Startup Story
Every business wants to stand out in the crowd, to reach potential customers with their product and service offerings, and to make their brands resonate in the marketplace. In South Africa, that’s where Ostara Studio, founded by Liz Creates, comes to the rescue, bringing a wealth of specialist expertise in strategic brand communications and design.
LoA learned more about this passion driven niche consultancy from founder Liz Creates this month.
What does your company do?
Ostara Studio is a strategic brand communications and design consultancy. In an increasingly competitive market, Ostara Studio helps clients in finding their unique value proposition, brand message, brand voice and brand personality, assisting them in communicating effectively with their ideal target audience and standing out. Services include brand strategy plans (once off consultation, yearly or monthly reports), graphic and web design, photography and film.
“What I've always wanted to do is to empower brands and businesses, by showing them that they have power in living authentically.”
What inspired you to start your company?
My company has been a result of combining my skills and passions. I've always been a creative, offering graphic design and photography. Additionally, I have always been strategic, analytical and have strong skills in administration. But what I've always wanted to do, is to empower brands and businesses, by showing them that they have power in living authentically. Their power lies in how they communicate their own brands and passions. Ostara Studio is a natural method in bringing people and businesses closer to their own authentic effective brand message; my skill set guides them in using it.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Clients who feel stuck in their brand positioning, or clients who struggle to communicate, are often unable to see the bigger picture or see the value of their own visions and passions. I'm able to connect people to their unique brand positioning and guide them in using their passion to communicate with their ideal clients. I do this by analyzing the entire picture, and then use design-thinking to solve the problems. Ostara Studio isn't just designing for design's sake; we guide you through the bigger picture using strategy, and give you tools (websites, logos, strategy plans) to use along the way. We want you to be a brand citizen that feels ready to change the world, not just a business drifting through an economic space.
“Ostara Studio isn't just designing for design's sake; we guide you through the bigger picture using strategy, and give you tools (websites, logos, strategy plans) to use along the way.”
Tell us a little about your team
I am the principle brand strategist and lead designer. Stakeholders, with their own unique skill-sets and portfolios enhances the content and strategy. These stakeholders are contracted based on freelancing contracts. We believe in empowering stakeholders who run their own businesses. Therefore, we are able to cover a large range of services, by bringing various stakeholders in. For instance, one of our main stakeholders is a copywriter, and another is a filmmaker and producer.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I'm somewhat what you could call a serial entrepreneur. Although Ostara Studio is my main operation, I run multiple businesses and am involved in my partner's businesses as well. Liz Bharo Photography is one of my other businesses. I'm also a shareholder for Thando Africa. And I'm currently creating the technology for Afristok, which will launch in May - an African stock site. In my youth, I tried to run a NPO called Lightchild Incentive. Unfortunately, it failed as I wasn't experienced or mature enough. I think that's where my entrepreneurial journey began. It was there that I dealt with multiple entrepreneurs who wanted to change the world. I believe there is immense power in small business. We are the true brand citizens who are able to impact the world positively (because there are so many of us).
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
I would like to step into businesses like Unilever and Tiger Brands. Although they have internal brand strategists, they need external visionaries to approach wicked problems like climate change and plastic use. These are companies who strive to be brand citizens, and want to be able to evolve their products to be earth-friendly. I want Ostara Studio to be part of that movement. Additionally, I would like Ostara Studio to grow to an agency level, that is based on freelancer model, empowering freelancers in their own businesses, as Ostara Studio gains larger clients.
“We want you to be a brand citizen that feels ready to change the world, not just a business drifting through an economic space.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Oooeee, that's a difficult one. There are many small moments in entrepreneurship to celebrate: the flexibility, the ability to feel that you can make a change as you can directly influence and impact the world, and the ability to collaborate. I think that's been my greatest satisfaction, to collaborate with like-minded, passionate and like-hearted people.
What’s the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Just start somewhere. If you must, go the lean startup route. Money isn't everything - you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish with little. You will realize where your strengths lie when approaching solutions to your problems with the little you have. BUT, also realize that at some point, you need to take risks to grow. That will be the time that you need to take yourself and your business seriously and do it the right way. Surround yourself with as many like-minded and like-hearted people you can find on this journey. They will be your sisters and brothers on this mad journey. And be there for them in return. AND always believe in yourself. There will be hard days, days where your confidence is non-existent. Keep believing. Have faith. One step at a time.
Contact or follow Ostara Studio
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | YOUTUBE | EMAIL info@ostarastudio.com
Why LoA loves it….
So many businesses, large and small, struggle to make their brands resonate in the marketplace and make those all important connections with customers. In today’s increasingly competitive world, getting the right expert help and advice is key, and Liz and her team at Ostara Studio are there to provide insights and expertise to meet any brand brief. Liz has an incredibly creative eye for detail and knows how to make brands stand out and make their messaging heard. Being an entrepreneur herself and knowing how competitive it is out there in the marketplace, she also brings a wealth of practical experience and out-of-the-box creative thinking to create brand strategies and campaigns that deliver. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa