Recently, I have had the opportunity to speak to many entrepreneurs who are looking to start a new journey or who have recently started one.
I love seeing what other people think about business, and what hurdles they have to jump. I find it inspiring to be around them, and very fulfilling to try and add value where I can.
One of the common questions I get asked is: 'how do I build a strong brand?'
It seems that the majority of people I speak to about this, find this a real challenge. But the great thing is, it's not as hard as you think!
One of my favourite things about the people I meet, is that everyone is different. It's a fact. And with everyone being different, we all have our own little oddities/quirks/insanities.
It has to be said, we often try to conform to what is expected of us, but this shouldn't be the case. We should embrace the things that make us different, as it's the one thing we all have in common.
Once you accept your strange differences, building a brand is easy. A brand needs to be authentic, and that relies on you being authentic to yourself, about who you are and why you do what you do. Whether you like it or not, a brand will take on elements of the person/people behind it. This is true of all companies, big or small. If you can accept this, and allow yourself to be imprinted on the brand in some way, you have taken the first steps to strong and powerful branding.
With all the brands I run, I try to be different. My insanity is my obsessions with oddities and difference.
I cannot stand doing things half hearted, or to a poor quality. I also love a story and theme. If you look at any of my brands; Apothecary 87, Volstead & my Personal Brand, I have accepted who I am and these traits can be found throughout my work.
What's even more fun is growing a branch of yourself, as the brand. First of all, your passion for what you do will be increased. Clients will see this, and will latch on to what you do. You will be more visible in the market, and more importantly, you will be more memorable! This will turn into fuel for your company, allowing you to grow more. As this happens, you will need to grow your team, and this is exciting.
Just as you will find customers seem to "just get" your brand and your oddities, you will find new team members will join for the same reason. People will connect to you and the brand you have created, as you push your quirks through business and stand out as a leader for doing so. These people who just seem to understand and connect with what you do, will have a passion for working within your company, and will give more than you could ever receive by offering a good wage or benefits package.
As you move through business, keep these things in mind and take action:
Stay authentic to who you were and where you came from in life. This will provide constant reference, keeping you on track with a great brand and strong presence in the market place.
Accept your own little oddities and insanities. These are the things that make you, you.
Surround yourself and your business with people who get the brand and its differences. This will be both your clients and team.
Don't be afraid to do things that make you stand out. It feels like an unsafe place to be, when in reality, this is the safest mindset for a business and brand, that will make you prominent in the marketplace.
Whatever you do, do something you can obsess over.