HEY, I’M

greer frances

Lover of veggie burgers, red wine, plants, deep conversations, and my dog, Lily.

I’m a Creative Director & Brand Strategist. My biggest superpower? I hold space for people to follow the feeling of themselves. I’m a believer in people following their big, bold visions for their life and business, and I’m here to help you bring that to life through an aligned brand.

 
 

You’ve landed here because you have something amazing to offer the world — whether it’s in the early stages and is just an idea, or it’s been around for a while and is needing a new injection of life into it.

I am here to help you unearth your brand’s essence in a way that gets you feeling it out instead of trying to figure it out. That gets you more aligned with who you are, who you are here to serve, and feeling confident & at ease in putting that out into the world.

Hey, I’m Greer

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & BRAND STRATEGIST

I’m a leading expert in brand education, design methodology, and creating iconic brand experiences.

Over the past decade I’ve started 5 different businesses, ranging from wedding photographer to hosting branding workshops. I’ve landed where I am most passionate: Supporting people in following their big, bold visions for their life and business. I’m a firm believer that you know yourself best and having a beautiful and aligned brand can only enhance that. I can’t wait to co-create together!

My entrepreneurial Journey

Like many creatives, my love and interest in art started young. I would be found drawing and doodling everywhere I went and had a wild imagination as a child (still do!). As I got older, my love for art became more serious and I was convinced that I was going to grow up and be a painter. Right out of high school, I signed up for a photography program that focused mostly on shooting with film and developing in the darkroom. It was through photography that I learned the language of light, composition, and the anticipation of the unknown. I started a photography business shortly after and thought that may be my calling. Until I realized that something was missing…

As it does, life had other plans and I derailed for a bit. Not just from being a painter or photographer… but life in general. I fell into a series of toxic relationships, unhealthy habits and a serious case of not really knowing or trusting myself. After hitting my rock bottom, I slowly started to build myself back up. The biggest practice I did this through was yoga. I immersed myself in several 200-hour teacher trainings, and started managing at the studio I taught at.

It was here I was introduced to marketing and graphic design… and that’s when it all clicked for me.

In 2011 I started my first official business: greerfrances. It was shortly after that I was asked to take a position as Creative Director at a marketing agency. I couldn’t say no to the opportunity so I leapt and spent the next 3 years learning so much from an amazing boss and mentor. After a few years, I started to yearn to choose who my clients were. I decided to break out on my own as Ficus Creative Studio and was thrown into the world of entrepreneurship. In those first few years, I did what most entrepreneurs do: overworked, over-delivered, under-slept, had no boundaries, and eventually burnt out. I knew I needed to make some life changes so started upping my team support, hired coaches, and got my life back from my business. After the dust seemed to settle from that chaos, I started a second business with a mentor and friend, which (surprise surprise) didn’t work out quite as I had thought.

Realizing I needed to make a shift for myself and stand up for what my truth was, I decided to exit that partnership. That was one of the most difficult decisions of my life but it taught me how to have hard conversations, how to stay convicted in my truth, and how to build the foundation for truly believing in my worth.

I felt like my business needed a fresh start after everything that had happened, so I re-branded as Align Creatives. It was in this new brand that I allowed myself to truly fully ‘play’ in my business for the first time since starting a decade before. Through that I gained my voice back, my confidence, my self-expression, my brilliance. I started to see myself as a visionary, someone who had innovative ideas, and is a true creative. I started to tap back into the parts of myself that loved to teach, loved to talk, loved to express themselves… and loved to help others do the same in the process.

Ultimately, I got back to me. That’s the magical thing about branding, it’s healing. It can give you pieces of yourself back that you didn’t even know were missing. It can be a mask to hide behind when you need it. It can give you a sense of confidence when you don’t feel confident enough to show yourself first. It can help lead you back to your truth. 

Since the beginning, I saw myself as a victim of my business. I was always too busy, going through an endless cycle of burnout, and never able to have full control of my business. It tossed me around like a ragdoll. When I started Align Creatives, I started to change that narrative. I started to heal. I started to do business in a different way. I started to become the director of my own company. And through that, my story started to change… but as with all stories, that story is changing, too

And so Align Creatives as it was known, is coming to an end… for now.

What is taking its place is… Me. Greer Frances.

I’ve never been prouder to stand behind my own name. To see it in a brand that reflects ME. Not 12-year old me, but me as a 34-year old woman who is here to be the Creative Director of her business and her life. I no longer want to hide behind a brand name. I don’t feel like I have to anymore. I feel confident in who I am, in using my voice, in expressing myself, and I am clear on where I am going.

This brand is me. This business is me. I’m so excited for what lies ahead. Thank you for being here for the ride <3

Greer Frances

Love from my Clients

  • I really felt supported throughout the whole process

    “I really felt supported throughout the whole process and in my vision for my business and how I want to show up. I feel that I got more than visuals, I got tons of great advice and suggestions for how to show up in my business in a way that feels good to me!”

    — Kailee Sawatzky, Holistic Hormone Health

  • Greer is genuinely invested in both you and your business.

    “Greer is genuinely invested in both you and your business. This process has supported me in setting the foundation to launch my business and gaining skills that I can carry forward. Greer is open and offering of her whole skill set, which is invaluable. Absolutely worth it.”

    — Lindsay Zarowny, enLīhte Hair Powders

  • I feel so guided and supported.

    “WOOOOWWWW I feel so special! You listened and delivered!! Thank you Thank you Thank you! This is so exciting! I feel so guided and supported, all of these align with a vision I didn’t really realize I had. So thank you for teasing that out and making it real!”

    — Genevieve, Prairie River Gardens

Courses & Trainings

Entrepreneurship

  • Marie Forleo’s B-School

  • Grace Lever’s Inner Circle

  • Janne Robinson’s This Is For The Women Business Program

  • 1:1 6-month coaching with Jessica Sealey, Sales & Leadership Coach

  • Victoria Washington’s Courses & 1:1 Coaching

  • 1:1 12-month coaching with Rachel Turner, Trauma Informed Business Coach

Wellbeing & Personal Development

  • 200hr Yoga Teacher Training

  • 200hr Yoga Teacher Apprenticeship

  • Pre & Post-natal Yoga Teacher Training

  • Tony Robbins Unleash The Power Within

  • Weekend workshop with Sonia Choquette at I AM Gathering

  • 60hr Integrated Trauma Therapy Certificate through The Embody Lab

Some Fun Facts

👨🏻‍🌾 I'm a farmer's daughter, but actually have very little farming experience. I harrowed a field once and couldn't figure out how to shut the tractor off... it was the last time I was asked to do that.⁠⁠
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🔥 I have walked across a bed of hot coals! A few years ago I attended a Tony Robbins event and that was our Friday evening activity.⁠⁠
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🎹 I have my grade 8 in piano from the Royal Conservatory of Canada. I can technically teach piano, but am incredibly rusty as I haven't played in years. ⁠⁠
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💪🏼 I am incredibly competitive when it comes to board games & sports. I once did a public push-up competition that I 'trained' for, for 3 months. It was against a friend of mine and took place in a coworking lobby... I had entry music and a hype man in a matching tracksuit to mine.⁠⁠

⛸️ I was a figure skater for my entire childhood and later went on to lead the CanSkate program in my hometown. It was one of the funnest jobs I've ever had!⁠⁠

🍺 I went through a very real bar star phase in my early 20s. I can't say I have regrets, but I'm sure my bank account, body & parents would think differently. What I do have are some incredibly wild stories to tell!⁠⁠
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🥔 A lot of people I meet assume that I am super healthy, but I am a sucker for anything that is made out of a potato. ESPECIALLY if it's deep-fried.⁠⁠
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📷 I went to school for photography right out of high school, and did that for the better part of a decade. It's what led me to graphic design and I am oh so grateful for that. I still love to take photos for fun & for clients' product photography!⁠⁠

THE PODCAST

Get to know me a little more intimately on my podcast. By tuning into this podcast, you’re gaining insight into what it’s like to do the work not only in your business, but the work that it takes to feel worthy in your own skin.

Work & Worthiness

On the Blog

ON THE BLOG

From the desk of greer

A blend of personal musings, practical business wisdom & a splash of humour.

01. How work connects with worthiness


02. Plan yourself a work retreat


03. Your brand is a healing mask


Sit down, let me pour you a glass

GET ME AT MY MOST INTIMATE…
MY NEWSLETTER

Here’s the truth: I usually send one newsletter a month called ‘What I’m Lovin’ where I share business musings and products and recipes I currently can’t get enough of. I also send promotional emails for new offerings that are a blend of story-telling and inviting you into the offer if it’s a fit for you. It’s low pressure… and if you don’t like it, I really won’t be offended if you unsubscribe. It’s your inbox & life!

Coming Soon: THE BRAND BEAT. An E-Mag all about branding, trends I’m seeing in the industry, stories from fellow entrepreneurs, and free design templates!

ps — wine is my celebratory choice of beverage but I’m all here for the sober & sober-curious folks as well!

Find me on Instagram