What happens when you have a small team of creatives on a mission to make a positive impact on the world? Those who are creating the best work for their clients while staying 100% aligned with their vegan values? You get a dedicated team at companies like Kakadu Creative.
When I sat down with Kayleigh Nicolaou, co-owner of Kakadu Creative, to learn more about what makes her, and the entire creative team tick, she didn’t leave me wondering where she stood on the issue of health, the environment and animal compassion as a vegan led company.
Without a doubt, there is a trend in business where like-minded people are choosing to do business with those who fully understand their values, commitment to the animals, climate healing and the animals.
Yet, the concern for those still in the “vegan closet” is that if they are too vocal about being a vegan led and driven organization, they will lose business.
They question, “Will we lose business? What will people think? Is there a big enough market reach?” due to the whispered warnings of family, friends, and well-meaning colleagues.
Yet, unable to shake the inner calling to proudly announce to the world they are a vegan driven company, more every day, businesses of every size and description are heeding the call.
For the majority of companies who make this decision they realize it is likely one of the best choices they ever made.
After close analysis, many vegan owned businesses are pleased to discover there are those who prefer to do business with a vegan identified company.
This has been the experience of those at Kakadu Creative. On a mission to help entrepreneurs and businesses who align with their values, they love working with the overall branding of companies who desire a unique look and feel.
Offering services ranging from full branding packages, web design, print design and green hosting, Kayleigh will be the first to admit that good branding starts with one’s core values.
Your core values communicate what you believe as a company and how you are working together toward a shared vision.
“By articulating what you stand for as a brand, you can attract better employees and customers who share your beliefs,” Kayleigh says.
Kayleigh’s Vegan Journey
The journey Kayleigh took was relatively slow. After her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, she searched out answers to find ways to minimize her own risk of breast cancer. It was around that time the World Health Organization released a report stating that processed and red meat were highly carcinogenic.
Further research unearthed equally disturbing information. At the time, Kayleigh was vegetarian and realized, if she was going to impact real change in her health, she needed to give up all meat and dairy.
From there, her research took her down a similar journey many vegans travel including the shocking discoveries of factory farming and the harm being done to the environment due to meat and dairy consumption.
Once she started connecting the dots, there was no going back. Fully vegan for nearly five years, the next onion layer was her professional life.
Coming out of the Vegan Closet
Although, her company was always run as a vegan business, it was a well-kept secret. Fearing they would turn clients off, there came a point, no one in the company could any longer hide out.
Not only did they not lose business, but their client base increased as a direct result of those who choose to do business with openly vegan companies.
It was about that time the first of several shutdowns occurred due to COVID. This gave them the opportunity to evaluate further the direction they wanted to go in.
As more people discovered their company, they quickly got the reputation for being the go to company that could help their clients get their branding and messaging aligned with who they actually are.
One thing Kayleigh recommends to other vegan led businesses is to not fear that you won’t have enough business. If you focus on your core values, take the initiative to become known by way of the many avenues for visibility, network with other professionals and come from a place of service, you’ll build your business.
Kayleigh’s Advice to Others
Determine how many clients you actually need to run a profitable business. Based on this information, get to work. Be seen, be clear on your messaging and be proud… to be a vegan identified business.
Most of all, love what you do. When you love what you do, and the clients you work with, you will be able to weather the tough times that come with running a business.
None of us know what’s around the next corner. Yet, we do know when we are aligned, things have a way of working out for the betterment of the climate, the animals and our health.
About Kayleigh
Kayleigh Nicolaou is co-founder of Kakadu Creative, a full-service ethical and vegan creative agency.
In 2018, after over a decade working in the consumer media industry, Kayleigh launched Kakadu Creative with her partner, Lee.
The couple are on a mission to use their skills and expertise to help vegan and purpose-led businesses launch, scale and grow with impactful and effective branding, design and web development.
Outside of Kakadu Creative, Kayleigh is an environmental activist, an active member of her town council’s Climate Action Working Group and pet parent to their beloved rescue dog, Gili.
To get a taste of what the team at Kakadu Creative is capable of, visit https://www.kakaducreative.com
Find Kayleigh on Social Media
https://www.instagram.com/kakaducreative/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayleighnicolaou/
https://www.facebook.com/KakaduCreative
