Think First. Design Later.
How to be proactive rather than reactive with your brand.
Recently I’ve spoken with several entrepreneurs struggling with their business and feeling the pressure to go in a new direction or choose a niche that deep down doesn’t feel aligned with them. They wonder why they aren’t getting the right clients, why they feel so conflicted and why their business is stagnant or even shrinking.
We often listen to outside sources before we actually listen to ourselves. You need to take the time to do the deep work and go within. It’s all inside – we just have to tap into it. What is ‘it’ you might be thinking…it is your deepest desires, it is your passion to be and do something extraordinary, it is your essence.
That is what I mean by think first. We can’t design anything – be it a logo, strategy or content – until you have tapped into your greatness. You need to get into alignment with your goals and do it your way.
You are capable of more than you know and my job (the thing I LOVE most about what I do) is helping you see this for yourself and put it into words.
By thinking first and creating your brand foundation, you are creating the picture, so you know what you’re building and what pieces you need to create it. This is what we do during my immersive branding experience called Brand Camp.
Thinking first allows us to create a meaningful, aligned and memorable visual brand.
Here are the steps I guide you through to be proactive in what you are creating instead of reactive:
STEP 1
Get clear on the external influences. What are the values and challenges your ideal clients have and look at what your competition is doing right, wrong and what can you do better or different.
STEP 2:
Then comes the deep work. Discovering what problems you are solving. This is all about gaining clarity and confidence around how you are different, why you do what you do, and the benefits people get from working with you.
STEP 3:
And finally, who are you? This is the core of everything you do. It is the way you show who you are to the world through your brand personality, brand position and brand essence.
This work brings you clarity and confidence and the knowledge you need to bring it to life.
You can do this work on your own, however, I've found that you can only get so far without an outside perspective. You are too close to your own business and brand to really dig deep into your essence. It's a whole new level of discovery when you work through these questions with the help of an expert, plus other business owners going through the same process.
If you're ready to do the deep work - with the proven framework I've used time and time again to bring clarity to business owners around the globe - the next session of Brand Camp starts soon.