Suzanne Chadwick 0:00
Hello, my friend, welcome back to the podcast. So good to have you here. I am just back from holidays. This week, I was away for the last week and got back on Wednesday, I did go to Queensland, for those of you who are in Australia, hoping for some sunshine and it pretty much rained the whole time. So not exactly the holiday that I was hoping for. But anyway, today, I wanted to dive into something that is super fresh from quite a few conversations that I've had recently with clients and clients to be so on Discovery calls, and it's all about building a brand that is truly you. And I think this is such an important thing that a lot of people don't place importance on, that people don't spend time on. And it can be an underlying issue that can prevent you from building a business and a brand that you love that helps you show up that helps you connect with your audience. And that helps you do the things that you really want to do. So this is an important one. So if you're like, I don't know, if I need to listen to this, I'm gonna say listen to it anyway. Okay, so I was recently working with a client like literally the other day, and she showed me her new website that we've been working on together and her messaging, etc. And when I first looked at it, I was jarred like I was like, Oh, that doesn't feel good to me. And the strapline was very direct and powerful, but didn't resonate with me. And so her and I had this really, I think, great robust conversation, where she basically explained to me who our audience was, what it is that she was really looking to do, why this really resonated for her, we went and then looked at a big competitor in the space, like somebody that's been in the industry for a long time with a huge brand that does a similar thing that she's looking to do. And when we looked at that person's brand, there was definitely alignment. Like I could see the type of audience she was looking to attract. And her brand reflected that now 100%. And I say this to clients all the time, I'm not here to help you create a brand that looks sounds and feels like mine, that is not the point of us working together in my programs, one on one coaching, whatever it is, my job is to help you create a brand that is truly you, that feels like you that sounds like you, that is what you want to put out into the world. So it was just a really interesting experience where I don't think I've had that experience before where I've found one of my clients brands quite jarring. But the real lies ation the realization is that I'm not her ideal client. And once we really dove into her ideal client, I think that it's perfect for them. It's not perfect for me, because I'm not her client, but it's perfect for them. So when we talked about her brand, and why she had gone with the choices that she had gone with, she has spoken to people that would be her ideal client, and she tested her messages out. And they were like, Oh, yes, that really hits home. Like that really resonates for me. And like I've said to you before, your message can only be honed when it's witnessed. So when you test out your message on your ideal client, they will be the ones that are like, oh, yeah, like that totally speaks to me, I hear you, I feel that. And I would be interested to find out more based on that message. And then looking at her competition, I wouldn't even say competition, somebody who's been in the industry for a long time, the visual branding was quite similar. And I could see how it would appeal to that particular target audience, which is kind of like corporate people who are wanting to really be peak performers, high performers, and working with them to be able to hit their goals, save more time not doing things that are going to get them off track. So it was just an interesting conversation. And I think one of the things that that I would really love you to think about is if I came to you and I He said to you, in the nicest way, defend your brand. Like, tell me why these images are the right images for you. Tell me why this says what you want it to say like, what is it saying? Who isn't speaking to? How is it making them feel? Have you like gone into that depth when it comes to all of the elements of your brand? Because if you haven't, then you're missing an opportunity. Do the images reflect what you want them to reflect? When you look at it as a whole? What is the feeling that you're getting from it. And I think really understanding what your brand evokes in your audience is a key part of building your brand in a very intentional way. So there's somebody that I've recently started following. And when I look at her brand, I think she's very much the magician, which is allowing people to see the transformation that's possible for them. And the Outlaw, which is the Harley Davidson type brand as well, which is kind of going against the grain a little bit, rock star, that sort of thing. And so when you go deep into your own brand, really understanding what your brand archetype is, can help you to also start to take a look at your brand in a different way. So for me, my brand is the magician and the sage, which basically means that I am all about helping you to be able to see the transformation that is magically possible for you. Like there's an opportunity for something different, where you can experience something new as well. And then the sage is around knowledge. So for me, something that's really important is my experience and my expertise. Like the fact that I have been in brand strategy for a long time I've been in sales for a long time, I love to talk about strategy, I love to talk about, like specifically how you do things. And so my brand is all about the magician the transformation you can have, and having solid knowledge behind it. And so it is a little bit the whirlwind, the do, which I love. And so I just want you to think about when you are looking at your brand, what is your brand archetype google it, you'll be able to find quizzes that'll show you what your brand archetype is really thinking about does this connect to who I want to be attracting into my business. And another great exercise that you can do that I was saying to my client to do is really think about the brands in the market that you feel that you're aligned to, for example, when you think about the client that you want to attract, is that client, somebody that would shop at Country Road, and they would join running clubs, and they read, you know, the newspaper on the weekend? Or what are the things that are really typical for them as far as their characteristics go, and what is the aesthetic that you love that would also be attractive to them. So for me because I talk about bold branding, and because I like nice things. For me, my brand needs to look polished, it needs to look professional, but it also needs to be colorful and bold, and kind of smack in the face of it. And also, because I'm such a straight talker, I need to also make sure that clients who want to work with me and I get this a lot, I get clients that come to me and they're like you're a straight talker, I'm not into fluff. That's why I want to work with you. And so that's a really important part of my brand as well is just kind of cutting through the noise and getting directly to the point. So when you start to take a look at all of these elements, you've got to really think about are you truly being you in your brand. And I had a client recently that said to me, she was reading a post of mine that was all about the fact that if your brand is not going in the direction that you want it to go, if you're not doing the things in your business that you want to do, it might be caught it might be because you're not truly being you. And that really hit home for her. And so that's kind of inspired the three different conversations I've had this week that's really inspired this episode is are you willing to fight for your brand and you know exactly why you've made the decisions that you've made about what your brand is, how it feels, how it looks, all the rest of it. Also, are you proud of your brand? Because one of my other clients she was just saying, now that she's got a new photos and she's got a new branding, and we're working on putting all of that together including her podcast and her program and amplify that she's like, this

is the first time that I have felt it excited about putting my brand out there. This is the first time I felt excited about, like actually talking about what it is that I want to talk about on a public platform. And I think that that is a lot more common than what people realize is that if you do not love what you're putting out there, you're not going to show up fully as yourself, you're going to hold yourself back, you're going to be waiting, you're going to be like, Oh, my God, I love it. I don't know if I want to put it out there. And you're going to hold yourself back from showing up in a bigger way and attracting the clients that you want, and getting the revenue that you want. And obviously, being able to pay yourself what you want, if you don't love what you're putting out there. And so really understanding those things, like are you building a brand that is truly you? And looking at it objectively and saying, what parts of this are not me? What parts of this? Do I need to rethink, redo, replan, and can I just say the clients I'm working with a lot of them have been in business for 1015 years plus. So this is not like a new client problem. Although when you're starting out, it's important to do some of this work so that you build a brand. That is what you want it to be right now. And I think that when you're in the beginning stages, sometimes that's hard, because you're still finding yourself. But there are definitely ways that you can get as close to a brand that you absolutely love as possible. But for a lot of the clients I'm working with, they have been in business for a long time. And another client that joined BBA recently or a couple actually, a really about redefining, like this is my brand, I'm not sure that it is exactly what I want it to be. Now it's worked for me for the last eight years. But maybe it's not going to work for me moving forward. And so now I need to redefine what that's going to look like now and in the future. So don't ever think that this work is like a beyond you that this work is something that you don't need to do if you haven't done it recently. And also if you don't feel fully aligned, and even the work that we do around your brand is around your brand message as well. What are those core messages that you're going to market with? And are you connected to them? Do you feel like they're really speaking to the audience and the person that you want to be speaking to. And the one thing that I see a lot that is really important to focus on and make sure that you're really nailing when it comes to your brand message is that it does not sound like everybody else's, that it's not generic and general in the way that you are putting it out there that it's really specific, so that when somebody hears it, they're like, that's me, that's exactly what I'm experiencing. That's exactly what is going on for me. And so if you're not being specific when it comes to your who and exactly who you're working with, who your brand is for what it is that you help them to have the transformation in, that the message is very specific to them, like what they're all about what they're thinking what they're feeling, then that is work that should be done consistently, and done to a deep level. Also, when you've got a brand that you feel connected to as well, and where you're like I know, you know what my brand personality is, I know what my tone is, I know who my ideal clients are like I've got all those personas, I know what my differentiator is, and I know what it is that I'm taking to market like my products and services, when you got all of that then you can go with such confidence. Like if you do not feel confident in what you're putting out there, then these are some of the things that are going to help you to feel more confident. It's the core of what we go through in brandbuilders Academy is knowing these things in a way that gives you the confidence to move forward and be like I know exactly what it is that I'm talking about who I'm talking to how I'm talking to them, Why I'm the right person for them to be working with. And then obviously working to have your marketing and sales strategy etc in place as well. But when you build a brand that is truly you, I just want you to know that you will feel so connected to it. And so confident in it, that you can't help but show up. Like one of my beautiful clients. She's in club down. We were talking today about her sales strategy. And she's like when I'm on a call. I just know I can get my clients results like I'm so I'm so confident in it and I just want to say to them, like I know I can make this happen for you. And I think that's The confidence that you want to bring to your business, your business and your brand. That's the confidence you want to bring when you're like marketing your business, and you're in a sales conversation. And when you feel that level of confidence, and you know that you are truly being yourself and not somebody else, you will sell in a totally different way. And one of the things that I had a conversation with a client on is she just said, I've worked with other coaches before. And I feel like they're always trying to get me to be more like them. And I said to her, that is like the opposite of what I pulled to, you don't need to be like me, you need to be like you. And she said, that's why I've come to you. And so, if you are building a business and a brand, and you are building it in the image, and in the shadow, and in the reflection of somebody else, you are not building a brand that is truly you. And you will not find confidence if you build a brand like that. And I just want you to know that if you are like just copying a template from somebody else, if you are just doing what they're doing, if you are trying to be like them, is just not something that is going to feel good. It's not something that I think that you can be consistent with because you're trying to be somebody that you're not. And it will show like if you find consistency hard, because you're like I just don't know what to do next, then you need to get the foundations and your business set up correctly. And even if you've been in business for a while and you need to refocus, then definitely come and join us in VBA. Like this is something that I think a lot of businesses don't spend enough time on and it's a it's total game changer. It will change the way you show up it will change the way you sell. It will change the way people are attracted to you. And it'll change your whole energy around the way that you put your business out into the world. You'll put it out there with excitement, love, creativity, confidence. Like I cannot tell you how good that feeling is when you are building a brand that is truly 100% you. If you've got any questions, let me know. Have an amazing week and I'll see you on the next episode.