Hannah Waen
Personal Branding Coach / Strategist, Founder of Hest Creative & Womxn Create
Reno, NV
www.hestcreative.com
instagram @hest.creative
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Q What do you do?
“I’m here to help you dream, imagine, and expand your personal brand.”
As an International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified coach, my mission is to help creative entrepreneurs and conscious leaders find brand integrity through the intersection of coaching and creativity. My role is to facilitate a discovery process using various tools, including inquiry, positive psychology, motivational interviewing, intuition, deep listening, somatic awareness, and other modalities. Through this partnership, my clients identify and strengthen their values, uncover their authentic voices, and articulate their purpose. This coaching process helps my clients craft an intrinsic brand identity.
Personal branding is a process that involves coaching the whole person, meaning we go deep into all aspects of who you are to get to the root of your individualism, character, and originality. This is especially powerful for entrepreneurs and leaders looking to integrate their professional brand with their personal life. Brand coaching is about finding strength, courage, agency, and harmony within yourself. Finding your brand integrity takes time but is a rewarding process involving all facets of your identity.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Where I am now is a product of engaging with my curiosity, instincts, creativity, and self-reflection practice. It has been a journey in uncovering who I am at my core, leveraging my strengths, and learning to operate within my set of strengths and values. As a multi-passionate person, diversity is the spice of life. Therefore, developing my own brand and business offerings has been a process of bringing together my many facets to tell a robust and coherent story. As an experienced marketer, communications expert, content creator, graphic designer, branding consultant, and now certified coach, I am richer because of my many roles. This realization that I can lean into my complexity has helped me further my branding practice, ultimately helping clients better tell their unique stories. This intersectional approach is the basis of my current practice and the heart of my own creative expression.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I'm a creative nurturer with a strong desire to help others realize their potential through the art of coaching. Creative, methodical, and dedicated, I have a talent for helping others with original solutions to their challenges, especially around the topic of identity and branding. The act of coaching leverages each aspect of my personality traits and professional background to support you while challenging your fixed beliefs.
My practice is based on scientific learning and academia, I take my role and responsibilities as a coach seriously. I'm a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and am an ICF Certified Coach. I have received extensive training in executive coaching from the University of Texas, Dallas, BetterUp, and Co-Active Training Institute (CTI). I also continue to hone my craft through ongoing professional development, creative pursuits, and hands-on client engagement. The more I continue to turn inward to uncover who I am, the more potential I see in helping others. I hope my pursuit of integrity and curiosity inspires others.
Q What are you working on right now?
I’m in the process of developing a digital course that I hope to launch soon as part of my creative branding community, Womxn Create. This course and community will allow me to engage with a larger audience and bring coaching to more people regardless of financial limitations. This cohort-based program will allow for group coaching and accountability, helping me democratize and grow my mission.
Q What’s your style?
If you get to know me, you will find I am grounded, honest, and dedicated. These qualities show up in my thoughtfulness, strategic thinking, and business practices. I deeply care about my clients and what my services do to help them in the present and unlock growth that will sustain them. I am loyal, respectful, open, and nurturing. To put this all together, my style is welcoming and warm, my perspective is curious and creative, and my preference is for quality engagements over quantity. When you work with me, you know that I will show up with integrity and your best interest at heart. I want to get to know you on a deeply individual level.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Coaching lights me up! I live for ah-ha moments where I know my coaching has helped you turn a page, see a new perspective, or let go of a deeply held belief. I want to help more people find what integrity means to them so that they can help create a ripe effect of kindness, authenticity, and connection. This optimism is contagious.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Hearing the same frustrations from clients around their branding and marketing approaches. You get to determine what works for you, not the other way around. Too often, clients feel obligated to behave or act in a certain way in their businesses. I say, “throw out all the rules!” Let your integrity guide you, see for yourself what works. Then lean into what works and align your strategy with your values.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Social media! As much as I love marketing, I would like to outsource some of the leg work that goes into creating great content. Plus, collaboration allows for greater results; this person would be seen as an extension of my team, not hired help.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I would go back to middle school and tell myself that conforming is so overrated. Life is about embracing your uniqueness. Much of my adult life has been a process of unlearning the rules and restrictions formed in early childhood through outside influences. I would say to that young girl, don’t be afraid of being different, of standing out because that is your secret weapon in a few years!
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Gosh, where to start? I am always learning, and my interests shift constantly. Picking one expert would be a challenge. Right now, I would talk to an expert who could help me bring my digital course to life, as that is where my attention is placed currently.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Right now, I am focused on finding individual coaching clients that are excited by and eager to embrace my coach approach to branding. If any of this resonates with you, I want to hear from you! I also lead professional development workshops on personal branding for professionals in corporate settings.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
My ideal client is open and curious. They have a goal in sight but are challenged to reach it independently. They are looking for a partner to co-create this vision and are determined for it to actually take flight. Coaching is powerful when there is a clear direction and a determination to work through the hard stuff to reach self-actualization. This client is ok with vulnerability and sees value in creativity and collaboration.
Q What is your rate?
Coaching takes time and is a process that requires dedication and commitment. Therefore my packages are tailored to your needs, intended timeline, and goals. I request a minimum commitment of three months but am happy to start on a trial arrangement to ensure there is compatibility and chemistry in our partnership. A trial package starts at $500 dollars for three sessions. I offer a free exploratory session so you can feel confident making the initial investment.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Connect via my website: hestcreative.com
Follow the steps on my website to book a virtual coffee so we can speak about your brand and desires for coaching. I love to get a sense of who you are and an idea of your business or professional goals. From there, we can explore whether coaching is right for you and if we are a good fit. This process is about getting to know each other. If it’s a match, we can talk business.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Grace Kraaijvanger of The Hivery continues to be an inspiration for me, helping me find my creative voice and continues to be an entrepreneurial role model, embodying resilience, kindness, and empathy. She has inspired hundreds of women to grow and develop their own businesses while embracing a supportive community.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Podcasts/audiobooks, nature, my dog, crafting, and travel!
This member profile was originally published in September 2022.