[soliloquy id=”7327″]
A musician. An interior designer. A photographer. A motivational speaker. A masseuse. A fitness expert. A jewelry-maker. A language-teacher. What do all of these folks have in common? They all have a brand. Be it their own or as a representative of something bigger, I had the opportunity to lead a workshop with 30 creative makers, dreamers, and hustlers on the topic of not only building a brand – but growing with intent and purpose.
While diverse in focus and industry, the common thread started with “why”. The commonality between every brand is that every brand starts with a story. What I encouraged everyone in my audience to focus on – first – was their own story. Asking yourself the questions, “Why am I here? Why am I doing this? Why do I care?” seems obvious but is often overlooked.
Overlooked because when we set out to start a business we focus so much on the perceived need in the market – the void we seek to position ourselves to fill. We focus externally on our customers, clients, fans, and supporters – because they, of course, build the bottom line.
But the strongest brands – the ones you give a damn about, tell a compelling story and invite you to be a part of it.
Your brand must tell a compelling story – and invite others to be a part of it. Invite others to own it as their own. Let that sink in for a minute…
How can you story be your customer’s story? How does your “why” resonate with those you serve? Why should they care?
When you come up with the answer to that question, you’ve hit the sweet spot of what branding is all about. From there, it’s all about building a platform that can help you share your story with the world.
Big thanks to everyone who came out to our workshop last week – and to our friends at The Skillery for helping to organize. We’ll see ya’ll again soon!