Lidia Varesco Design

06/23/2026

Happy Summer Solstice! The Solstice officially occurred on Sunday, but it was rainy and cloudy in Chicago, so I’m celebrating the first day of summer today.

This morning, my horoscope app literally said “Slow down, Speed Racer” (as a 70s kid and overachiever, I loved the reference), so I was glad to have a walk with a friend planned after camp drop-off.

The Solstice energy is perfect for setting intentions. But you can’t do that unless you stop long enough to reflect on what you want to manifest in the coming months.

Are you setting intentions during the Solstice—or do you have another summer kickoff ritual?

06/23/2026

I was thrilled to be mentioned in a recent blog by Content Marketing Institute about the resources Marketers love. I find a useful tip in every weekly email, so I'm glad to help others with my pick.

You can read the full blog at the link in the comments!

How many of these 91 recommended marketing blogs, newsletters, podcasts, and video series show up on your reading, viewing, or listening lists?

06/15/2026

My 10 YO always insists on visiting the toy section at Target—but this time, I was the one who discovered something: a Pantone x Hot Wheels collab.

I’ve been a graphic designer for more than three decades, so Pantone has been part of my creative life throughout. Even though I do much more digital design these days, I still keep a Pantone fan deck on my desk for inspiration.

My now-14-year-old has always been obsessed with Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, so this collaboration felt like the perfect overlap of our interests as well.

I started my collection with the Pantone 186 Twin Mill III—of course, I had to choose a bold red—but I’m hoping to eventually collect the entire color series.

Have you found something fun or inspiring in the toy aisle lately?

06/11/2026

I truly enjoyed being part of The Association of Consultants to Nonprofits booth at the 1st Annual Nonprofit Resource Fair hosted by Forefront and Givenkindorg.

We shared the value of finding qualified nonprofit consultants and teams through ACN, as well as our RFP service and monthly nonprofit educational webinars co-hosted with Nonprofit Learning Lab.

Added bonus: there were several fellow ACN members in attendance, including Korina Carrillo from Sassetti LLC who happened to be wearing a dress that was complementary to mine (I love synchronicities, especially those that are design-related).

This year, I celebrate 10 years as an ACN member and am grateful for our community, as well as opportunities like this to meet nonprofit organizations.

Learn more about ACN’s benefits for nonprofits at the link in comments.

06/10/2026

Your author brand is more than a logo. It’s how readers connect with you and your work.

On July 9, I’ll be joining Conspire Creative's Power Hour for Authors to discuss Author Branding as Business Strategy. In this free 60-minute Zoom session, we’ll explore how strategic branding can help you connect with readers.

Bring your questions and leave with practical insights you can put to work right away.

Registration link is in the comments!

06/09/2026

When I presented at last month, I felt noticeably less nervous—and much more confident—than I did at my last in-person conference presentation several years ago.

Part of that confidence came from the topic: “Quick Design Fixes That Boost Donor Engagement” was a brand-new session, and I was excited to share the practical ways nonprofit fundraisers can make their communications more engaging and on-brand.

But I also felt more comfortable embracing the unknown. Every stage experience is different—that’s part of what makes speaking both challenging and fulfilling.

My session feedback from the 75 attendees was very positive. They especially appreciated the actionable tips, “no vs. yes” design examples, and 5-Minute Design Checklist. I also received helpful suggestions for making future versions of the session more interactive.

That feedback is part of how confidence grows. Each time I speak, I learn what connects, what could be clearer, and what my audience wants and needs. Then I can use those insights to make the next talk even stronger.

That’s also why I made sure to provide feedback for every GiveCon session I attended. As a speaker, I know how valuable those comments are on the receiving end.

GiveCon reminded me that confidence doesn’t mean knowing exactly how everything will go. It comes from stepping onto the stage, learning from the experience, listening to feedback, and doing it again (speaking of, I’ll be speaking at Cause Camp in Chicago in October).

Have you stepped outside your comfort zone recently? Or felt more confident than usual in a situation?

06/05/2026

Have a nonprofit branding question? Join me on June 17 for this month's Ask Me Anything: Nonprofit Branding. In this live 30-minute session, we'll cover messaging, logos, audience personas, and more.

With 25+ years of nonprofit branding experience, I’ll share practical insights you can put to use right away.

Only 15 spots are available. Registration link is in the comments.

06/05/2026

What are the tools, shortcuts, and strategies that make your consulting practice run more smoothly?

I’m excited to join some of my fellow ACN consultants on June 11 for Tips and Tricks: Building a More Efficient and Effective Consultancy. We’ll be sharing practical tips on everything from outsourcing and productivity tools to favorite Excel hacks and workflow improvements.

Most importantly, we want this to be a conversation. Bring your own best practices and lessons learned so we can all work smarter and better serve our clients.

This is an ACN member's only event (now is the perfect time to join). Register at the link in the comments. Hope to see you there!

06/03/2026

I’ve been trying to lead my business more intentionally and intuitively, and as a result, I’ve recently noticed more synchronicities, or meaningful coincidences.

While heading to St. Louis for Give Con last month, I saw my suitcase luggage tag was missing. I added a paper tag (those big bowls of tags at Southwest Airlines finally come in handy!) but was skeptical it would stay intact.

While chatting with the sponsors at GiveCon, I was excited to discover that Auction Packages had lovely rubber luggage tags. Now I just needed a Sharpie to fill it out. I stopped by the Life Event Staffing event staffing [tag] booth and asked Loretta Lizzi for a Sharpie—lo and behold, she had one.

Also, that morning while trying to choose a lunch table, I found myself stopping at the “Women in Nonprofit Leadership” table. After chatting for a few minutes, I realized several people had attended my talk earlier that day and they shared lovely positive feedback. Synchronicity comes through again. Because I was being open and intuitive.

Have you noticed synchronicities in your work life lately?

06/01/2026

If you are a Chicago-based nonprofit, don't miss this Nonprofit Resource Fair next week, hosted by Givenkindorg and Forefront. It's the perfect opportunity to connect with organizations that provide services and support to the nonprofit sector. I will be representing The Association of Consultants to Nonprofits at our booth, so stop by and say hello!

Nonprofit Resource Fair Join us on Tuesday, June 9, from 12:00–2:00 p.m. at The Hatchery Chicago at 135 North Kedzie Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612 for a Nonprofit Resource Fair hosted by Forefront and GiveNKind.This event offers nonprofit professionals the opportunity to connect with organizations tha...