Meeting Dennis was fate. Through a friend, I met a Realtor with an amazing personal logo. I knew that standing out in a competitive Real Estate market was going to be tough, be she managed to do just that. Then from a different networking meeting, I was handed a beautiful card. As I admired her card and logo, the owner told me about the deeper meaning to feather on her card. I was blown away. When she told me that Dennis created her logo too, I knew I had to meet him. His work kept showing up, and each time it made an impression on me.
I felt instantly connected with Dennis from the first coffee meeting. As a Mortgage Broker in my industry less than a year, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted, but I did know that I did not want to feel like a bank. I felt like the typical bank logos did not suit my personality or how I wanted my clients to view me.
I loved Dennis’ process. His discovery process gave me a chance to show exactly why I am so passionate about what I do. I felt completely safe to share all my huge dreams for my company, as well as that I was terrified to move away from the status quo. I have no idea how Dennis created a visual for my brand off the answers to those questions, but I am thrilled with the result. Even more surprising, we never talked about the brand colours but when he first showed the logo, it was an exact match to colourful file folders I already ordered online. It was like he captured my personality in colour perfectly.
Now I am so proud to hand out my business card. Every person that touches it stares and the logo and they all say the same thing, “Wow, I love your logo”. I am constantly getting positive feedback on the branding. I can honestly say that over 50% of my business has chosen to work with me because they felt attracted to my brand. Dennis amazes me with his creativity, impresses me with his talented designs, and continues to take great care of me as he ensures a high-quality final product.
Thank you Dennis for helping me become clear with my vision and for making my brand stand out. I highly recommend Dennis to any business owners looking to operate at the highest level and enjoy great returns from having an attractive brand.
Noel Murdoch 
My name is Chris Fraser with Crest Roofing & Co formerly XL Roofing Inc, same, just re‑branded. Before I met Dennis, I knew nothing of branding or re‑branding. There was something bugging me about my business that I wasn’t getting the commercial projects I so desired. We were getting the odd one but something had to change. In the back of my mind I thought maybe my company name and logo wasn’t saying enough about us or even, god for bid, too cliche’. I started to ask around and do my own mini research and what I found, was evidence collaborating my already forgone conclusions . So I bit the bullet and sat down with Dennis and asked him what he thought.
He did not hesitate and with a sort of confidence just told me quite frankly that I needed a major re‑brand to get us to the level that I wanted my company to go. We just pushed forward with a couple appointments and it became a lot of fun. I could not believe how easy he made this process. I want to point out that Dennis was able to get me thinking back to the days that made me want to start a business, this put me in a vulnerable position that I was not accustomed to but necessary to get where we needed to be. But it was at this point that everything started to flow, and flow it did. We didn’t make any rash decisions, Dennis was very chill, and a couple times just said “sleep on it for a few days “ “lets chat then”. I wont do anything now in our Company without first consulting with Dennis at Wake Creative. He also has awesome connections on his team that include websites, video animated commercials, social media experts then of course any hard copy printing he has at his finger tips. Growing or starting your business, don’t hesitate to call Dennis at Wake Creative.
Chris Fraser 
I just wanted to drop a quick note to say “Thank You” for the work that you did for us recently on our new logo and our branding.
Let me first say that I hated my new logo, but that is a good thing and let me explain.
This process that we went through with Wake Creative, which started as a website design, was so important, and I underestimated how impactful it was.
I knew that the look and feel of my company was important, but your process of exploration before doing any work made me stop and think about why I was in business and who I wanted to appeal to. It made me realize that my current logo was designed for myself, someone who thinks in square boxes and likes things in balance. Yet my target market was for people that didn’t think this way. They need a visual of someone trusting, up to date with today’s trends and not ‘old and stogy’. My existing logo simply did not appeal to my target market.
The Brand Bible further helped me define who I was and what I wanted. Nice touch to the branding and the incredibly thorough job.
When we first launched my logo and branding I hated it. But my customers loved it. I have to admit that I get more comments on my logo now than I ever have in the past. Better than that, my phone is ringing off the hook with new potential customers and the market that I wanted to reach is now calling me. I really believe that branding myself properly had a lot to do with the phone ringing.
Thank you for having patience. I know that I can be a hard person to sway, but you succesfully managed to do it. By the way…I now love my logo and it looks pretty damn good on my wall.
Thank you.
Lynn Gagne-webb 
Dennis Michael was referred to me when I had started the lengthy process of building a new brand, logo and website. We connected immediately over coffee where I was instantly impressed by his punctuality, creativity and his overall excitement for the task at hand.
Dennis prepared insightful questions and better yet, really listened when I answered them, he even took notes! Which only shows his true dedication to giving his clients exactly what they want. When the process hit some bumps Dennis was there to help me to make sure that I was satisfied and the product we had orders from outside sources were 100%. Anyone who has ever built a brand and gone through this process knows that your heart and soul is invested the entire tie. It is priceless to have someone like Dennis who is just as invested as you are.
I have and will continue to refer Dennis to other individuals who are looking for show their passion for their work through a well thought out brand.
After months of working together my brand, website, business cards and promotional material are now fully complete and I am over the moon!
Nichola Elise Ryhanen 
I believe that logos are a very important part of a business’s messaging. I longed for a logo that represented the services I provide which is helping people through financial difficulty; a logo that reflected the emotional side of financial distress and what it means to break free of the burden of overwhelming debts. But I also needed to keep the current logo because we needed to keep a common thread and consistency between Frederick & Company Ltd. the insolvency firm and Frederick & Company LLP the accounting practice. The existing logo has a very practical and logical feel to it so I thought a complementary logo would be particularly challenging. As a result I put that idea to rest and I didn’t seek out someone to create the logo. Then I got to know Dennis.
The moment I sat down with Dennis to find out about his business it was clear that he would be equal to the task of finding a logo that would compliment our existing logo that also resonated emotionally with people. His passion for his business and the drive he has to create a logo that embodies the heart of a company was palatable. The quiet reserved man I had thought I knew became an energetic, electric and passionate man who was clearly up for the challenge of creating my new logo.
In our initial meeting I knew the essence of what I wanted but couldn’t really describe it. I didn’t know what image I wanted the logo to be but I knew it wouldn’t be multicoloured. I also knew I wanted to resonate the emotional aspect of my work but I didn’t want it to be “fluffy.” I used words like “chunky” and “soft but not soft” to describe what I wanted. These are not very helpful words or phrases yet Dennis was able to understand what I wanted. He keyed into what was at the heart of my business and “got” what I wanted even when I didn’t really know how to communicate it well.
I was amazed that Dennis could read between the lines and create a logo that was exactly what I was looking for. My new logo is complimentary to our existing logo. It is a outline of a feather which has hard, exact lines but still portrays the lightness one feels after they have moved from financial distress to financial success. My logo represents the weightlessness of being free of a burden without being fluffy. It is “chunky “and “soft but not soft”. It has a solidness to it as well which was important for embodying the professionalism of our firm. In short, it is exactly perfect.
Thank you so much Dennis for everything. I would to hesitate to recommend you to anyone I know who is looking to really get clear about their brand and discover a new logo that will represent them authentically out there in the world.
Rebecca Frederick 
I’ve had the privilege of knowing Dennis Michael, owner of Wake Creative for over 2 years.. I run a high end renovation company focusing on all types of residential work as well as custom commercial projects.
When we started our company the logo and “brand” we started with was based on the idea of offering our clients nothing but the best service and expertise throughout their renovation.
Our logo never quite lived up to the standards we set out for our company and as such last year we decided to use Wake Creative to really develop a complete package that tells our clients they have found the best.
Dennis knew exactly what to ask, how to display it and ultimately deliver on a vision that will help my company showcase our immense talent for years to come!
Dennis has an unmatched eye for detail and offers nothing but perfection on everything he does. Currently Dennis is working on our vehicle wraps, Christmas cards and our presentation folders. He is the mastermind behind our logo, business cards and colour scheme for our website.
I strongly recommend Dennis Michael of Wake Creative to anyone thinking their brand can do more!
Steve Greene 
I recently launched a new business and like any new business launch, a tremendous amount of work and energy must be placed in its operation to ensure basic fundamentals are present for ongoing company growth and success. One of these critical fundamentals was my business’s brand identification including what our values/mission really stood for and most importantly, how we were going to communicate this message visually to the market.
For several months, I was challenged in finding the right “look and feel”, until I met Dennis Michael from Wake Creative. Dennis has an uncanny ability to “say what needs to be said”, but without making the “laymen” feel intimidated or inferior when it comes to building a visual representation of what a business is all about.
It didn’t take very long until I was strategizing and planning with Dennis as to what my new company brand was going to look like. Dennis’s enthusiasm and passion for my business’s needs was very evident and produced a final product that achieved what it needed to achieve. Now that the project is over, I still have Wake Creative engaged in my business, still actively searching for ways to continue adding value!
I would recommend any company that is serious about establishing its message brand and value proposition to work with Wake Creative. They are a forward-thinking firm that believes in doing the right thing … the first time around!
Bruce Baker 
Wake Creative has helped our business build a solid marketing foundation. We went through the very thorough “Brand Bible” process with Dennis. It was here that we were able to put all of the ideas of who we thought we were down onto paper and begin to solidify our identity and brand. This journey was not a simple checklist of “Do you like this font or that colour?” It was based on who we are and what we want to represent. Now we have something concrete and tangible to give out to our marketing team. The effectiveness of our marketing has greatly increased since getting our “Brand Bible”. One of the best investments our business has made.
Dr. Glen Jefferies
I just wanted to say a quick “thank you” for coming to Gran MacEwan class, where I teach business to the acupuncture students. I asked you to teach them real life branding methods and we got much more than we bargained for!
I especially loved your fantastic slide presentation. The first couple of slides where you showed us so clearly how perception can affect your business were extremely impactful. The message was crystal clear and I know we all took a second look at how we present ourselves. May I also say that I love your teaching style? If you ever move careers, this may be a good change for you!
All that you gave us was very good advice. Be proud knowing that you have positively affected the pocketbook of many of those students. I can’t wait to have you into my next class to see the repeat performance.
Lynn Gagne-Webb
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