January 2026

Many people have asked about my logo which gives me an excuse to nerd out & write about my favorite symbol: the gorgeous, clever, versatile, mysterious, shapeshifting ampersand. I’ve seen pretty ones & clever ones. I’ve yet to find an ugly or boring one.

The lemon for my logo was an obvious choice, & there were several that served as inspiration. Many had lovely vines & leaves. My very first foray into the ChatGPT forest was asking if it could make the vine into the shape of an ampersand & presto it got it on the first try.

It’s so subtle that most people don’t see the ampersand in my logo which is exactly how I want it. I didn’t want to beat viewers over their heads with my cherished ampersand. I want viewers to experience the surprise of discovering it. In the same way I want them to have the “ah ha” moments – those surprising jolts of revelation - when they learn to see themselves in new & unexpected ways. For example, bravely taking on tough topics like illness, caregiving & end of life when they didn’t think they could, or getting areas of their lives in order after convincing themselves mess & chaos is inevitable.

There are styles of ampersands that stand out. The Haettenschweiler ampersand looks like brass knuckles; the Old English ampersand looks as if it could give you a serious papercut. My ampersand speaks gently & reassuringly. She never hogs the limelight. She’s a guide from the side & not a sage on the stage. This perfectly fits my philosophy when working with clients. I don’t lecture or force. I guide & help. When working with a client it’s always you & me & never you or me.We work together side by side until the client’s goals are achieved.

Another reason I fell in love with the ampersand is the deep meaning carried by a single character. The ampersand reminds us to go deeper & further - that knowledge, understanding & growth aren’t finite.

Answering self-doubts & worries with “and” helps separate genuine troubles from masochistic & unhelpful ruminations which only feed paralyzing anxiety. If presented with a true problem, asking “and?” can put you on a path that leads to solutions.

My favorite element in my logo, however, is at the bottom of the logo where the precariously hanging lemon is gently held & protected by a vine that encircles but doesn’t enclose leaving space to move & grow within a protective vessel. There is no better visual cue or metaphor for my work guiding & supporting individuals during their most challenging times.

I never studied marketing, but I suspect a logo is like a joke. If you need to explain it, it’s not a good one. So be it. I’m sticking with mine. Now when you see ampersands sprinkled throughout my writing, you’ll know why.