Real talk for founders whose brands have outgrown their website.

Every month I write about the decisions, the mistakes, and the moments that actually move the needle. From real projects, real clients, and 6+ years of building websites for brands that are done playing small.

No recycled tips. Just honest insight from someone who's in it.

Insights for Scaling Brands

the JAL Studios Blogs

Here’s something you probably don’t expect a web designer to say. Sometimes the problem with your website isn’t your website. I know. It sounds surprising coming from someone who builds websites for a living. But after six years of working with scaling brands, I’ve turned down projects, delayed start dates, and redirected founders simply because, […]

September 2, 2026

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I discover more genuinely interesting brands on TikTok than anywhere else online. Instagram feels like someone’s trying to sell me a course I didn’t ask for. TikTok is where I find the cool stuff: the drink syrups, children’s vitamins, cowgirl boots, mocktail brands, African meal kits. Brands […]

September 2, 2026

There’s an email I genuinely love receiving. It comes through after someone fills out my enquiry form. It tells me a little about the brand, what they’re selling, who it’s for, and what they’re hoping a new website will actually do for the business. There’s enough there for me to get a feel for the […]

September 2, 2026

You didn’t build your business to stay small. You built it because you saw something. A gap, an opportunity, a product that deserved to exist, so you went after it. And it worked. You have customers and the demand. But somewhere between launching and now, your website got left behind. Not dramatically, or in a […]

August 4, 2026

Recently I had a discovery call with a founder who mentioned that she had a few other web designers in mind. Which is completely fair. You should be doing your research. A website at this stage of your business is a significant investment and the person you choose to build it matters more than most […]

August 4, 2026

That business you thought would stay a hobby is now your full time income. You found a gap in the market, built something special, and haven’t looked back. The customers came. The repeat orders came. And now the opportunities feel bigger than just an online store. You want to be national. You want to be […]

June 25, 2026

You started because you saw a gap. A community that wasn’t being served. A problem that wasn’t being solved. And rather than waiting for someone else to fix it, you built something yourself. Now you’re running programmes. Supporting families. Expanding services. Doing work that genuinely changes outcomes for the people you serve. And you need […]

June 25, 2026

There’s a conversation that happens constantly in the Shopify space about themes. Free versus paid. Which one is better? Which one is worth the investment? Which one will make your website finally look the way you imagined it? But the conversation is missing the point entirely. The theme was never supposed to be the destination. […]

June 25, 2026

There’s a version of retail readiness that gets talked about a lot online. Get your packaging right. Sort your pricing. Have enough stock. And yes all of that matters. But there’s another layer that founders often overlook until it costs them: your website. Because here’s what actually happens when a retail buyer, a stockist, or an […]

June 16, 2026

Most websites are built with one person in mind. One type of customer, one type of language, one journey from landing page to purchase. But some brands don’t have that luxury. They have a product that genuinely serves two distinct audiences, and the website has to speak to both without alienating either. Little Mellos is […]

June 16, 2026