micheleperry

[micheleperry]

What No One Tells You Before You Go Into Ministry

What No One Tells You Before You Go Into Ministry

I’ve been reflecting a lot this week.  Maybe it’s the move, the not being able to find anything, the first hurricane in a decade, the new season of ministry I’m walking into.  Some recent events reminded me of the long list of things people didn’t tell me about serving in church-based ministry. It didn’t take long for my rose colored glasses to shatter.  Again.  And again.  And again.  As I kept…

[micheleperry]

New Land & A New Day

New Land & A New Day

Evening on the street where I live (cue music). Three years ago I had just walked through the most devastating season of my life.  My health crashed forcing me to move back to my hometown in Florida.  It has been a three year battle to get my life back from the long term repercussions (some of which are still ongoing) of 18 cases of cerebral malaria in 7 years.  The hardest thing I ever had to do…

[micheleperry]

Hope That Does Not Disappoint

Hope That Does Not Disappoint

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. – Romans 5:3-5 I took this picture a little over 5 years ago in the dusty nether-reaches of the world’s youngest…

[micheleperry]

The One My Soul Loves

The One My Soul Loves

Behind the scenes at Coastal Occasions, Jacksonville Beach | Event Styling: Make My Day Planning I am a hopeless romantic.  I love Hallmark movies, princes in shining armor, beautifully-styled wedding photography, all things bright and beautiful and true love that never ends. Maybe I should say I am a hope-full romantic. Full of hope because no matter how dark the night, how contentious the…

[micheleperry]

Learning To Dance In the In-Between

Learning To Dance In the In-Between

You can find prints of this new lovely watercolor on my Etsy storefront. Two months ago I sat down to write here more regularly.  Then life happened.  I gave up eating 95% of anything that was not plant-based for health reasons.  I discovered coconut milk coffee creamer.  My apartment/studio/office flooded for the 4th and 5th times with waste water. There was mold, rust and general environmental…

[micheleperry]

Why I Deleted My Instagram Feed

Why I Deleted My Instagram Feed

I know.  Who does that? Just delete every single photo in her Instagram feed to begin again? I just did.  On purpose. Voluntarily. Tangential Confession: I’ve watched many episodes of Hoarders.  But I can’t watch the show any more.  Just the previews give me claustrophobic panic flutters. I see a pile in the corner of my office building and I’m like, OH NO!  My spaces are far too cluttered and…

[micheleperry]

Less Is More

It has been a forever since I’ve been here.  Life has been slightly crazy. Renovations (unsolicited) turned my office/apartment upside down and buried me under an avalanche of stuff for a week.  Before that, were health issues, taxes, setting up a pro business website from scratch on a totally new platform (L-O-V-E the result, micheleperrycreative.com), grad school and taking on the youth…

[micheleperry]

My Own Brand Story

My Own Brand Story

Branding is as much science as it is art.  A really great way to learn both the art and the science of branding is to study the story and break down the process and parts behind a finish branding product.

In this series, called Brand Stories, I am going to be pulling back the curtain and showing my process of developing brands that matter™.  {This is my version of presenting case studies to…

[micheleperry]

How To Live In Your Office

How To Live In Your Office #smallbusinesssaturdays

I have a confession to make.  I live in my office.  I used to say I work from home.  But seeing that my office space takes up 2/3rds of my 740 sqr foot living space.  It is more accurate to say I live in my office.  And I like it that way.  Less stuff to manage.  Less to clean. Lower overhead.

I don’t even have a separate room that is my “office”.  No, I live right in the middle of it.  And…

[micheleperry]

The New Face of Missions

The New Face of Missions

The face of missions is changing. It has to. If all we were doing was the sum total of all God wanted done, the job would be finished and we’d be at a wedding feast. Missions has become “professionalized”. I know. I’ve been and still am a missionary professionally. And that isn’t changing. But the problem with professionalizing anything is it can take what once was considered the calling of all…

[micheleperry]

The Myth of Full-Time Ministry

The Myth of Full-Time Ministry

I’m just going to come right out and say it.  Full-time ministry is a myth. I learned that on the hot dusty back roads of the world’s newest nation where, if ministry were simply a job description, I would have never lasted 7 minutes let alone 7 years. You see, if there are full-time ministers that implies there are also part-time ministers.  And then there are other folks who are the “ministered…

[micheleperry]

Building On Your Mistakes

Building On Your Mistakes

So I made an epic, rookie mistake last week that cost me big time. Hours of work.  Thousands of dollars. Gone.

In my sincere desire to help a friend out last year, I forgot a cardinal rule in business.  Trust is only as solid as the contract it is printed in.  And a handshake does not an enforceable contact make. Especially not with personal friends. {Even though I have awesome personal friends.}

[micheleperry]

It’s A Beautiful Life

[micheleperry]

Join the Brand You™ Mastermind Group FREE for a Limited Time

Join the Brand You™ Mastermind Group FREE for a Limited Time

Some of you know one of my many hats is experienced branding strategist.  I’ve had the opportunity to work with well-known ministries, nonprofits, startups and small businesses alike for the better part of the last 2 decades.  Over the last few years I’ve been developing a streamlined integrated way to take what I’ve learned (and am learning) and make it super accessible to you.Brand You™ is my…

[micheleperry]

Why I Used To Be Afraid of Branding {& Why You Don't Want A Marketing Firm To Create Your Brand Identity}

Why I Used To Be Afraid of Branding {& Why You Don’t Want A Marketing Firm To Create Your Brand Identity}

I’ll confess.  I used to have a phobia about branding.  And I’m not alone.  I have met manycreative business owners, freelancers and especially non-profits who shared my perception that intentionally branding themselves or their work was less than authentic, and maybe even a little manipulative.  And heavens there is way too much manipulation and inauthenticity in the world, so let’s not add to…

[micheleperry]

What Jesus, Great Branding & Missions Have To Do With One Another

What Jesus, Great Branding & Missions Have To Do With One Another

Everything. Say what? Some of you are scratching your heads right now.  Hang in there with me while I explain. If you are over on our Facebook community, you may have seen me posting on branding & marketing recently.  {If you are not apart of our Facebook community yet, please head on over by following the link and click the like button. I don’t want you to miss out on all the things rolling out…

[micheleperry]

Taking Time to Listen

Taking time to listen {& a special Saturday Retreat Feb 6 in Jacksonville, FL}

Some days it feels like we are ever rushing to get to our next appointment, our next meeting, our next errand and flailing as we go. Markets are flailing with us and we wonder if the world will ever be put back right. Everything around us fights against stillness. Our phones chirp and beep to the point of harassment. We find we are now instantly accessible to everyone everywhere and fully present…