branding roi
ROI = Return On Investment (a.k.a getting your money's worth)
20 WAYS TO Cash In on your brand strategy, identity, messaging, and target marketing.
A lot of entrepreneurs think branding is just a bunch of ooey-gooey, touchy-feely, spiritual, emotional, woo-woo EXTRA work.
And, it is!
But hot damn does it pay off.
Here's the catch (and why it gets a bad wrap) though... the return on investment is cumulative.
Meaning, it'll translate into more effortless sales over time.
written by: DRE BELTRAMI
reading time: 20 minutes
Branding isn't for quickly injecting cash into your business, it's for escaping the feast or famine cycle that's got you desperately searching for cash all the time in the first place.
Yes, it's more of an upfront investment than other business initiatives but the returns only get juicier with time. What else can you say that about? Think of branding (in all its forms) like your entrepreneurial insurance policy because it's your future income safeguard.
the great debate. is branding marketing?
marketing vs. branding
**Spoiler alert** If you came to see a head-to-head brawl, I'm sorry to disappoint. There's no "either/or" on this one, you need them both! Buuuut... they each have a very different purpose and you need to understand what those are so you cash in on each one when and where it's going to be the most lucrative.
🤑 Marketing = Short Term Financial Gain
Marketing is about promoting your products and services. It's primary objective is to get people interested in what you're selling.
And there's no shame in going for those dollah, dollah bills, baby! You need to be marketing (and outright selling), no doubt about that, but it's important to understand that it's effort that's only pay off for a very short amount of time. A.k.a a quick cash injection.
Wanna know why so many solopreneurs burn out before they break through? Because they spend all their efforts on short term financial gain, which ends up trapping them in a feast or famine income. They aren't able to establish enough of a connection with people to stir up anything more than a "here and there" transaction - which is where businesses go to die.
😍 Branding = Long Term Financial Growth + Robust Survivability
Branding is about humanizing your business and facilitating a bigger cause. It's primary objective is to make you look, feel, act, and sound like the Thelma to your ideal customer's Louise.
It's about making your business so meaningful, different, and top-of-mind that it's obvious (to your dream clients) how much more qualified you are to help them than everyone else who does what you do. A.k.a being so relevant that you're their clear choice over and over again.
why is branding important?
one word... Relevancy!
Being relevant, in terms of your business, means that you understand your ideal customers so deeply that you're able to strike an emotional chord with them that makes them feel a certain way when they're "around you".
Maybe it's normalcy. Maybe it's informed. Maybe it's relief. Maybe it's joy. That feeling can only come from your brand.
Branding is important because it brings that feeling, the specific one you strike in them, to life through experiences, stories, and beliefs. Without that, you're competing on price, which is yet another reason why brandless souls never get their businesses off the ground.
The most relevant, lucrative, and lovable brands on the internet today are almost exclusively the ones who...
In this lesson, I'm sharing 20 solopreneur-approved, brand-building permission slips, that will (if acted on) solidify your "Relevant AF" status, so you can close the gap between the lucrative + lovable business you want and the feast or famine business you have (or don't want to have).
Including a diamond-encrusted permission slip that's going to turn 2023 into the year your "company of one" finally took off. 🥳💃🏽🍾
I mean, nothing flashy or anything. Just the hottest ticket in town, but I might have said too much already!! Go ahead though, toss confetti. Or, dirty clothes. Whatever's clever. 💃🏽
Let's get this Branding ROI party started!
I've broken the permissions slips into five branches of branding:
Feel free to jump to the branch of branding that's most relevant (pun intended) to what you're working on right now - by clicking on the "jump to that section" link next to any of the branches. If you're new to online business and/or branding specifically, or aren't sure where to start, work your way from the first branch to the last.
This lesson, as a whole, will give you a very honest + detailed snapshot of what it takes to "brand your business" or "brand yourself". Pick your poison and I'll give it to you straight...
INCREASING THE ROI OF YOUR
BRAND STRATEGY
Here are four permission slips that will (if acted on) help you make the strategy that's propping your business up more lucrative + lovable.
permission to...
Start Focusing On A Pocket Of People
granted!!
Looking for generic clients (small business owners, moms, CEOs, etc.) is like telling someone you just met to grab “your usual lunch order” and expecting them to know what the hell to get you - it’s a big ol’ heaping helping of unjustified familiarity.
When you go generic no one ends up feeling like a snowflake. People (quite possibly potential dream clients) end up having serious doubts about your ability to understand the complex nature of their specific “situation”.
Instead of trying to be everyone’s cup of tea, try focusing on being someone’s shot of whiskey.
Where you can you start?
Make sure there's a unique subculture, specific social cause, or a passionate point driving your work (a.k.a everything you do)!
permission to...
Start Leaning Into What Makes You So Relatable + Inspiring
granted!!
Relatability is the reason we have childhood friends, work friends, college friends, online friends, day-drinking playdate friends, and every category in between, who are nothing like us. There's almost always a very life-defining common thread that initially bonds two friends together.
It's just part of how we're hardwired as sentient creatures. We seek out commonalities so we can make sense of who someone is and whether they're our "type of person". It's kinda like getting-to-know-you shorthand.
Finding something you + your dream clients can relate to is the easiest + most genuine way to create a point of connection with them. It’s like pinpointing your safe zone - the entry point where it’s “ideal” to open up the dialogue.
Your job, as a brand is to give your kindreds (👈 what I prefer to call your dream clients) the most obvious and important clues about you so they can see how much you have in common.
You don’t just want them to know that you have something in common with them, you want them to know you have something in common with them that most people don’t.
You want them to know that you're 10X's more qualified to help them than everybody else who does what you do because... you’re just like them (in so many ways).
Where you can you start?
Look for a life circumstance, extracurricular passion, core value, or source of shame that you and your dream clients share.
permission to...
Start Fleshing Out your specialty
granted!!
Your specialty, which is a BIG part of what makes you such a one-of-a-kind, comes down to a combination of things, not just one specific thing.
It’s the product (or sum) of the five branches of your specialty, which are your craft, your twist, your kindred, your job, and your climate.
These branches are where brand differentiation is born (and lost) for a "company of one" like you because what’s going to make you the obvious choice for your dream clients is how uniquely the branches in your specialty have fused together(figuratively speaking).
Meaning, there will be brands with one or two branches that look similar to yours but the goal is always to make sure no one on the planet has the exact same five identical branches that you do.
Where you can you start?
Play with the statement below to test-drive the uniqueness of your specialty. **NOTE** This is not a copy-ready statement, this is meant to help you figure out where you're going "generic" in the five areas of your specialty.
I am/we are the only [your area of expertise] who [the most against the grain part of your methods] for [your target market] who [desire your product or service fulfills] in an era of [current climate or culture you want to change].
permission to...
Start Making Money The Way You Want
granted!!
As solos, we're pretty much in relationships with our businesses. And just like human-to-human relationships, if you're not getting what you need out of it, you're going to grow to resent it. Eventually, it will become an energy suck.
The Guru Pipeline is constantly shoving agency-esque business models, 6-figure launches, and high ticket programs down our throats at such a fevered rate that it's no wonder we're building businesses that burn us out and starve us of the fun shit we set out to fulfill.
Do you want a 7-figure agency?
Do you want to chase 6-figure launches?
Do you want to offer 1:1 services?
Orrrr, is that what the people in your inbox and across your feeds are telling you that you want?
To live life the way you want, with the autonomy you want, doing the fun shit you want, while enjoying the freedom and financial security you want, you have to know what kind of dollars + cents you need (cough... want) and how you want to make it.
Where you can you start?
Answer these three questions HONESTLY.
Q1: What are you in this whole online business thang for? (not the impact you're looking for but the lifestyle)
Q2: What do you need from your business to make that a reality? (from an emotional + financial standpoint)
Q3: What work hours work for you?
From there you can start reverse engineering the right business model for your life.
INCREASING THE ROI OF YOUR
TARGET MARKETING
Here are four permission slips that will (if acted on) make the people that are propping your business up more lucrative + lovable.
permission to...
Start Niching Down
granted!!
I promise you, casting a wider net isn't going to get you more business. Ask every successful solo on the planet - they almost all learned the hard way.
Niching down gets a bad wrap because most solos think it’s going to alienate people. And they’re right, it is, that’s the whole point! The reality is, the bigger your market is the more critical niching down becomes. And that's not something to be afraid of.
It isn't about narrowing your opportunities, it’s about narrowing your focus - that’s a big distinction!
Niching down (also called Target Marketing) is simply a tool to help you close the gap between the reasons you're an "outcast" in your industry and the reasons you're the obvious choice for your dream clients. In other words, finding your people - the ones who willingly, adoringly, and lovingly invest in you over and over again.
Generic and mass market just won’t cut it anymore - unless you have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on advertising and PR. The quickest way to make a name for yourself in the 2020's is to specialize in (cough... focus on) a segment or subculture within your market who align with your beliefs, methods, and lifestyle.
Where can you start?
Swan dive into the different cliques and subcultures within your industry and look for a "corner of your market" where your area of expertise intersects with their beliefs and/or lifestyle. That’s when sparks will fly!
Example
Your industry = Corporate recruitment
Your area of expertise = Making yourself hireable
Their lifestyle = recent graduate
Your niche = recent grads who are struggling to find their dream job (they don't just want a job, they want a purpose)
permission to...
Start Getting To Know Your Dream Clients
granted!!
Your dream client is more than a warm body with a generic title. The deeper you understand them, the quicker they'll believe you can help them.
Every trait you’re drawn to and belief you’re seeking out in your clients matters because each nugget of emotional + behavioral intel gets you one heartstring closer to the pocket of people whose lives you can truly make a difference in, your kindreds.
What do I mean when I say “kindred”?
Kindred = the personification of your “I’d pay to hear you read the phonebook!” type of client… or what the cool kids like to call your “ideal customer”
I prefer the moniker kindred over ideal customer because it humanizes the person on the other end of the transaction and that ooey-gooey human stuff is where turning complete internet strangers into unbelievable success stories becomes a reality. The details matter!
What makes someone your kindred (customer) is a shared perspective.
You’re not looking for marketing practicality or sales angles - you’re looking for the lens that colors their world, the armor that protects their identity, and the patterns that dictate their decisions.
Because, when you know your client’s inner workings so deeply you can predict their feelings, and understand their thoughts so deeply you can articulate them better then they can… the sale is just a matter of time.
Sharing a perspective with your clients comes down to four points of connection, that when made, separate a warm body from a red-hot kindred.
Where can you start?
See if you can find a a unique subculture, specific social cause, or a passionate point of view that bonds you and the type of clients you love working with.
permission to...
Start Building A Brand Belief System
granted!!
Our belief system is the lens we see the world through.
We filter everything that hits our senses through our belief system which translates that information to our brain… in feelings.
And, yeah, we’re big time feelers!
We’re emotional, irrational, complex, weirdos who feel their way through situations and then scour the ends of the Earth looking for logic to validate those feels.
When we DO finally find someone who validates the way we’re feeling, our emotional g-spots (as I like to call them) activate, which shoots dopamine (our happy hormone) up to our brain. The more g-spots that are activated, the more dopamine that’s released. The bigger the release the deeper emotionally attached we become.
Enter the sale.
To become a lucrative + lovable brand you have to align your belief system with your kindred's because once you get them to buy into your mind, mouth, and methods the sale is just a matter of time.
You don't want to talk about your products, you want to talk about your people! You want to sell them a feeling, a mood, and a lifestyle - a.k.a your belief system. Your products and services are just the means.
✅ Depends® doesn't sell adult diapers, they sell strength.
✅ Dove® doesn't sell soap, they sell confidence and real beauty.
✅ Dollar Shave Club®doesn't sell razors, they sell enjoyment.
Brand belief systems sell!
Where can you start?
Spend time unpacking all of the thoughts, feelings, and ideas that are mangled up in your head and heart when it comes to your area of expertise and industry as a whole. Get to the root of how you SEE the struggle, solution, and success phases that your dream client is going to go through.
permission to...
Start Using LOVE NOTES TO SELL
granted!!
A solid-gold love note from a client, student, or customer who loves your products and services can make the difference between hundreds and thousands when it comes to the deposits that hit your bank account because of a little thing called implicit egotism.
The term describes our habit (as human beings) to seek out people, places, and things that we can relate to.
In terms of making the "sale" easier to close, the concept suggests that by using your client's words you can positively influence any buying hesitation your future clients have by showing them a "wins" so familiar that they can almost instantly put themselves in the brighter tomorrow being described.
The first secret to using your client's words to increase your sales is… are you ready for it?... Asking the right questions.
You want to make it easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy for them to be specific in all the right ways, which comes down to how well you’ve crafted your ask.
The second secret to using your client's words to increase your sales is… listening.
A lot of times when you blatantly ask people for a testimonial they immediately fling themselves into resume mode. The better, and equally (if not more effective method) is to ask questions throughout the process, instead of putting them on the spot with one wrap-up ‘ask’ at the end.
Where can you start?
Make a list of all the arguments, objections, and concerns bouncing around in your kindred's head when they see your offer. Then, create a list of (leading) questions that address each one of the thoughts you’ve listed above. Going forward, pose these questions (through out the process) as you work with (and/or teach) your clients + customers.
INCREASING THE ROI OF YOUR
brand messaging
Here are four permission slips that will (if acted on) make the words that are propping your business up more lucrative + lovable.
permission to...
Start lacing Your Words with Personality
granted!!
Words without personality are like a bar without booze - a total $&@/?!# buzzkill!
You’ve built a 900 ft. wall between who you are and who you think you have to be to sell - and it's got to go! Believe it or not, people want your fifty shades of weird. That’s what makes you real - and the more real you are the more interesting you become.
Knowing how to write copy that turns total strangers into huge fans who are happy to give you their money is more about personality than it is about grammar (or your product, for that matter).
Turning that 900 ft. wall into tiny dust particles from your past, so you can cash in on all the love notes, bank notes, and high notes waiting for you on the other side, is going to take a heavy does of personality. But, if your afraid, I think this reframe will help...
Personality is like that "Young Lady, Old Woman" picture.
Some people will see your beauty… others will see your flaws. Same you. Different them.
The people who see the "young lady" see you in your most understood state. These people get you, accept you, and celebrate you.
The people who see the "old woman" see you in your most misunderstood state. These people don’t get you, like you, or believe you. Oh, and they most definitely aren't going to be buying from you.
If you lean so far into your personality that people don’t have a choice but to see your “young lady” or “old woman”, then all you have to worry about is being YOU. And that is figure-out-able!
Where can you start?
Answer these 15 off-the-wall questions and in less than 5 mins. you'll get instant access to a customized path for turning your personality, passions, and profitability goals into a business that feels more like a 2 for 1 happy hour.
permission to...
Start PUTTING THE DUALITY IN YOUR INDIVIDUALITY
granted!!
Think about your latest learning curve for a second.
Maybe that's copywriting, design, email marketing, VIP days? Whatever it is, you desperately need to learn it, right?
But, not just any ol' expert is going to cut it.
👎 That one lady was so high energy her sales video made you want to hibernate for the winter.
👎 That guy you found on YouTube was so full of himself and his jet-setting lifestyle that you just couldn't get past the ego.
👎 That other woman, the one whose ad you saw on Facebook, seemed cool but after she invaded your inbox 50 plus times a day you got the hell out of dodge.
As you can attest to, not every brand is for every person. You're the perfect expert for your kindreds because of who you are.👈 NOT what you sell.
Your individuality, by its very nature, sets you apart from everyone else in your market but, there's a specific piece of your individuality that's particularly powerful when it comes to differentiating your brand in a way that's exceptionally memorable - and it's called your duality.
The most instantly memorable thing about you is the way you navigate the two "opposing" traits or elements that exist in your identity (as a person, not a brand) because that complexity is what makes you so real that people can actually connect with you.
🤓 Maybe you’re an atheist in a world of Christian home schoolers.
🥰 Maybe you’re a left-brained hopeless romantic.
😇 Maybe you’re a western doctor who makes + sells eastern aroma therapy products.
🤩 Maybe you’re a video coach who’s on the spectrum.
Those two things... that don't usually coexist successfully but do for you... THAT'S where you become totally distinguishable from every one else who does what you do.
There might be a lot of video coaches out there but how many of them can truly understand the fears associated with being on video more then a 2nd generation behind-the-camera-guy from New Hampshire, who despite all odds overcame his own debilitating fears about being in front of the camera to become The Godfather of Video.
True story. That’s my buddy Lou Bortone. He's like no other YouTuber you've ever seen. Check him out!
Where can you start?
Make a list of all the "opposing forces" you have in your identity and start talking about the specific struggles and triumphs these different dualities have presented in your life. Then listen, because YOUR kindreds will tell you what resonates the hardest for them. THAT'S where you want to lean in.
permission to...
Start MINING YOUR DREAM CLIENT'S BRAIN
granted!!
Words without emotional context are just a bunch of letters strung together in a way our brains can recognize... on autopilot (a.k.a the last state you want to fling your readers into)!
To hook people with your words you’re going to have to ditch the jargon (the warts of writing) and get emotional. Why? Well...
When we’re out in the wild, minding our own business, scrolling and clicking our fingers to the nubs, we’re carrying around all kinds of questions.
Questions like...
We’re questioning our identities all day, everyday. Trying to make sense of who we are and how we feel about who that is.
It’s our questions that drive our actions.
When someone addresses the questions swirling around in our heads it’s like a mental Scooby-Doo double-take — autopilot powers down, senses heighten, we’re all cylinders on deck, baby.
It’s like this crumb of validation. We suddenly feel understood and filled with hope. It makes us want more of the cookie that crumb belongs to.
You = the cookie (you got that, right?)
Where can you start?
Uncover the questions your dream clients are asking themselves and then map out the feeling-fueled answers they're searching for. If you address the specific question(s) popping off in their head you'll prove how deeply you understand THEM (because yes, just like you they're a special snowflake who needs a special snowflake who gets them).
permission to...
Start Using A Signature System To Explain Your Process
granted!!
I’d be willing to bet you the finest bottle of champagne at Walmart that your kindred has already tried other solutions and/or is nauseatingly familiar with your industry's standard promise (i.e lose weight, make 6-figures, look 10 years younger). It's probably a pretty safe bet to assume that at this point, they're skeptical, if not full blown jaded.
Can you blame them? I mean, isn’t that the same stale, soul-sucking, dime-a-dozen, magic pill promise that drove you to blaze this new trail you’re over there pouring your blood, sweat, and tears into? The payouts come when you're able to easily explain how you're so totally different then everyone else they're used to.
Because, your people aren't looking for another repackage job of the same shit they’ve heard a hundred times, they’re looking for hope! They're looking for the person (or brand) with the missing piece to show them why they haven’t achieved success yet.
A signature system, which is simply your belief system plus whatever framework, system, method, theory or formula you use to get results, will give them the hope they've been hunting for because it doesn’t simply make a magic pill promise, it explains how to get a specific result - using a specific process that you've come up with (and at some point battle-tested)!
It'll give your claims (the promise your offer makes) context and explain e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g your kindred wants to know, emotionally + logically, without any of the sales speak that turns them off.
No matter what industry or overcrowded market you serve, or what type of products (including physical products) and/or services you sell, being able able to cut through the industry-wide BS for your dream clients is going to make a huge difference in your bottom line.
Where can you start?
Outline the steps or components that go into your process and start refining and overhauling from there. Make sure that for each step or component, you also outline 3-5 beliefs that drive that step in your process.
INCREASING THE ROI OF YOUR
brand IDENTITY
Here are four permission slips that will (if acted on) make the design + styling that's propping your business up more lucrative + lovable.
permission to...
Start Creating An Experience
granted!!
You’ve gotta be seen (and stay seen) to be loved (and stay loved) and the quickest way to do that is to craft an experience they'll never forget.
Your brand is not a logo. It's not a style board. It's not a website. It's not an offer. It's not even a person.
It's the E-X-P-E-R-I-E-N-C-E people have when they interact with you, your content, and your offers!
If you want to be memorable… I’m talking so truly, certifiably, undeniably memorable that people are constantly referring friends, clients, and colleagues to you without hesitation… you need to give them an experience, Buttercup!
You want to think about ✅ how you want your brand to FEEL, instead of ⛔️ how you want it to look.
Because, the pieces of your brand’s wardrobe (what the cool kids call your brand identity assets) are there to dress your content up so it looks + feels like the experience you want to give people.
The pieces on their own mean NOTHING.
That blue you’ve been obsessing over is nothing more than a blue.
It only becomes synonymous with you when it belongs to your experience. It only means something solid enough to connect to when it belongs to your experience. What you're designing is how your content makes someone feel.
Where can you start?
Think about the real-life atmosphere that you would be hanging with your kindreds in, if money was no object and making sure everyone is feeling like their best version was the only goal at hand?
This isn’t about working with clients in person or any other kind of plausibility. This is about understanding what type of environment you want people to feel like they’re walking into when they cross YOUR digital threshold.
This place is literally the muse for your entire brand's style + design.
permission to...
Start Designing Around A Real-Life Place
granted!!
Once you figure out what type of experience you want to create, you’re probably going to be holding onto a whole lotta thoughts + ideas you don’t know what to do with.
What you're going to need is a Brand Stencil, which is a pixel-by-pixel blueprint that's so specific + detailed you couldn't get off track designing your brand identity assets if you tried.
Your stencil will define the parameters for every single one of the five branding assets you need (logos, colors, fonts, patterns, and accessories) to be instantly recognizable... by dissecting your happy place.
Your Happy Place = the real-life atmosphere you want your brand to feel like it lives in (a.k.a the location where your experience is taking place).
My happy place is letting loose with friends at happy hour. Yours maybe…
🌺 Throwing garden soirées at an exclusive Spanish B&B.
🛼 Talking shit with your girls at the roller derby clubhouse.
🥃 Kicking back with the guys at your favorite rooftop cigar bar.
🏕 Glamping with other “Bad Moms” who want to escape civilization for a weekend.
You get to decide where your experience is taking (happy) place.
Where can you start?
Whether in your mind, with a photograph, or in real life, choose a specific space or location that captures your happy place.
Then, look around and marvel at every design element + architectural feature in your space because each one can be turned into a brand identity asset, like your color palette, font theme, or pattern suite.
permission to...
Start STYLE-PROOFING
granted!!
If you can’t land on a brand style that makes you feel like at least a 9 it’s probably (almost certainly) because you’re basing your design decisions on nothing more than what you think looks good… at the moment you’re making the decision.
Which is like grocery shopping on an empty stomach without a list - you’re not in the state of mind to make smart choices.
HANGRY is no way to grocery shop, and PRETTY is no way to design a brand.
Brand recognition isn’t really about design… and it’s most definitely not about making shit pretty.
It’s about looking + sounding so refreshingly different that you’re instantly seared into the hearts and minds of YOUR ideal customers so that when it comes time to buy you’re ALWAYS the one they want to give their money to.
Think about it like this (because I love to explain “online concepts” with real-world scenarios)...
😍 Brand recognition is looking across a crowded bar and locking eyes with someone you’re instantly attracted too.
🥳 Brand awareness is realizing you’ve just gone on your last first date. (a.k.a you're THE obvious choice)
Brand awareness (a.k.a solidifying a deep connection with your customers) is the product of brand recognition (a.k.a staying firmly planted in your customers’ visual + emotional lines of sight).
Creating a memorable experience with your very own instantly recognizable "happy place" is going to take style-proofing… because not every pretty lil' thing you want to use is going to work, design wise. Knowing what works and what doesn't, BEFORE you go to design something, will save you 100's of content creation hours while earning you 10x's as much brand recognition.
Where can you start?
Nail down pixel-by-pixel style definitions for each one of the assets in your brand identity, that outline how, when, and where you're going to use it in your content.
permission to...
Start USING DESIGN TEMPLATES
granted!!
There's no honor badge for recreating the wheel every time you have to create new content.
Whether it's your social images, video thumbnails, webpages, or slide decks, templatizing your content is the only sustainable way to keep up with the content monster that is an online business.
Even if you don't batch content, a design template allows you to start with something at least partially, if not almost completely, done - which will substantially cut down on your creation time.
Leaning into design templates will allow you to work out the kinks in your brand styling ahead of time so all you have to do is copy + paste in the new information anytime you need to create a new [fill-in-the-blank].
✅ No more obsessing over where to put your logo or headline on every image.
✅ No more scouring the ends of the Earth for the right slide deck template.
✅ No more coming up with a new opt-in page from scratch.
You style-proof them once and there ready to use over and over again!
Design templates also offer an added level of built-in continuity across your content which translates into farther reaching brand recognition. Save a day, design a template!
Where can you start?
Make a list every type of content you create in any given month or quarter. Then, one-by-one design a set of templates you can use for each type of content.
For the design templates, give yourself a variety options using different color schemes, image + headline placement, photography, etc. Once you create the first template, duplicating that and creating alternatives is very easy.
Example:
Podcast thumbnail
Comment testimonial screenshot
Blog post featured image
Pinterest pin images
Video clips
INCREASING THE ROI OF YOUR BRAND'S
growth + sustainability
Here are four permission slips that will (if acted on) make the mindset that's propping your business up more lucrative + lovable.
permission to...
start leaning into your "company of one" business
granted!!
The rules are different when you're a solopreneur. The agency-inspired strategies + tactics most "influencers" are peddling across the internet won't work for you.
I can give you a gazillion philosophical reasons why the Guru Pipeline is failing you, but here’s the big fat, hairy truth:
👉 👉 👉 They don’t know how to build a business that’s motivated by family.
It’s a dollars and cents game for them.
They’re not juggling pickups, drop-offs, homework, feeding humans, college admission essays, recitals, field trips, science projects, doctor appointments, games, practices, tournaments, school shopping, moves, homeschooling, laundry, dishes, animals, or any of the hundreds of other things you are.
Take “family” out of the equation and what do you get? The Guru Way.
✅ Posting 6 times a day on 8 different platforms
✅ Taking sales calls with every Tom, Dick, and Harry…
✅ Batching content for days on end every month…
✅ Creating a bottomless pit of funnels…
BUT ONLY, because they have teams that take care of ALLLL of this shit for them.
They can afford to play the numbers game because they have the numbers.
Take “team” out of the equation and what do you get? The Solopreneur.
You and I have our North Star (a.k.a. the loved ones that we’re doing all this for).
We have this life that we’re chasing. It’s not about fame and fortune for us. It’s about making a difference and living a life that used to only exist in our daydreams.
We want to make money doing shit we love, for people we love, in the small amount of time we have, so we can finance our fun and enjoy our families as much as we want.
The gurus aren't going to get you there.
Where can you start?
Trust fall into what you're in this whole online business thing for.
✅ I know it’s not because you love posting morning, noon, and night on social media.
✅ I know it’s not because you love slaving over slide decks + funnels in your free time.
✅ I know it’s not because you thought working 24/7 was a better idea than 9-5.
Soooo, WHY?
What are you working so damn hard to have… or be able to do?? You can't family-proof your business or business-proof your family until you know why that is!
permission to...
start GETTING TO KNOW YOUR PEERS
granted!!
When I first started my business I saw my peers as competitors, not allies. Maybe you too? Don’t feel bad, a lot of us do this at the beginning because we don’t know any better. If you're still holding on to that mindset, it's time to let it go. I promise, there's plenty of business out there for all of us.
Building relationships with people (inside + outside) of your industry is critical to your business' long term success for the simple fact that "word gets around" moves the needed faster than any ad or tactic ever will.
It's no different than your real life relationships. The logic is simple, you can meet more of "your people" through the people you already know + love than you can braving "the wild" and sifting through personalities + problems on your own.
Your peers are just another source of support in all the shades it comes in, and us "companies of one" really need a lot of that to do what we do.
You want to be sharing their work. Collaborating when it's right. Genuinely connecting in general. Showing them you're there, celebrating them every step of the way.
Imagine all the people they know that you can help. Imagine all the ideas they have that they can share. Imagine all the resources they've found that you haven't.
There are endless ways even just ONE solid relationship can help you grow your business easier, faster, and wiser... now and for years to come. You just have to put in the work, like every other close relationship you've built.
Where can you start?
Chose 10 brands you would love to call a partner or friend. Then, for the next year, consistently comment on their posts, share their content, be an active member at their events, celebrate them anyway you can. At some point, it's highly likely that they'll start opening up lines of communication with you and returning the admiration. I've done this 2x's in my 7 years in business and most of the 20 brands I set out to befriend are people I still call good friends today.
Do yourself a favor and get used to genuinely giving more than you take and letting things grow organically. The method you use to build relationships is up to you but make no mistake, relationship building is THE BEST brand growing tool you have in your arsenal. I mean, you can't beat something that’s free yet pays out so handsomely, can you?
permission to...
start living by "done is better than perfect"
granted!!
Perfectionism is an emotional pacifier.
Zhuzhing up workbooks.
Jazzing up videos.
Obsessing over copy.
Re-recording umpteen times.
Over editing everything.
Holding yourself to crazy unattainable standards + goals.
Worrying about details that don’t matter.
It all helps you distract yourself from the fears you're trying to avoid.
But, you can't take that perfectionism where you're going. It's gotta go!
On the other side over those fears is a business that's 10x's easier + more enjoyable to grow.
What's complicating things is your need to look, feel, and be ready. Repeat after me, "done is better than perfect!"
Where can you start?
Break down each piece of the process that's sucking up the most of your time right now, then challenge every piece of your process.
Example
The process for creating video content for your course or membership (e.g slide decks, setup, recording, editing, hosting, etc.).
Things you can challenge:
👉 Do you really need to use photography in your slide decks?
👉 Do you really need animated intros in your videos?
👉 Do you even need to create slides?
What if you create a simple Google doc, instead of a high production workbook...
Fire up Loom (or your screen recorder of choice)…
Record yourself talking through the Google Doc (a.k.a your lesson)...
Download the video from Loom…
And upload it directly to your course or membership.
What if it was that simple??!
permission to...
start believing in yourself
granted!!
All this solopreneur shit really boils down to being comfortable in your skin and not letting the constant stream of BS cruising through your feeds or the soul-crushing fails get you down.
If you're at a place where "this has to work" I want you to give yourself ONE MORE CHANCE. What's going to be different this time? You're going to do this shit on your own damn terms!
You're going to be you and nothing but you, and you're going to believe in yourself, even though you have no damn good reason to have faith.
You're going to pull up your panties (or under-roos) and you're going to work through the hangups holding you back from stepping into your starring role as a success solopreneur.
You not going to change for the sake of anyone. If someone doesn't like you that's ok, you're going to be so comfortable in your skin, and believe so deeply in your talents (and the lasting legacy you're meant to leave) that is doesn't phase you - you're too busy focusing on your kindreds to care.
You're not going to let anyone tell you that being YOU won't work because you're going to see (and feel) how much it means to your dream clients that you're so you.
Where can you start?
Surround yourself with people whose prerogative is to do business, "company of one" style, on their own damn terms! They're belief in you will become your own belief - mark my words!
Ready to cannon ball into all OF the permission slips YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS YOU TO CO-SIGN?
permission to START
granted 5x's over!!
01
02
03
THE PATH TO YOUR
RELEVANT BRAND
IS THREE Simple STEPS AWAY
IF YOU'RE Ready TO
TAKE THE STRAITJACKET OFF OF YOUR PERSONALITY
SO YOU CAN BUILD THE relevant, lovable, and lucrative “company of one” that's right for you + your dreams clients...
(say Hellooo! to the sign you've been looking for)
INTRODUCING
The only “company of one” branding bar on the internet that takes you decision-by-decision through the process of turning your
passion, personality, and profitability goals into reliable income that makes a difference for you and your family every month.
You're not like everyone else... now it's time to capitalize on that! There’s no one to model. No one to emulate. It’s your mind, mouth, and methods that are going to get you where you're trying to go.