Courage

I thought owning my own business would be like making a cake. Being the systematic thinker that I am, my mindset was: I just need to find the right ingredients to business, put them together in the right order with the right quantity, the right conditions… and I’ll end up with a cake that everyone wants.

Right?

Not really.

Instead, my solopreneur journey thus far has felt more like a sugar rush with a recipe that wouldn’t rise into what I thought it should be.  

But as the end of 2021 arrive…

When I was a copywriter, I had to learn to switch voices depending on which brand I was writing for at the time. To do this, I liked to visualize putting on a certain hat that matched the voice of the brand. In other words, does this brand wear a fedora, a baseball cap or a top hat? There is a personality in a brand. It provides a way for us to differentiate and show our uniqueness.

Video provides a medium to literally hear a voice and see a personality – and if it fits, perhaps wear an actual …

If you’re a creative coach or consultant you might be excited to launch your website, workshop, podcast, book or new offer. After you’ve spent a lot of time, effort and energy in creating your beloved product, service or creative project you click “go live” and wait. 

You likely post about it on all of your social media channels and exhale with relief and a sense of accomplishment, only to notice a disappointing response. As the days go by you quit talking about it – it feels so self-serving to…

Be afraid, be very afraid… when trying something new. This is how your brain thinks naturally, due to survival mechanisms. Now add on top of that, a global pandemic, job insecurity, a changing economy and small businesses failing. All of these are just a few sources of stress we face in 2021.  

It’s no wonder a common theme coming up in coaching conversations I’ve had lately is fear. Here are just a few examples:

• “Fear is holding me back.”
• “I’m scared of the overhead of a business.”
• “I’m a…

One of the biggest challenges I see new entrepreneurs make is getting bogged down with choices.

• Which version of my logo (or headshot) should I choose?
• What online tools do I need?
• How do I build a funnel?
• How do I price my products and services?
• Where should I promote myself?
• Should I do video and if so, how do I do it?

These and many more decisions keep you busy and active, which feels productive but isn’t driving results. These professional people with many years of work experience…

As Shakespeare famously wrote, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” This, from Romeo and Juliet, is about the fact that names mean what we make them mean, as they did for the Montagues and Capulets. 

So, what is a brand name anyway? Who decides the strength of a brand -- the consumer or the company founder? And how can you improve the strength of your own brand? 

Let’s break it down.

WHAT IS A BRAND?

As language evolves and perspective widens…

No one wants to be “salesy.” I know this, because my entrepreneurial clients they tell me so! It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been in business; this feeling still comes up. The word “salesperson” still seems to conjure up the image of the used-car salesman and it feels “pushy” and “invasive.”   

But newsflash – we are all in sales (in one way or another) – especially as entrepreneurs! So, whether we are:

• selling ourselves to get a contract,
• selling our ideas to key stakeholders,
• selling…