“Any small business, especially in the coffee industry, has no guarantee of lasting a year, let alone two. So when my little shop made it past that milestone, I wanted to celebrate with a special edition shirt—and I needed a design people could really connect with. A logo is vital, but a mascot brings your brand to life. It’s got eyes you can connect with and personality you can play with, whether that’s a Santa hat at Christmas, a skateboard, or a sticker on a takeaway cup.
That kind of versatility keeps people thinking about your brand again and again.

I chose Michelle because I’d already seen her brilliant work on my gift cards, and I knew she was first and foremost an illustrator. The process was smooth and collaborative. She suggested poses, colours, and backgrounds, while keeping the technical side of t-shirt printing in mind. Somehow she balanced following my brief with adding her own creative spark. I had a clear picture in my head, and by the end Michelle delivered exactly what I imagined.

The final result fit my idea to a tee (pun intended). The mascot created real excitement for my business—the shirts sold, and it gave me weeks of fresh social media content. What’s not to love?”