Designing Differentiation

From unpredictable freelancing to a 100-person waitlist, Sarah Hart cracked the code for building a standout business. 

In this edition of ⚡️The Zap, I chat with Sarah Hart, founder of Sarah Hart Designs, about her journey into branding, her unique design methodology, and the power of personal branding. 

I have been following Sarah on LinkedIn and studying her content for months, and I am so stoked to share her story of growing a thriving design business and succeeding on her own terms as a creative. 

Kaley Ross: Hi Sarah! I’m so excited to chat—one webinar with you back in the Spring helped evolve the direction of my personal brand for my LinkedIn and gave me so much clarity. 

Let’s start with the beginning of your story. When did you decide to pursue a career in marketing and design?

Sarah Hart: Honestly, I don’t know if I decided! I feel like I’ve always been a creative person—I was designing long before I realized it could be a career. Growing up, I had a bootleg version of Photoshop on my computer and would spend hours playing with it. It was just fun for me. 

Marketing, though? That was accidental. I started out trying to promote my design services, and over time, I realized how much strategy went into it. But, you tell me—am I in marketing? 

KR: Aha oh that’s a good question for distinction - let’s go with ‘creative career’. But I do think you are excellent at marketing your services! Your LinkedIn posts educate on design and marketing so seamlessly. 

So, how did Sarah Hart Designs come to life?

SH: The early days were rough. I freelanced for years, but I felt like I wasn’t delivering the kind of value I wanted to. Clients would come to me for branding, and it was all about surface-level stuff: What’s trending? What colors do you like? I’d create something pretty, but it felt empty—like I was tricking my clients by not giving them a real strategy.

Everything shifted when I took a break from design and worked with my friend Katelyn, who specializes in customer research. She helped me understand the psychology behind why people buy. Later, Katelyn hired me to design her personal brand, and we took everything I’d learned about customer psychology and applied it to visuals. It was a game-changer. Her brand exploded, and people were obsessed with her yellow branding. That project showed me how much strategy impacts visuals, and I’ve been obsessed with building my methodology ever since.

KR: How did you land those first few clients when you were just starting out?

SH: Oh my gosh, my first clients were… interesting. I posted an ad on Kijiji—it’s like Canadian Craigslist—and got some pretty weird responses. One client was downright creepy. But it got me started! Later, I built my portfolio by doing side projects, like selling plantable cards at a farmers’ market. I met clients organically, and eventually, word-of-mouth referrals took over.

The real turning point was Katelyn’s brand in 2020. I put my name on her site, and suddenly, I was getting tons of leads. People wanted that kind of strategic, standout design.

KR: That’s a great business origin story. I’m going through that myself currently - getting those first few clients and building my pipeline of leads. 

What’s been the most unexpected challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?

SH: Managing myself. I’m super passionate and love working on personal development, but I’m not financially driven. I could probably be making four times what I make now, but I prioritize doing work that’s fun and meaningful. 

Right now, I have a waitlist of almost 100 people, and it’s overwhelming! I’m focusing on building a team so I can scale without sacrificing the creative direction I love.

KR: That’s amazing! A great challenge to have - and I totally respect that you prioritize your values over just getting through a list. 

You’ve mentioned that you developed your own methodology. What does your creative process look like?

SH: My methodology is called the “Visual Sales Funnel System.” It’s all about designing visuals that move people through a sales funnel. Every design element—colors, typography, patterns—either propels someone toward action or creates friction. It’s about using design psychology to make every stage of the funnel work harder.

For example, at the awareness level, your visuals need to grab attention. Most people just choose a color and font and call it a day, but that’s so easy to copy. I help clients find unique elements tied to their personality or message. 

One of my clients, Jonathan, focuses on investor fundraising. His message was that fundraising is more of a science than an art, so we used design elements inspired by old science textbooks—gradients, 3D effects, that sort of thing. His new brand stood out in his industry, and his leads increased by 70%.

KR: That’s so creative! I loved watching one of your videos on the behind-the-scenes of creating a visual brand for a client and the brainstorm process behind finding that tie to their unique messaging. 

For someone new to personal branding, what advice would you give?

SH: Start messy. Don’t overthink it. Your first posts or designs might be cringy, and that’s fine. Nobody remembers them! Just get in the habit of putting yourself out there.

One exercise I give my clients is to screenshot competitors’ profiles and create a mood board of what’s out there. That way, you can make sure your branding doesn’t accidentally look like someone else’s. The key is to stand out—if you blend in, people will associate your brand with a bigger competitor instead of seeing you as unique.

KR: Let’s talk content. Your LinkedIn presence is amazing, and your community is so engaged. What’s your strategy?

SH: First of all, thank you! Honestly, I just care about people. I want them to succeed. I think that comes through in my content. I try to make things simple and actionable, especially because I’ve been on the other side where things felt overly technical or gate-kept. My goal is to empower people.

I also have fun with it. Content creation has helped me refine my own thinking. When you write about your process or break down a concept, you learn it on a deeper level. That’s been a huge benefit of building my personal brand.

KR: Couldn’t agree more. 

Why do you think it’s so important for creatives to market themselves?

SH: Because the game has changed. Expertise isn’t enough if no one knows you exist. I used to rely on referrals, but I realized I needed to market myself when that pipeline dried up. Now, I see people with less experience landing big clients simply because they’re visible. It’s frustrating to see talented people hiding when they could be crushing it.

KR: Love that. I definitely felt outside my comfort zone since I’ve started posting on LinkedIn, but it’s been a great exercise in developing my skills and pushing myself.

Looking at where you are now, what’s next for Sarah Hart Designs?

SH: Right now, I’m focusing on scaling my business by building out my team. I’m ready to let go of some day-to-day tasks and fully step into the creative director role. 

On the content side, I’ve hit some big goals—like reaching 10,000 LinkedIn followers—but I’m excited to dive deeper into the psychology of visuals. Design is so much more than making something look pretty. It can change how much people are willing to pay or how they perceive value. I want to explore that magic and share it with others.

KR: That’s so exciting. I can’t wait to see you continue to grow and keep learning from your amazing content. 

Thank you so much for joining me Sarah! 

SH:  Thank you so much for doing the interview with me.