From amateur to unapologetic:
Sophie’s HIYA VIBES transformation
Sophie is a personal stylist who believes sparkle is a personality trait and leopard print is a neutral. She works with women over 30 who’ve drifted away from their sense of style, lost somewhere between motherhood, menopause, and the slow creep of practicality. Women who’ve got smaller, quieter, more sensible. She helps them get loud again.
But before we worked together, her professional brand didn’t match her personal energy. At all. When I asked how she described her brand before HIYA VIBES, she said:
‘Honestly amateur, generic, and all over the place.’
Examples of Sophie’s new images. See more images -> here.
The Challenge
When Sophie got made redundant from her job as a nursery school teacher, she felt like she was at a massive crossroads. She could look for another 9 to 5 or she could go all in on her styling business, which had been a bit of a side project up until then.
Sophie knew she had the makings of a strong brand. She had built a following of 70k people across TikTok and Instagram, an audience that loved her energy and her eclectic style. She wanted to build her business around that same energy, but she’d never actually thought about how to convey that through a visual identity that would expand her world from videos to other surfaces like a website and marketing materials. How to make it feel cohesive, professional, and real.
‘I felt a bit embarrassed by how amateur it all looked. I wasn’t promoting the brand as much as I should have been for fear of being seen as playing at a stylist.’
She had the passion. She had the creativity. She had the ideas. What she didn’t have was the framework to turn all of that into something that felt as confident as the woman she was when she was in her styling flow.
Examples of Sophie’s new images. See more images -> here.
The Vibe Definition
Sophie started with the Vibe Definition, she just wanted some direction on taking her brand into an actual recognisable brand and business. The VIBE CHECK questionnaire had questions Sophie had never been asked before. Questions that made her think about what was missing, and what her brand could be with the right guidance.
And when the Vibe Definition Dossier landed?
‘I felt excited! The dossier design itself was all personalised to me which already clearly showed me what way I needed to head. It laid all the pieces of the jigsaw out and I could see it all fall into place.’
The dossier wasn’t a generic brand outline, it was Sophie, in her own words. Her energy keyword: FABULOUS. Her palette: hot pink, acid green, punchy orange, disco purple. Her world: 70s glamour meets 90s camp. Ab Fab energy. Miss Piggy conviction.
The Vibe Definition Dossier didn’t just describe her brand. It gave her a roadmap with actual tips, actual ideas, and a clear route from A to B. It showed her how to turn passion into professional.
And then came the moment it all clicked:
‘Seeing the dossier, then actually implementing one of my personalised photo ideas for a post for my Instagram was the moment when things clicked. I was so proud of what I’d created using the tips and ideas outlined. It made me feel like I could actually do my brand justice, that I could take it from a passion project to professional brand.’
The Shoot
Sophie started from the Vibe Definition, but once she had clarity on her brand, and was fired up to make things happen, she came back to add a HIYA VIBES bespoke still life library to use across her new website and materials. Her images were based around her personal items, they could be no-one else’s but hers.
‘It made me see the “me”. How my personality becomes the brand in a way that looks professional. It felt real and genuine and not stiff and flat. I loved seeing my actual items in the images, things that have special meaning and I really felt that meaning and I think clients will too. It’s something generic stock photos and AI can’t give, the real human touch.’
Examples of Sophie’s new images. See more images -> here.
The Toolkit
The library always comes with a fully personalised Toolkit that gives you a roadmap on how to use the images without overwhelm. This is what Sophie said about hers:
‘I love that actual ideas on how to use the images are included, tips and advice that are invaluable when trying to build a clear feel to a brand. Great images are amazing but knowing how to actually use them is invaluable. It’s not just a brand image service, it’s a deep dive into how to actually create and implement your own individual branding in a way that shows your personality.’
The Outcome
Sophie doesn’t describe her brand as amateur anymore. She calls it ‘an emerging butterfly’.
She’s posting with intention now. With a clear story of what she’s all about. She took time to rethink her services, pricing, and positioning. She built a brand new website. She stopped apologising for the pink and the sparkle.
‘The Vibe Definition gave me confidence and affirmation of why I should be creating a strong brand. I have the potential, I just needed the tools and guidance a real person can give that AI can’t.’
When she thinks about her brand now, she feels something she didn’t before: belief. Not just in the business. In herself.
‘The HIYA VIBES process has shown me the potential me and my brand actually have to go from passion project/side hustle into a fully realised business and career. It’s given me the confidence to chase that dream and more importantly how to actually make it achievable. I would not have had the courage to go for it and start building my website and brand without having that mirror held up to see what my brand and me were worth and what made it special.’
Examples of Sophie’s new images. See more images -> here.
Why It Matters
Here’s what Sophie said about who the Vibe Definition process is really for:
‘It’s for people/businesses that want to feel real and genuine, not AI or emotionless corporate robots. Finding the magic thread that ties all the ideas together. If you’re in a jumble of ideas with no clue how to get them out there, this is for you.’
This is what she had to say about the HIYA VIBES libraries:
It’s not just a service to create lovely images to use for your brand, it’s showing you the heart and soul of your brand, why it’s special and more importantly, how to show the world why it’s special. It’s not clean, corporate, cold imaging. It’s the personality and uniqueness. AI can give you outlines and suggestions and ideas but it can’t show you the soul of your brand, for that you need the wonderful human connection that Marianne brings.
Too many brilliant people are sitting on ideas they don’t know how to translate into brands. They’ve got the creativity. The passion. The magic ingredients. What they’re missing is someone to show them the recipe. That’s what HIYA VIBES does.
It doesn’t give you someone else’s template. It gives you yours.
Ready to Find Your Vibe?
Whether you’re established, emerging, or still figuring yourself out…
If you’re tired of swirling ideas that never quite land…
If you want visuals that reflect not just your work but your inner world…
the HIYA VIBES METHOD™ meets you right where you are.
Begin with the VIBE CHECK, see your identity come into focus in the VIBE DEFINITION DOSSIER or REPORT, and walk away with a HIYA VIBES still life library + TOOLKIT that reflects the real, imperfect, becoming version of you.
Marianne
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Discover the HIYA VIBES METHOD™.