let's build your brand
And by "in it" we don't mean the design. We mean everything. Your business, your marketing, the message you put out into the world, your client experience, all of it – your brand. But because we know that you have a big heart and it's damn hard finding the right ingredients to make your brand so crystal clear that your audience understands it in one glimpse, we're here.
The best brands don't need massive marketing budgets to convince people (read: manipulate them) to buy. They magnetically connect to their people, like magic. And that magic is honesty, straight from their hearts.
So, let's do this, shall we? You bring the heart and passion for your work, we build the strategy together and translate it all into design that feels like you. We can't wait!
GREAT DESIGN DOES nothing IF YOUR HEART ISN'T IN IT
our approach
Heart-led | Strategy-driven | boundary-breaking
Heart-led
Strategy-driven
boundary-breaking
we are
read more about the branding process
Corporate branding follows a set of rigid rules—but what if you don’t want to be a faceless corporation? Traditional advice tells you to chase market gaps and profit above all else. But I believe your brand should start with you—your passion, purpose, and goals.
Instead of molding yourself to fit a market, we build a brand that feels natural and aligned. Strategy doesn’t have to feel forced when it’s rooted in what matters most to you. When your message comes from the heart, marketing becomes effortless, and the right people connect with it.
Your brand starts with you
we're turning the rules on their head
let's start building yours
I’m Michaela, founder of hnstly Co, brand strategist, out-of-the-box thinker and designer. Over the past decade I’ve been rewriting the branding rules for small and medium sized businesses. In our ever changing world reaching people is easier than ever, but truly connecting to them is getting exponentially harder.
Through these past years, I’ve noticed that my buying behaviour has changed, and I hear the same from almost everyone I talk to about this. Especially when buying services, it’s not simply the price of what I get for my money, but it’s rather the perceived value and the overall feeling of the brand and offering that steers my decision. Honestly, if the vibe is off, the offer can sound technically amazing but nothing will move me to buy.
And that’s exactly what I focus my process on. Building your brand from the inside out, putting heart and strategy into all the pieces that make up your service experience and brand presence. Creating the right vibe for you and your ideal clients.
A brand that actually connects.
true connection
over everything
behind hnstly co
how light and shadow gets caught in the creases of linens
sunlight anywhere, shining through trees dancing on my wall, shining through glass or sheer curtains
subtle textures of paper, silk and linen + letterpress
Rocks and pebbles! Every time I travel, I bring some home with me as a souvenir
I never quite feel as alive anywhere else as I do when I'm by the sea on a windy day
that feeling of being by the ocean, wind in your hair, hearing the waves crashing into the shore
The coasts around the Scottish Highlands,, Lofoten and the west or Ireland are some of my favourite places on earth
human connection is the ultimate inspiration behind my work. It's why I do what I do.
If I wasn't doing this work. I'd absolutely love to be a photographer capturing love in all its forms
I like living in a place that has 4 seasons, but autu,mn will forever be my favourite.
I adore cosy moments strolling through the city with a camera,, sipping coffee, browsing thrift stores.
I love foraging for mushrooms. From the end of summer until the first frost, you can find me in the forest on weekends.
If you'd like to see more and love a good mood board, come join me on Pinterest. Find my favourite board collection "Stories" here
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Always inspired by
Erika Välimäki
"When I first contacted you I was lost in my own business. I didn't have a clear direction, I felt exhausted about my industry and everything felt extremely negative.
The best thing about our work together has been that I have a feeling of pride about my brand again and I clearly see the future of my business. I feel like it has a purpose now again, something that was lost last year. A purpose for my clients and for me. The biggest thanks ever to you for this journey, I couldn't have done it with anyone else and I couldn't have ended up here with anyone else."
you helped me find my voice!
Michaela
We love to work with businesses that want to make the world a bit of a better place – whether on a grand scale or in your own personal way through the ripple effects of your work and personality. We hold the right not to work with people or businesses that actively harm or discriminate against marginalised communities.
