Hello, my dear Frankies! 💜

OK, here’s something else I love about Franklin: you can know someone as Deb from the gym, Jess from the local coffee shop, or Fi, one of the mums from your kid’s soccer team, and completely forget that they also happen to be running brilliant, successful businesses.

This week, that person is Chrystal!

I’ve known Chrystal for a few years now, and when we’re sweating it out at the gym, comparing running plans or swapping favourite recipes, it’s easy to forget that she’s also behind a seriously cool and successful design studio. Brand Refinery works with some of Waikato’s biggest names, as well as plenty of brilliant local businesses and start-ups.

I feel like that’s such a uniquely Franklin thing. Our friends, neighbours, gym buddies and the people we always stop to chat to while walking the dog are often doing incredible things. We’re surrounded by so much talent, but because these people are part of our everyday lives, we don’t always realise just how impressive they are.

So this week, enjoy getting to know one of Franklin’s loveliest designers and hearing the full-circle story behind Chrystal and the ever-growing Brand Refinery ♥

I’ll see ya out there!

R. and the Frankie Team xx

Chrystal Fleming: The Franklin designer carrying her mentor’s legacy into a brand-new chapter

If you know Chrystal in real life, you probably know her as a calming presence, always with a thoughtful or curious observation about life.

So, it can be easy to forget that she also runs Brand Refinery, a highly experienced design studio working with some of Waikato’s biggest organisations, alongside brilliant local businesses and start-ups.

But long before Brand Refinery existed, Chrystal was a young designer commuting from Pukekohe to Hamilton each day, still learning to trust her own ability.

That began to change when she joined KT Design under founder Katie See.

“Katie is honestly the best boss I’ve ever had,” Chrystal says. “She’s one of the loveliest people you’ll ever meet.”

And Katie trusted Chrystal early. She encouraged her to work from home one day a week to ease the long commute and, while Chrystal was still only in her mid-twenties, asked her to manage the studio while she went on maternity leave. It was an enormous vote of confidence.

Through Katie, Chrystal learned far more than how to make something look beautiful. She learned how to quote, manage projects, run a business and handle the huge, highly detailed publications that Brand Refinery is still known for today.

Working with the University of Waikato, the studio effectively became its external design department, creating prospectuses, handbooks and publications across multiple faculties while keeping every detail consistent.

“Katie trained my eye for detail,” Chrystal says. “She also built my confidence. When I first started, I don’t think I was particularly confident in my abilities. She constantly encouraged me and helped me believe in what I was capable of.”

Building a business around family

Chrystal loved working at KT Design, but after having her son, the daily commute to Hamilton no longer suited the life she wanted for her family.

So she went out on her own and created Indigo Ink.

The business allowed her to keep doing the work she loved while having the flexibility to be present as her kids grew up. Over more than a decade, she developed Indigo Ink into a successful design business with its own distinctive style and loyal clients.

She never imagined that one day she would return to KT Design as its owner.

“No, not in my wildest dreams,” she says. “When I left, it was simply the right decision for that stage of my life.”

But the opportunity arose organically in 2023, when Katie contacted Chrystal for help with some contract work. And soon afterwards, Katie was diagnosed with chronic fatigue and became extremely unwell. Chrystal stepped in to keep projects moving, effectively running her own business and KT Design at the same time.

When Katie eventually said she needed to sell the studio, Chrystal’s first instinct was to encourage her to wait.

“I said, ‘You’re really unwell. Why don’t I just run the business for the next year while you focus on getting better? Then you’ll be in a much better position to decide what to do next.’”

To Chrystal, KT Design was Katie’s life’s work. She did not want her friend and former mentor making a permanent decision during such a difficult time.

But Katie was certain she was ready to let it go.

Chrystal realised the opportunity had arrived at a strangely fitting moment. She already knew the business, had managed it before and had spent years successfully running Indigo Ink. She was also deciding whether to remain a sole operator or build a team.

“I had a bit of a think and realised I’d be silly not to at least put my hand up.”

Katie knew her clients would be cared for. She trusted Chrystal, understood how she worked and knew the business was passing to someone who genuinely respected what she had built.

For Chrystal, returning felt like coming home.

Turning two businesses into one

Buying KT Design was one thing. Working out how to bring it together with Indigo Ink was another.

Indigo Ink had developed an elegant, refined style that attracted many feminine and luxury brands. KT Design had a broader client base and decades of experience working with major educational, corporate and iwi organisations.

Both businesses were valuable, but maintaining two websites, two identities and two sets of marketing quickly became impractical.

Chrystal decided to merge them.

The hardest part was saying goodbye to the KT Design name. It was closely tied to Katie, but it also represented some of the most formative and happiest years of Chrystal’s career.

She wanted the new business to honour that history while creating space for her own experience, personality and vision.

The name Brand Refinery had actually been sitting in the back of her mind since 2020.

“It came back to me straight away,” Chrystal says. “Everything we do is about refining brands and helping businesses become better versions of themselves.”

Sometimes that means creating an entirely new identity. Sometimes it means repositioning an established business, building a better website or helping a brand connect with a new audience.

Chrystal describes her branding process as finding the gold within a business. She looks closely at what makes it different, who it needs to reach and how the right people should feel when they encounter it.

About a year after the rebrand, Chrystal noticed that somewhere along the way, it had stopped feeling like two businesses joined together and simply became who they were.

Big experience, small-team care

Today, Brand Refinery is a close-knit team of three, with Chrystal based in Waiuku and Louise and Stacey working from Hamilton and Te Awamutu.

Clients work directly with the designer creating their project, whether they need a full brand, a website, custom illustration or a complex annual report, handbook, prospectus, magazine or book.

The studio also builds websites from beginning to end, including the technical and SEO foundations that help Google understand and find them.

That strategic thinking is a huge part of Chrystal’s approach. She wants every colour, font, image and layout decision to communicate something meaningful about the business, and uses colour psychology to further enhance what she creates.

Websites designed to bring in business

She believes a website should answer customers’ questions, establish trust, clearly explain what the business offers and make it easy for people to enquire or buy.

The Brand Refinery team also handles the less visible work that determines whether a website can be found and understood by Google. This includes its structure, page speed, search terms, analytics and the technical steps required to make sure Google knows the website exists.

Chrystal has seen businesses spend thousands on websites that look polished but have not been set up properly behind the scenes.

“As a business owner, you often don’t know what you don’t know,” she says. “There is a big difference between a website that simply exists and one that actually works for your business.”

One local example is Signature Catering. Chrystal helped Ange Deadman name her new business, then worked with Brand Refinery designer Louise to create the brand, custom illustrations and website.

Since launching, Signature Catering has grown significantly. Ange has carried the brand across her uniforms, signage, catering equipment and mobile chiller, creating a business that looks consistent and instantly recognisable wherever it appears.

For Chrystal, that's the real joy of the work for her: getting to know the person behind a business, uncovering what makes it special and giving them the tools to show that confidently to the world.

Despite working with major organisations and complex industries, Chrystal says small businesses will always have her heart. She understands what it means to build something from the ground up, shape work around family life and take a risk on your own ideas.

And after all these years, she remains close friends with the woman who helped her believe she could do it. Whenever Chrystal is in Hamilton, she still tries to pop in and see Katie.

“She’s had a huge influence on my career,” she says. “I’m very thankful for everything she taught me.”

Brand Refinery may have a new name, but the trust, care and attention to detail that shaped Chrystal as a young designer are still woven through everything the team creates.

To explore Brand Refinery’s work or talk to the team about branding, websites, illustration or publication design, visit brandrefinery.nz. And make sure you're following along on Instagram!

okiwata virre

Unscramble the letters above to find the Franklin-related phrase! Answer at the bottom of the newsletter!

A huge congratulations to the Pukekohe Indian Association, which is celebrating an incredible 90 years of supporting and bringing together the Franklin community! To mark the milestone, members young and old joined Franklin Local Board representative Alan Cole at Ray Fausett Reserve to plant commemorative trees, honouring the deep roots laid by the association’s founders in 1936. As president Harsad Bhula beautifully put it, the trees have been planted so future generations can one day enjoy their shade.

Have you read Coffee News this week? ☕ Pick up a copy in your favourite café or scan the QR code to read on your device!

👉 Want a featured note on the notice board? - Simply book your feature here or just send us a quick email and we'll help you out!

Thursday

🎨 Paint & Party — Blue Ox Babe BBQ, Pukekohe, 6pm–8:30pm. An artist-led creative night of painting, cocktails, and good music with a complimentary cocktail on arrival — email moo@blueoxbabe.co.nz to secure your spot, spaces are limited.

🧠 Quiz Night — Pukekohe Golf Club, 6:30pm–8:30pm. Gather your team for a fun night of trivia — More info here.

🎟️ Housie — 78 Nelson Street, 11am–1pm. Come along for a fun game of community housie — Check it out!.

🍸 Cocktail Happy Hour — Little Ed, 6pm–7pm. Enjoy all your favourite cocktails for a little bit cheaper.

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Friday

🐟 Fish n Chips Friday — Rise 'n Shine Cafe, Paerata. Fresh snapper, smash burgers, happy hour and a playground for the kids make this the perfect Friday night out.

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Saturday

🌱 Pukekohe Crop Swap — Pukekohe Library, 1:30pm. Bring your homegrown produce along to swap with other local growers — All the details here.

🔧 Pukekohe Repair Cafe — Franklin Arts Centre, 10am. Bring your broken items along and get them fixed for free by local volunteers — More info here.

🧁 Cupcake Bouquet Class — Flying Apronz, 11am–3pm. Learn beginner-friendly buttercream piping and create your own 7-cupcake bouquet — Check it out!.

💃 Zumba for a Cause — Pukekohe Intermediate School, 9am. Join the Franklin Indian Cultural Club for a free/donation Zumba session supporting the Cancer Society, contact Arsh on 021 164 1674 for more info.

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Sunday

✨ Couture Beading Workshop — Oohlala Studios, 10am. Learn couture beading techniques in this hands-on workshop — All the details here.

💻 Trap.nz Community Workshop — Waiuku Library, 8 King Street, 1pm. Drop in to learn more about Trap.nz and how it supports local conservation — More info here.

🌿 Moss Art Workshop — Your Local Coffee Brew Bar, 173 Manukau Road, 9:30am–12pm. Create your own preserved moss art display with Emily from The Plant Parlour, with a drink and cookie included — Check it out!.

🥕 Franklin Country Market — Pukekohe Park Raceway, 8am. Browse homegrown produce, handmade crafts and food trucks with live music at this popular Sunday market — All the details here.

🧘 Sunday Stretch Sessions — Rxfitness235, 42 Belgium Street, Waiuku, 9am. Join The Stretch Collective for a 45-minute stretch session — More info here.

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monday

🥞 Good Food, Bright Minds — Cafe Queen, Waiuku, 7am–9am. A collaboration with Sanctuary Retreat providing school kids a nourishing free breakfast every Monday during term time.

🧠 Quiz Night — Good Home Pukekohe, 65 Edinburgh Street, 7pm. Test your trivia knowledge with friends, booking recommended.

🏃 The Wellness Run Club — Your Local Coffee, West Street, 5:45am. Join this welcoming 5km loop run, all levels welcome.

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Tuesday

📚 Cook Island Language Week Storytime — Waiuku Library, 10:30am. Celebrate Cook Island Language Week with a special storytime session — All the details here.

🍷 Italian Wine Dinner: Best of Piemonte — Pizzata, 6:30pm. Enjoy a special wine dinner showcasing the best of Piemonte — More info here.

🖌️ Painting Club — Franklin Arts Centre, 6pm–8pm. Bring along whatever you're working on for two hours of dedicated painting time with fellow local artists, term time only.

🏃 STRIDE Tribe Run Club — 21 Martyn Street, Waiuku, 7pm. A free, pressure-free 3km walk or run for everyone — Check it out!.

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Wednesday

🌸 Women's Health Seminar — Barre Fitness Dance and Movement, 27 Skiffington Road, Pokeno, 6:30pm. Join naturopath Kat Naran for an informative evening on hormones, thyroid health and wellbeing, $20 entry — All the details here​

🧠 Malt N Steel Quiz Nights — Malt N Steel, Waiuku, 7pm. Gather a team of 2-8 and battle it out for prizes — More info here.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Anti-Social Social Club for Teens — Pukekohe Library, 12 Massey Avenue, 3:30pm. A safe, inclusive after-school space for teens of all social styles to hang out and make friends.

🏃 Fire Station Run Club — Fire Station Eatery, Pukekohe, 5:30pm. Choose between 2.5km and 5km options, with spot prizes and bar menu discounts to follow.

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Word Scramble answer: Waikato River

p.s. If someone awesome sent you this email and you want to subscribe yourself, sign up here 👉 dearfrankie.co.nz​