When I first kicked this thing off, I went with the safe option Aimee Francis Consultancy. Not because it lit me up, but because it gave me an easy fallback. If it all flopped, I could just keep freelancing without too much fuss.

At the time, life felt chaotic. I had a toddler, a newborn and a business I was building between naps and snack times. Showing up online “professionally” felt impossible when, in reality, I was flying by the seat of my pants most days, in my LJ tights and a mum bun. 

I remember asking, during a mentoring session, if I should share the behind-the-scenes of #mumlife and business. I was shut down pretty quickly, and just like that, I pushed myself off a potential track of showing up more authentically (or let’s be real at all!).

Months later, I saw her share her own journey with fertility online. That comment had nothing to do with me or my brand, it was about where she was at the time. And that’s okay.

I’m sharing this as a gentle reminder: trust your own intuition and inspiration. They’ll guide you better than anyone else’s voice ever could.

So, back to it…Over time, the business grew. The team grew. Suddenly, it wasn’t just me anymore, it was us. And while my name had served its purpose, it started to feel like a limitation. Clients expected to work only with me. My name kept me front and centre when I wanted to showcase the whole team. And when it came to scaling, it felt harder.

At the same time, I didn’t want to be called an “agency.” Coming from agency land, I knew how that world felt: too mechanical, too layered, too rigid. Not what I wanted us to be known for. 

So in the beginning, my head was full of conflicting thoughts:

• Keep it personal, or grow it bigger?
• Stay safe, or own the scale?
• Be “professional,” or be authentically me, even when life felt messy?

Mixed in with a big bag of limiting beliefs, if you stay for the musings, you’ll notice the shift. At first, it was about stepping away from my name. Then, as the rebrand stretched over months and months (thank goodness, honestly), my mindset shifted. I evolved. And now, I’ve never felt more content, more certain and more ready to relaunch…

So why Unbranded?

Because one of my biggest mindset battles has been perfectionism. The belief that everything had to be polished before it could be shared. Perfectionism kept me stalled, making excuses, holding back.

Over time, I’ve learned (and honestly, the ‘gram has too 😉) that it’s not the polish that resonates, it’s the story. Not the curation, but the connection.

So Unbranded is about stripping things back. Sharing the journey, the lessons, the unlearnings, not just the glossy “after.”

It’s also about honesty. The stories along the way that shaped this brand and shifted my thinking.

So let me share a doozy.

We once poured months into a huge rebrand project for a client. Two brands, each with their own identity, target audiences, and a range of products (that were, by the way, all out of stock 🙃). We rebranded visually and strategically, built a new e-commerce site, created packaging, collateral… so much collateral. We designed expo booths (I even flew to Sydney and helped on one because by then I practically knew the products inside out), photoshoots, the lot. I was basically their CMO.

And after all that? I was called into a meeting and asked to “justify” why my rates were on par with an agency.

It stung. We had delivered work that WAS agency-level (and then some) at a third of the cost. And I knew that, to my core. I’d been agency-side, client-side, and steered multiple rebrand projects. But it still hit me hard.

Looking back, that moment became fuel. It made me realise three things:

• We needed stronger positioning.
• Boundaries are non-negotiable.
• And yep, I had to do some work on my own beliefs.

All of that has become core to why we’re rebranding now.

Why Now?

Because I’m ready to face my fears. To own the space I’ve spent 20 years in. To position myself and my team not just as “another consultancy,” but as a partner with the expertise, grit, and vision to help ambitious businesses grow.

I’ve learned that as a recovering people-pleaser, you simply can’t make everyone happy. And that’s okay. What matters is leading with clear values and good intent. When you do that, the right people find you. The wrong ones drift away. It’s not rejection, it’s alignment.

That shift is powerful. It frees your energy. It helps you stop chasing the wrong projects and start attracting the right ones. Work feels lighter, more inspiring, more possible.

Looking Forward

The next chapter isn’t about juggling harder. It’s about weaving everything I’ve built into something stronger, more sustainable, and more impactful.

My story moving forward is about scale with substance. Businesses that matter. Communities that thrive. Work that aligns.

This is the start of that story. And I’m taking you with me, raw, real, and yes, unbranded (for now 😉).