In this episode, we discuss Why Branding Needs a Good Story with Tejal Prajapati, award winning branding consultant and founder of TP Creative. Tejal took home a Silver at the 2025 Best Businesswomen Awards. With sixteen years in the design industry before going it alone, Tejal now helps businesses generate real results through strategic, story-led design.
In this episode Debbie and Tejal get into what actually separates great design from something knocked up on Canva, why AI should be a tool in the middle of your process rather than the start or the end, and the important question of who actually owns an AI generated image. There is also an illuminating and cautionary story from Debbie about discovering her own logo had been created from a stock image and sold to multiple businesses including a kombucha brand.
Tejal also shares some genuinely useful insight into the awards process, including what it felt like to not get through the Best Businesswomen Awards first time. Furthermore, she explains how she used that feedback to build a much stronger application, and why treating each entry as a deep business review is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your business.
Oh, and her ten year old daughter won a business award before she did. Which says everything you need to know about backing yourself.
About Tejal
Tejal is the founder of TP Creative, a brand and design consultancy built on partnership, integrity and purposeful impact. With a degree in Visual Communication and 16 years of agency experience, she rose from Junior Designer to Art Director, leading brand transformations and national campaigns for clients including Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley and Virgin Trains.
In 2018, she made the decision to build something more meaningful, founding TP Creative to help purpose-driven businesses build brands that truly matter. TP combines brand strategy with print and digital design to deliver work that not only stands out, but drives growth. Tejal transforms her clients’ vision into brands that attract attention, build trust and create lasting impact – reaching more people and communicating their message with clarity.
{1:45} Tejal’s journey from corporate career to starting her own design business.
{3:59} Juggling motherhood with running a business.
{6:14} Why small businesses need branding consultants like Tejal
{7:58} How AI will impact design.
{9:35} Who has IP for AI-generated images and designs?
{10:43} The role of storytelling in branding.
{12:55} How to transition from an existing brand to a new design.
{14:23} The dangers of using stock images for logo designs.
{19:35} When awards first appeared on Tejal’s radar.
{20:49} The first awards she entered.
{21:41} The difference between Woman Who and Best Businesswomen Awards.
{24:38} The Judges interview process for Woman Who.
{25:53} The biggest benefits of entering awards.
{29:09} Her children’s passion for design.
{29:52} The next 12 months.
Connect with Debbie at: https://thebusinessawardsshow.co.uk
Connect with Tejal: https://tpcreative.co.uk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tejalprajapati/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tpcreative/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/www.tpcreative.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpcreativedesign/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tejalprajapati9288
