How Emma Drummond Built an Independent Brand That Stands Beside the Franchises with EM-MAgination Craft
A strong brand is not created by choosing a colour palette, designing a logo and calling the job done.
It is created through the feeling people associate with your business, the language your customers use, the experience they receive and the way everything connects over time.
That is what makes Emma Drummond’s journey with EM-MAgination Craft so powerful.
In just four years, she has built an independent creative business with a distinctive identity, a loyal local community and a place alongside major franchise brands as a finalist in the Brand Excellence of the Year category at The Class Business Awards 2026.
From the NHS to a New Direction
Before launching EM-MAgination Craft, Emma spent almost ten years working as a paediatric speech and language therapist in the NHS.
She had always assumed that would be her long-term career, but returning from maternity leave during the pandemic changed things. The working environment was difficult, and after struggling with anxiety and poor mental health, Emma took time away from work and began considering what else her future could look like.
She explored several options before returning to something that had always been part of her life: creativity.
Emma had loved crafts since childhood, continued making things as an adult and had years of experience working with children through Brownies, Guides and Scouts.
She decided to bring those interests together and create her own business.
Creating a Name That Could Grow
One of Emma’s earliest challenges was choosing the name and visual identity.
At the time, even creating a simple logo felt overwhelming. She wanted something playful and creative, but she did not want the business to feel restricted to young children or one type of activity.
“I wanted something that could evolve.”
The original business name was EM-MAgination, with the craft element added later as the direction became clearer.
The name incorporated Emma herself while leaving space for the business to grow into new creative areas.
That decision reflects an important lesson for independent founders. Your brand needs to work for the business you are building today, but it should not box you in so tightly that there is nowhere to go tomorrow.
A Brand People Recognise
Over the next four years, Emma developed the EM-MAgination Craft identity piece by piece.
The black text in the original logo evolved into a brighter visual style, with orange becoming a key part of the brand. Families attending sessions became known as Imaginators, branded T-shirts were introduced for babies, children and adult crafters, and EM-MAgination Bear joined the sessions as a mascot.
Together, these elements create a world that families immediately associate with the business:
- Bright, colourful and welcoming visuals
- Recognisable language and names
- A mascot children can connect with
- Branded clothing that creates belonging
Emma believes the business is now instantly recognisable within the local area.
“When people see something that is ours, they know it’s ours straight away.”
That is brand consistency working properly. It helps the business stand out, but it also makes customers feel part of something familiar.
The Experience Is the Brand
Emma is clear that branding goes far beyond logos, colours and fonts.
The real EM-MAgination Craft brand is found in the way families are treated.
When somebody sends a message, they speak directly to Emma. Conversations are informal, WhatsApp voice notes are welcome and there is no expectation that customers need to communicate in a polished or overly formal way.
Emma wants people to feel comfortable before they even walk through the door.
That feeling continues inside the sessions. Families return during school holidays, parents bring second babies after first attending years earlier, and adult crafters become part of the same wider community.
The business is also beginning to create more opportunities for families to connect outside regular sessions, including a family picnic designed to bring people together without the usual pressure of completing a craft activity.
Familiarity Creates Confidence
The relationships Emma has built through the business and her long-standing volunteering roles often overlap.
One child preparing to join her after-school craft club already knows Emma because his older brother attends Beavers. That existing relationship makes entering a new group feel less daunting.
Other families feel reassured because the sessions take place at the Rees Centre, where local parents may already have attended antenatal or midwife appointments.
They have seen the space, may have watched a session taking place and know what to expect before making a booking.
That familiarity can make a huge difference to a parent or child who feels nervous about joining something new.
Showing Up as the Founder
Emma’s biggest piece of advice for other independent business owners is to build a brand that genuinely reflects who they are.
“For me, it was all about being bright and colourful. That is me.”
She believes founders need to be visible because customers are not only choosing the activity. They are choosing the person delivering it.
Emma has found that videos and live content often perform better than static graphics that may have taken much longer to create. People want to see the personality behind the business and understand who they will meet when they attend.
“You are the business.”
For independent founders, that can feel like pressure, but it is also an advantage. There is no need to replicate the identity of a larger franchise or follow every trend. The strongest brand is often the one that feels most honest.
What Comes Next?
EM-MAgination Craft is entering another busy period, with its Christmas project beginning in September and Halloween sessions continuing to be among the most popular events of the year.
Emma’s after-school club is already full for September, adult craft sessions continue monthly and she is beginning to think about how the business may change once her youngest child starts school.
The next phase is still taking shape, but the foundations are clear: a recognisable identity, a loyal community and a brand that feels unmistakably Emma.
Watch the Full Interview
Emma and EM-MAgination Craft are finalists in the Brand Excellence of the Year category at The Class Business Awards 2026.
From leaving the NHS, to creating the name and logo, to building an independent brand that now stands beside some of the sector’s largest franchises. It’s all in this conversation.
👉 Watch Emma’s full interview here.
And if you want to be in the room with finalists like Emma, hearing these stories first-hand and connecting with the people shaping this sector right now…
Join us on Saturday 10 October 2026 at the National Conference Centre in Solihull for The Class Business Live, followed by The Class Business Awards & Afterparty.
Expect a full day of insight, energy and connection, from 9:00am to 3:00pm, with guest speakers, mastermind discussions and real conversations with people who get it. Then we come back together in the evening from 6:00pm to celebrate everything this community has built.
Book your place for the Class Business Awards here.
