as well. really figuring out like what your keywords are for your ideal clients will really help to boost your content and give it more shelf life.

Ruthie Sterrett (10:50.312)
So as you're working with clients on brand design, on web design, obviously you're going and having them go introspective and dig into those personal values and that mission and the vision and the why, but you're also thinking about keyword research and what is their audience searching for, right?

Ashley Wyatt (11:10.496)
Yeah, so something that I kind of uncovered during that slow season and maternity leave was how can I support my clients ongoing more? I want to be more of that like partner in their growth. So I developed this new offer called the Monarch Experience, which is essentially helping them boost their AI visibility, SEO visibility.

Google ads, meta ads, what basically like your marketing and design team in your back pocket, like a fractional CMO.

Ruthie Sterrett (11:50.449)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, because I think this lie that we have been told about websites, about businesses, about a lot of things is if you build it, they will come. No, if you build it and you market it effectively, then they will come. So when somebody comes to you and they're like, hey, I need a new website. I appreciate that you think about like, OK, but then what? How are we driving traffic back to the website?

Ashley Wyatt (12:01.484)
Yeah, not true.

Ashley Wyatt (12:08.525)
Yeah.

Ruthie Sterrett (12:20.658)
And I've heard business owners even say like, well, I invested in a website and it didn't work. You said that the website didn't work or that you didn't drive people to the website.

Ashley Wyatt (12:31.266)
Yeah, yeah, it's almost like, you know, moving your house somewhere out in the middle of nowhere and not giving anybody your address. Like you really need to drive traffic there in order to invite the people in.

Ruthie Sterrett (12:47.836)
Yeah. So when you're in a transition season, like, I mean, maternity leave, having a baby, we all know as moms is a huge transition. Was there any, I think, of internal tension or conflict for you as far as like my messaging and do I talk about being a mom in my messaging? I wasn't a mom, now I'm a mom. How does that play into my personal brain?

Ashley Wyatt (13:14.742)
Yeah, so at the beginning, I kind of shied away from that a lot because I went through a lot of like mindset shifts of like, my gosh, nobody's gonna hire me because I'm a mom now, which is total bullshit. I think becoming a mom really helped me to be more relatable to my clients. Many of them are moms or dads.

in this same season of life. Like, I don't care if you are on a call with me and you have a sick kiddo home. That's totally okay. This is why we do what we do. And it really comes back to that why and that impact. I really want to support other business owners who are carving their own path to really support their families and their livelihoods.

and have the flexibility to be there for their kids as well. So, yeah.

Ruthie Sterrett (14:17.074)
Yeah, so it's about being intentional and saying, this is the parts of my life that it makes sense for me to share, to build connection. Because then I know that I can connect with people that might be in a similar season of life or have similar needs or can identify with it. And I was actually having a conversation with a friend this morning about that. That it's not that you're showing off your life to people and saying like, look, don't you want what I have? It's more like, look, I'm also a human.

And I get it and I get what you're going through things and this happens to be my zone of genius. So I can help you with that if it's not yours, right?

Ashley Wyatt (14:52.942)
Yeah, like I want people to really understand that like, yes, this can be a really hard season, but it's doable. And like, there are people out there to support you in this chapter. like, when I'm showing that I'm able to show up and be ambitious, like I'm almost inviting and giving others permission to do the same and build the same.

Ruthie Sterrett (15:18.364)
Yeah, and I think as service providers, we both know you can DIY for a while, but you can't do everything yourself forever. You just can't.

Ashley Wyatt (15:28.554)
No, no. And it gets to a point where, you know, do you want to spend, you know, all these hours trying to DIY and hobble together your website? Or do you want to outsource it so that it works better for you and you can be there for your kids and doing what lights you up in your business or being there for your family? So

Ruthie Sterrett (15:52.125)
Yeah, yeah, for sure. Do you have any advice for a business owner who's maybe considering investing in branding? But then they're like, okay, but then what does that even mean for my content? Like what comes next? And if I do invest in branding, because I've actually heard this from some business owners, like they invest in branding and then...

it just sits in a folder. Like all this pretty amazing things sit in a folder. So what advice do you have for business owners who are considering investing in branding, but want to make sure that they get an ROI on that investment?

Ashley Wyatt (16:26.104)
Yeah, first of all, like I've heard this many times before too. And I also see the results on the other side. So it's, like to compare it to, think about like you go shopping and you, you pick out an outfit that completely works with like your body shape, your colors. and you step out in this like new confidence, right? Like you're.

magnetic people notice, like you attract these opportunities and things that's similar to when you have the right branding and you're in alignment with your brand. People notice it, it attracts more aligned clients. You're able to raise your prices. I had one client who has raised his prices by over 138 % since working together on their brand.

and website. So I think really understanding that it's not like instant, but it's going to save you time when you're putting together your marketing materials, your social media graphics, or working with team members like a social media manager or an email marketing assistant or whatever. And

So it's going to save you time there, but then it's also going to bring you that return on investment because you'll start getting more aligned leads. You'll be able to raise your rates and book out your calendar too.

Ruthie Sterrett (18:02.642)
Yeah, that is such a good analogy about the outfit. And the first thing I thought of was like, yes, you can buy that amazing outfit, but if it hangs in your closet and you never put it on your body, it's not working, but it will work if you use it and you show it off. That is such a great analogy. And of course, mom brain over here, like I had another thought while I was saying that. And I'm like, what was that other question that I was gonna ask? But it'll come to me.

I know what it was. So let's talk a little bit about, and I'll take it back to our clothing analogy. When it's time for a closet refresh, it's time for an updated wardrobe. How do you know as a business owner if it's time for a rebrand or a brand refresh? Because I know for me, I could just do that all day long. I could rebrand and do brand refreshes all day long, because I find it fun.

So if somebody's thinking like, do I need that? What are some questions to ask yourselves to kind of determine if that's the next right step?

Ashley Wyatt (19:04.558)
I think it's important to ask yourself, like, am I confident in sharing someone my website link or have I, you know, is my visual brand matching my level of expertise and my work? Because I think what worked for people before isn't something that's always going to work.

because as humans and as business owners, we evolve and we grow. And I think it's important to recognize that growth and step into that growth and that next chapter with confidence. And I think branding really helps with that. So like if you're feeling stuck or you're feeling like your inquiries have stalled or maybe they're not feeling as aligned or you know, your

your outfit isn't matching the inner confidence, then I think it's definitely time to, or if you're like, I'm ready to raise my rates, or maybe you started with DIY and it was working before, but then you've just outgrown it. think that's the biggest piece is like feeling like you've outgrown it.

Ruthie Sterrett (20:21.116)
Yeah, it's like my pre-mom wardrobe and my post-mom wardrobe are not quite the same, right?

Ashley Wyatt (20:29.154)
Yep, I recently pulled out a bin of pre-mom clothes and I was like, I don't even know what's in style anymore. I literally had my kids back to back. So I'm stepping into this as like, okay, how do I want to dress? How do I want people to perceive me now? Right? I think that goes hand in hand with your brand too.

Ruthie Sterrett (20:53.522)
Yeah, for sure. Well, this has been such a fun conversation and the conversation is gonna continue over on the self-made life. But before we wrap up here, my last question is what's something that you've learned about staying visible in a way that feels true to who you are that you kind of wish that for every business owner?

Ashley Wyatt (21:16.878)
So I think I'm going to answer this two different ways. I think it's important to continually show up because you don't know when those seeds are going to start sprouting or who those seeds are going to attract. And oh, I just lost the other one.

Ruthie Sterrett (21:41.331)
need to plan on that while you think through your thoughts. It's so true. It's like you plant the seeds, you water the seeds, and you're like, gosh, this just isn't working. But if you stop planting the seeds and you stop watering the seeds, well then it's definitely not working. So the plant just hasn't sprouted yet. And I have told myself often, gosh, you should get into gardening because it is such a great analogy for marketing.

Ashley Wyatt (21:58.05)
Yeah.

Ashley Wyatt (22:07.342)
It really is. And I started gardening this year. you know, at first I'm like, nothing's growing, nothing's growing. And then all of a sudden, it's like exploded, which in, in hindsight, it's kind of been like my business. Like I was planting the seeds, I was, you know, nurturing the garden and waiting for it to grow. And then it did finally grow. The other thing came back to me.

I think we all just like live in such a fast paced world and just acknowledging that not everyone is going to be looking at reading and analyzing every single piece of content is really important just to like, you know, give yourself grace and just put the damn content out there because it will stick with the right people, the right people will see it and find it.

Ruthie Sterrett (22:57.02)
Yeah.

you

Ashley Wyatt (23:02.716)
and it's all about just showing up.

Ruthie Sterrett (23:05.502)
Yeah, the number one thing that I think I have to say on repeat to clients and people that I have conversations with about content is if you're not tired of your own message, nobody's hearing it because people often are like, well, we just talked about that. Well, I just shared that photo. Well, I just shared that offer. OK, do it again. Do it again. Do it

Ashley Wyatt (23:29.08)
Yeah, that's something that actually Kelsey told me about when I was launching my template shop. She was like, if you're not annoying yourself, you're not talking about it enough.

Ruthie Sterrett (23:42.65)
Yes, it's so true. It's so true. Well, Ashley, this was such a fun conversation. Obviously, everybody needs to head over to the Self Made Life podcast for the second part of our conversation. But where else can people connect with you if they are interested in learning more about working with you?

Ashley Wyatt (23:58.351)
Sure, so I'm mostly active on Instagram. You can find me at Monarch Design Co. Started using threads a little bit, so Monarch Design Co. over there too.

Ruthie Sterrett (24:09.607)
Awesome, thank you so much. We'll see you soon on the next episode of this podcast and head over to The Self-Made Life.

Ashley Wyatt (24:15.938)
Awesome. Thanks so much Ruth.