things i’ve done this year to elevate my business.

As we wrap up another incredible year, I find myself reflecting on the transformative journey Food Design Studio has undertaken in 2024. This isn't just another end-of-year highlight reel – it's a celebration of strategic growth, intentional development, and the beautiful evolution of a dream into reality.

When I founded Food Design Studio 5 years ago, I envisioned creating something special in the food photography and styling space. This year, that vision has crystallised into something far beyond my initial dreams.

So, without further ado, let me take you through the key milestones that shaped our 2024:

Strategic Brand Evolution

🧁 Partnered with a specialised brand and marketing agency (Milkshake Creative) to clarify Food Design Studio's position and then amplify my brand presence and reach through a targeted marketing strategy.

🧁 Implemented a robust CRM system to streamline client management and enhance our service delivery. This has been a game-changer for keeping track of client relationships and project timelines. Organisation is key!

🧁 Had a complete website redesign done to align with my refreshed brand position, highlight my portfolio and capture leads better.

🧁 Had our services guide and proposal documentation overhauled for better (prettier) client communication.

Professional Growth & Development

🧁 Made significant investments in professional development with legendary stylist, Kirsten Jenkins to lift my game with lighting, composition and styling. I've also completed further training to continue developing my skill set with technical editing and photography skills.

Personal growth directly impacts business success and whilst it's often super hard to find the time, there is nothing more important.

Digital Presence & Content Creation

🧁 Established a strong LinkedIn presence with consistent, value-driven content. I also began posting blog content to keep my website relevant and fresh (woo if you’re reading this!).

🧁 Successfully built and launched a comprehensive recipe hub for my audience, adding a new revenue stream with an excellent response so far.

The Impact

The results of these strategic moves have been nothing short of amazing…

Food Design Studio became fully booked for the year by September! We elevated our client portfolio with higher-tier partnerships working with national organisations and peak industry bodies.

We definitely got our name out there more with our website seeing a remarkable 390% increase in traffic from a variety of sources, not just social plus a substantial increase in inbound enquiries.

The Pink & Red recipe hub has been an amazing value add for my general public audience and the uptake has been incredible!

Work-Life Balance

This is the part I’m probably most proud of. I accomplished all these milestones while maintaining a very tight (sometimes stressful) 6-hour workday structure around school drop offs and pick ups.

This wasn't just my best year professionally. I made conscious decisions to prioritise health, work-life balance, and family time - proving that sustainable success is possible when you align your business with your values AND it doesn't require burnout.

I'm sharing this not to brag, but to show what's possible when you combine the right people with strategic planning and intentional execution, and celebrate how many leaps my business took this year.

Here's to 2025 being the most incredible, sparkly and delicious year yet!