The Foundations Course

This course is built on an experience-led approach to brand building — one that values clarity, intention, and sustainability over shortcuts and hustle.

Watch the class trailer

Watch the class trailer.

Start with our approach.

This free guide introduces the experience-led approach that underpins everything inside the course.

The cover of the experience guide. Ella sitting on a bench outside a bakery called Sugar Bakeshop. The bakery has large windows and is surrounded by greenery.

Before strategy or structure or deciding whether this course is right for you — there is a way of thinking that matters.

Inside you’ll explore:

what “experience” means in a small business context
why clarity and feel matter more than constant optimizing
how thoughtful brands earn trust without chasing attention

It’s not a checklist or formula. It’s a lens — one you can use whether you join the course or now.

Read the free guide

Or preview the course →

course details

OUR SIGNATURE 3 PART COURSE —

Part 01 — Strategy (18 lessons)

Part 02 — Creative (22 lessons)

Part 03 — Marketing (8 lessons)

With a deep-dive workbook for each part.

In strategy, we cover topics like brand values, identifying your customer niche, studying your market, & setting up your work in the way that suits you best.

In creative, we move into brand identity, building a brand guide, finding your photographic style, and building a memorable customer experience.

And finally, in marketing, we bring it all together with an effective and doable marketing plan made just for you.

Watch a Free Lesson

Or read the free guide →

The three workbooks from The Foundations Course.

A view of our worksheets related to branding, strategy, goal setting, and personal development from The Foundations Course.

(Actual Workbook Pages)

A look behind the paywall at The Foundations Course lesson layout.

Thoughtfully made for you.

$100

The Foundations Course

Get instant access to The Foundations Course — our signature three part journey to building a brand that doesn't blend in or burn out. Give it a try for less than a single weekend workshop.

FAQs

It’s broken into three parts — Strategy, Creative, and Marketing — with clear lessons you can follow at your own pace. Inside you’ll find :
- How experience becomes your brand’s differentiator
- Why clarity matters more than constant action
- What thoughtful brand actually do — step by step
We invite you to watch our FREE LESSON to get a really good feel for both the video lessons and the workbook. You can also read our FREE GUIDE to explore the philosophy of building an experience-first brand.
No email required to access either because we believe in this course and we believe in you. If you align with our approach, we hope you become a member, complete the course, and add your own thoughtful brand to the world.
A brand strategy you believe in, a creative identity that feels like you, and a simple marketing plan you’ll actually use.
We created this so at the end, your brand will be the best it has ever been. You’ll be able to both see your brand as a whole and see all the moving parts. You’ll know how the pieces fit together and what to work on next to get where you want to go in your work and life.
We’re Ben and Ella, longtime business partners, hubby-and-wife, and founders of The Thoughtful Brand Co. This brand and this course is the best of everything we’ve learned over two decades of creative and entrepreneurship work. To learn more about our story, visit our ABOUT page.
We hear you — there are too many “business courses” out there that recycle the same hustle-heavy advice. Or that is all marketing but the content is shockingly lacking. We’ve experience both. And this isn’t that. The Thoughtful Brand Co. is built on a simple, experience-based framework that fits the way cottage businesses naturally grow. It’s practical, human, and built for the long term — not just a quick fix.