Niall Cleaver

Documenting the journey of crafting a timeless coffee cup brand | CEO & Founder of Cupsly

My story isn’t about a polished entrepreneur. My journey hasn’t been traditional. I left school without an English qualification, uncertain of what the future held. 

That failure shaped me, it forced me to think differently, fall into business, and ultimately embrace creativity, resilience, and the belief that change is possible, even when doubted. Fast forward to today, I’m growing and scaling businesses while sharing the real lessons that come from it.

Founder

Are you struggling to grow an engaging community for your business or personal brand.

Stop right there, I think I have you covered ⬇️

This is me (Niall), I'm a 22-year-old who is fascinated by growing communities in the online space. Actual communities that have meaning and purpose. 

The services we provide at Social Library 

➡️ Personal Branding (LinkedIn)

➡️ Guidance & support consulting


Drop me a message to discuss your social media strategy, review how well your current socials/posts are doing, and research how we can build your community and gain you more followers and leads.

or you can email us @

hello@sociallibrary.co.uk

Execution will humble you in more ways than advice ever could.

And this, by far, has been my best realisation.

It's actually scary how much advice is in the world we live in. And normally, it's not the correct advice. The truth is, advice that will improve your business is hard to come by because everyone is sharing an opinion online.  

But there's one thing that beats any advice:

Saying you'll do something and actually doing it.

In my teens, I told myseIf was going to go all in on business, and that meant learning many things I once never knew. How? Real experience.

Less talking, more doing.

I didn't have a background in marketing, I learned.
I didn't have a background in brand, I learned.
I didn't have a background in R&D, I learned.

And here's what I found out...

When you start facing real situations, real problems, and real outcomes, you quickly see who’s telling the truth and who isn’t.

You learn who to trust.

Advice has its place. But execution is what changes things.

Growing @thistlescientific and sharing the lessons while I do

I’ve just landed back from a week in the mountains.

And it reminded me how easy it is to forget what really matters.

I know I talk a lot about business because it's something I'm passionate about, but let's be real, it will never be as important as family. 

Scaling a business takes a lot out of you, early mornings, late nights, and missing certain celebrations. It's honestly brutal sometimes. 

Because it never stops!!!

You always have something that needs implementing, changing or improving, but what I've realised is that time away with your family allows you the space to think, enjoy and realign. Never take this for granted.

Honestly, had the best couple of days... now super exctied to get back and execute on the plan we've set out over the past couple of months.

We did it!!! Thistle is rebrand ready...

Over the past few months, we've completed a full rebrand at Thistle Scientific, one that has pushed, tested, and shaped the new direction we're heading in. These will be the months I'll remember forever, but...

I want to talk about what goes into a rebrand:

The late nights thinking decisions through.
The transition phase throughout the organisation.
The alignment through the internal team and external partners.

They all hit you! But in a good way.

Because eventually, you see all the pieces of the puzzle coming together, and you appreciate all the details and hard work that went into every part of it.

But this whole process got me thinking about one thing, "change", and how so many of us are nervous about it. This is a good feeling to have. 

It means you're pushing yourself.

Take it all in!!!

The most important skill of an entrepreneur is to do the basics first.

I used to fight this idea because it sounded too simple.

Sticking to a routine 
Doing the things you promised.
Being open-minded to the problems. 
Interacting directly with your customers.
Executing the plan you set out with your team.

It really is simple!!! 

At the start of this year, I told some of my closest friends what I was going to do. Less talking and more just focusing on what creates the moment. 

And I can already feel it. It hasn’t been anything out of this world, it's just been staying focused on what matters most in the buisness. And normally, these are the tasks you repeat.

You've got to understand that most people will dislike doing the basics over and over again, becasue it can become boring and not fun. But these are the tasks that create the difference that changes your life and business. 

It may be boring, but it works.

3 years ago, navigating a merger, improving systems, and building a stronger foundation.

Since then, Thistle Scientific has grown year on year, hired across multiple countries, and deliberately focused on scale. Why?

Equipping scientists around the world requires collaboration, obsession, and teamwork. It’s understanding what will help each researcher improve the work they’re doing.

But there’s an even bigger reason…

Scaling allows us to support even more researchers, and the better support they get, the more impact their work can have on the rest of the population.

Any researchers here... would love to chat with you.

One of the best decisions I've made as a 25-year-old growing a biotech business was to... spend time with people who have already done it.

Not people who're trying to sell you something.
Not people who shut down your ideas every five minutes.

But the people who have lived and breathed the problems you are facing.

The real operators. And what I've noticed is that they don't try to sell you online they are heavily focused on real outcomes. They have this credibility where they've been there and done it. You can just feel it!!!

So, if you're going to surround yourself with successful people:

Do your due diligence
Ask the important questions
Don't waste your time and especially theirs.

That's where real change is created.

Evean, now I've got so much to learn and it's so important to remember that the moment you think you've understood it all will be the moment you stop making progress.

We had a chance to showcase our new design in Thailand.

I pulled it... You only get one first impression.

We had an opportunity to move fast on some new design work. It would've lined up perfectly for our ASIA distributor meeting in Thailand next month, so I pushed for it. 

I thought it would be:

Great to share the new innovation.
Great to share the new Thistle identity.
Great to share our new direction with them.

But I was chasing speed over execution.

The lesson wasn't "slow down". I still believe in moving fast.
The lesson was "speed" without clarity is just expensive.

Coming straight out of a rebrand, it’s easy to chase momentum. But when you do that, you can lose the bigger picture and that costs you.

Growth never happens when you move without clarity. You only get one chance at a first impression, so we are making sure ours is worth it.

"TEST THE LIMIT"  that's what our rebrand was built on.

When we started to plan our rebrand, we didn't view ourselves as successful. We saw ourselves as a challenger brand. A brand that wanted to do things differently from others in our industry.

This was our starting point.

From the first conversations I had with our team, they were all open-minded to it and wanted to be aligned on the bigger picture, but there was something I noticed more special. 

They all wanted to be a part of it.  Contributing, debating, and just being fully curious. Through my years of learning business, I've noticed that one of the best traits in any business is the team being curious. They like to get stuck in. And here's what I've seen:

They adapt quickly to problems and solutions.
They build better products and services.
They spot opportunities others ignore.
They make better decisions.

Being curious is lethal (in a good way)

There's something special about being around an open-minded team. A team that wants to play an even bigger part in this journey. It's pretty cool.

Very proud to announce the next chapter of Thistle Scientific.

Thistle has expanded a lot over the years as a team, company and scientific partner.

Today, we’re updating our entire visual system to convey a clearer, bolder expression of who we are and the purpose we stand behind. Now the time feels right to step into our next chapter and announce the rebrand of Thistle Scientific.

One that will demonstrate the connection and deeper understanding we have for researchers and global organisations who are changing the world for good.  

Just like research, brands must evolve too. We must listen, adapt and strengthen. That's what we're here to do. Committed to the direction we're heading, and that's to equip scientists to be relentless in changing the world for good. 

One hypothesis at a time. 

Welcome to Thistle 2.0

Because science is never done. So, neither are we.

Jane Kisnica

I design epic content for exciting brands | Freelance Graphic Designer 🎨 | Gym Lover 🏋️‍♀️ | Mental Health Advocate 🧠

𝗜𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗲? 💀

Creating eye-catching designs isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ - it’s essential. So, why isn’t your design game on point?

I’m Jane - an introvert with a design whip and a sarcasm edge. Imagine minimalism and flamboyance having a scandalous affair, resulting in visuals that are the lovechild of a ninja and a disco ball. 

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:

✅ Your graphics and visual assets are the first thing potential clients see
✅ Just like a dating app you swipe and discard based on visuals.

So, if you’re not grabbing attention and are just feeling meh instead of YASSS. Then you’ve come to the right place.

𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁?

Let’s get real. When it comes to killer design, it isn’t enough to just slap lipstick on a logo and hope for the best. Nope, you need way more than that! you need a full 360 authentic visual brand identity.
 
Your visuals are the first step in the buying journey, and first impressions matter - think of it like Tinder for business. You either swipe left, or you engage, it's that simple.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀:

➡️ Creativity: To make your visuals stand out in a crowded place and grab attention.
➡️ Precision: To craft designs that speak volumes and make your brand unforgettable.

Lucky for you, I’m the maestro and creative assassin of graphic design. I’ve crafted standout visuals for numerous brands like CityAM, Four Seasons, Château Latour, United Nations, and Lea Turner, to name a few.

But don’t just take my word for it, check out my work and testimonials further down my profile! ⬇️ 

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂! ⬇️

📌 LinkedIn Domination
Eye-catching LinkedIn graphics that demand attention and elevate your profile.

📌 Branding Mastery
Logos and visual identities for lasting brand impressions.

📌 Design Extravaganza
Lead magnets, slide decks, eBooks, proposals, social media assets, you name it, I design it.

📌 Websites That Slay
Stunning custom and user-friendly websites tailored to your brand for a powerful online presence.

---

🚨 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿: 

Yes, I rock tattoos and piercings. If that offends you, keep on walking, cowboy.

For anyone who is not trapped in 1984, are you ready to elevate your brand?

If your answer is HELL YEAH, then hit me up, and let's make some magic happen. 📩

---

Website: janekisnica.com
Email:  jane@janekisnica.com

Graphic Design Extraordinaire

“100k+ followers looks impressive, until you scratch the surface...”

I used to think that follower count and engagement on here meant expertise, credibility, and quality of work.

But at the end of the day LinkedIn is still just a another social media platform. 
And some people just play the game better than others.

A lot of what you see is:
➡️ Smoke and mirrors,
➡️ engagement pods,
➡️ bought followers,
➡️ paid Forbes "Look at me I finally made it" type of features,
➡️ and success stories stretched thinner than a Monday morning coffee.

That doesn’t mean everyone with a big following is faking it.
Plenty of people have earned their audience and business success the right way.

But remember, not everything you see here is as shiny as it looks.

So take it all with a pinch of salt,
and be careful who you listen to (or give your money to). 😉

Your Creative Assassin; Helping you take your visual assets from ‘meh’ to ‘YAAAS'. LinkedIn graphics | Visual Branding & Web Design.

I am not a business owner. 
And I don't want to be one...

At least not in the traditional sense. 

I have no interest in;
❌ scaling to 7 figures,
❌ having a team,
❌ or an office.

Call me an independent, freelancer or self-employed graphic designer, but I don't see myself as a 'business owner.'

Because for me, that means:
• I choose my clients.
• I choose my projects.
• I choose when and where I work.
• I choose how much is “enough.”

No office politics. 
No team meetings. 
No salaries to worry about.
No pressure to endlessly scale.

So if you are a freelancer who doesn’t dream of building an “agency” or “empire”, you are not thinking small.

You are just here designing a business that fits you.

And there is nothing wrong with that. 😉

Guess what?

And this might shock you...

You are not the main character of anyone’s LinkedIn feed.

✅ So just say the thing you have been watering down for LinkedIn. 
✅ Share the opinion that might lose you a few lukewarm followers. 
✅ Post the selfie that screams “yes, I do touch grass sometimes.”

Just embrace your inner chaos gremlin…

And stop worrying about what some keyboard warrior might have to say. 😉

The hardest part of good and clean design isn’t what you add...

It is about what you leave out.

So many people cling to every element like their life depends on it:
“But what if people don’t get it?”
“Shouldn’t we add more icons?”
“What about more logos?”
“One extra CTA won’t hurt, right?”

The truth? In most cases, it probably will.

Good design is about clarity and confidence.

Look at Apple:
✔️ One image
✔️ One message
✔️ Total confidence
✔️ No clutter

When you strip away the noise:
✅ Your message gets louder. No distractions competing for attention.
✅ Your audience relaxes. Clean design feels calm and focused.
✅ You look intentional. Less filler = more confidence.

Clearer message, better results.
Make it simple for people to take action. 

So before you add another paragraph, graphic, or “just in case” line to your banner or post, ask yourself:

👉 Does this make my message clearer or just more confusing and louder?

Because clarity converts. Clutter confuses.

A web designer doesn't equal a web developer. 

Yes, they both work on websites, but their jobs are as different as white and black.

Here is the big difference:

➡️ Web Designers: 
- Focus on how the website looks and feels.
- Choose colors, fonts, layouts, and images.
- Make sure the site is user-friendly (and not a maze).
- Use tools like Photoshop, Figma, or Sketch - not code.

➡️ Web Developers: 
- Build the website with programming languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
- Debug code (and question their life choices when it doesn’t work).
- Make sure buttons actually work when clicked.
- Handle databases, servers, and functionality.

In short: designers bring the style, developers bring the substance. 

Both are essential, just don’t ask one to do the other’s job, because the result won't be pretty.

---

P.S. If you’re after a website that doesn’t give you second-hand embarrassment, drop me a DM. 📩

taplio

The Battle

Niall Cleaver

Jane Kisnica

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreNiall Cleaver's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreJane Kisnica's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Niall Cleaver

Jane Kisnica

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Niall Cleaver's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreJane Kisnica's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreNiall Cleaver's LinkedIn Performance