Brand evolution - Doing it right
I said I would talk about why evolution can be good for business…. and here’s my take on it: Evolution means you are growing. It means things are moving. For most businesses, it means you are paying attention — to your customers/clients’ needs, to the times, to the industry and to your own gut instincts.
It also means your business remains relevant. Things stay fresh (which means you stay excited about your work). For me, change in my business has almost always been a good thing. Keeping a clear vision of where you want to go, but remaining flexible on how you get there is super important. Too much rigidity will kill your business.
Becoming more you
Over the last couple of days, I’ve been thinking a lot about the things we do that make us feel more like ourselves. It seems crazy that anyone would ever do anything that leaves them feeling less like themselves, but sadly, it’s way more common than you think.
Here’s the crazy thing. It happens a LOT in entrepreneurship. We get so caught up looking at what everyone else is doing and trying to keep up, that we can end up running a business that doesn’t feel like our own.
Choose your tribe
Yesterday, I was given the opportunity to speak at an event that aligns with so much of the work I’m doing. The Blue Mind Collective is a summit that speaks to the deep emotional connection we have with water and how the interplay directly impacts our lives.
I found myself surrounded by incredible people. Some of whom I’m blessed to have in my local tribe, and many who were on my ‘global tribe’ list. And here’s whats crazy…. by leaning into this whole tribe thing, for the long haul, I’ve witnessed a shift. People who were on my global tribe list are now moving to my local tribe list. People who I’ve followed on Twitter, whose books I have devoured, whose work has influenced mine profoundly, are becoming friends, mentors & collaboration buddies.
Brand building vs Sales (and why one feels way better than the other)
Give first.
Think long-term rather than short-term. I know, this isn’t what you want to hear when you are desperate for your business to start making money. But building a brand that gives first is the smartest move you can make. Giving first can come in so many forms — It can be as simple as offering your advice for free, letting people try your product, going out of your way to help someone out. But please please please remember this: Don’t try and be tactical about it. Don’t offer your help and then throw in a sales pitch at the end. I know it might feel counterintuitive, or even downright crazy if you’re struggling to make any sales…. but generosity makes for good karma… you’ve just gotta trust it.
Back to school (anyone else got that vibe going)?
My two worlds have collided. In the very best of ways. I've been spending more and more time exploring this concept of using business as a force for good. In purpose driven business. In conscious capitalism. That I noticed something interesting happening in my branding work - I realised that the clients that I was most excited to work with were those who were working towards something bigger than a paycheque. They were organisations who were making an impact - who were using their work to help important social or environmental causes. They were entrepreneurs who were doing epic work in the world and just needed help crafting it into an awesome brand.
Stuck in the entrepreneurial trenches? Read this
Persistence doesn’t need to be rigid.
I know this, because I’ve made all those mistakes myself. For a long time in my last business, I resisted signs that things weren’t working. My determination to succeed and desire to ‘make it work’ blindsided me. My vision of an entrepreneur was of someone who kept hustling, kept fighting no matter what. It wasn’t until everything fell apart at the seams that it became obvious that perhaps, my drive & my never-quit mentality wasn’t serving me well.
Please don’t make this mistake
So why am I so sure that brand clarity is such a vital piece of the puzzle? Because I’ve made the biggest mistakes of my career when I was lacking in it. Because I’ve worked with a whole bunch of startups who weren’t getting the traction they deserved because of it.
Instead, way too many businesses get fixated on zipping ahead thinking that branding is something a graphic designer does when creating a logo.
But to me, branding starts way way before then. Or at least, it should do.