Today’s You Economy case studies from 10ThousandFeet alumnna focus on the opportunities and clarity that comes from having an expansive brand vision. When you understand the whole world your business is creating, you have both clear path forward and endless opportunities. Meet Megan, who is moving forward with marketing that paints the whole picture for her customer while providing specific, actionable solutions. And meet Ana, who is seeing herself as an artist-in-demand and creating a path–through multiple ventures–to meet her goals.

Megan Cain, founder of The Creative Vegetable Gardener

megancainAt the end of 10ThousandFeet, I feel excited about my business and the future instead of being overwhelmed and stressed out.

The biggest shift for me came in realizing that I was spending a lot of time focusing on the technical information around gardening and not enough time painting the bigger picture of what it means to have a beautiful garden in your life. For me and most of my customers gardening is so much more than just growing food.

I have begun to shift some of my writing to focus on exploring some of the deeper benefits and meaning of gardening. My first post definitely resonated with my readers because I received several enthusiastic emails asking me to write more about the topic.

I am also changing my website to add more language and photos that reflect the new tagline Tara helped me come up with, “your garden should feed you, body and soul.” I am excited about this new direction! I am clearer about where I want to go and what I need to do to get there after taking 10ThousandFeet.

Megan also has the goal of becoming the go-to gardening expert in Madison. This requires her to leverage stories about the bigger picture of gardening as well as the nitty gritty how-to details. She’s carving out individual solutions that serve that big picture and will be reaping the rewards of less dirty work, more revenue, and more time off soon.

Find out more about Megan and the gardens she designs at creativevegetablegardener.com.

Ana Ramos, founder of air illustration & design

Ana RamosOne of the most important shifts for me was to start to understand the power of team building. Before that, I was very untrained in asking for help and seeing the possibilities when it came to broadening my offers through partnerships with other experts.

With a fresh understanding of team building and strategic partnerships, I saw how I could accept a larger project from an old client, a project that will be a huge contribution towards reaching my chief initiative for the year.

But I learned many more things, like how to streamline my efforts and manage clients’ expectations: I used to react to clients’ requests and work overtime and now I am able to plan and schedule in advance, reducing stress.

And today I felt I reached a huge milestone when I rewrote my Embroidery Club sales page. Now I understand why you say it’s fun.

Ana has really focused on expanding her brand with her own artistic vision at the core. Instead of creating disparate ventures or trying to confirm to clients’ demands, she’s leveraging her unique perspective. That means she can pursue a wider range of opportunities but remain grounded in what she does best.

As she builds her team and expands her vision, she’s be able to do so from a place of strength and purpose, bringing on those who complement her artistic vision instead of competing with or diluting it.

Find out more about Ana Ramos and air illustration & design.