Tired of business advice that doesn't feel like...YOU? Sign up for the Being Yourself is the Strategy™ newsletter. These aren’t tips or “how-to” emails. They’re honest reflections on running a business…the kind that help you slow down, think differently, and question the pressure to do everything faster, bigger, better.
I accidentally scared my client 😭
Hey Reader,I have to tell you something I'm still feeling a little cringey about (because we like to be real here, right?). 😭 I sent a client her Brand Intensive report...and in the email and video I sent her I said... *hold for a second* (I had to check so I could share exactly what I wrote...) "I hope you understand that the feedback I shared isn't meant to discourage you, it's meant to give you a strong foundation. Because when your brand is clear, everything else…your content, your marketing, your sales...gets so much easier." My intention? To be thoughtful. To give her a heads up that I had some real, constructive feedback in there (I mean that's what I get paid for right?!). What actually happened? She told me she had to wait until she had enough emotional capacity to open it. Ughhh. I am currently melting into my seat while I type this. I thought I was being kind, but instead I basically put a "WARNING: BAD NEWS INSIDE" sticker on her report. The thing is that the review wasn't bad news at all. It was just honest. And she needed honest because she had been carrying around a brand built for a version of herself she'd already outgrown. Her visuals...soft watercolours. Sweet. Safe. Totally fine. And completely wrong for who she actually is and the clients she actually wants to attract. Her brand wasn't a lost cause at all. Her copy? Honestly powerful. Her self-awareness about who she is and who she serves? Crystal clear. What HER brand was missing wasn't more work or more clarity...it was permission. Permission to actually look like herself instead of looking like what she thought a "professional" in her field was supposed to look like. Want to know what she said after she (very bravely 😅) opened the report? She said: "The recommendations were simple and doable — not an overwhelming overhaul, but clear, actionable steps I can actually work with." No bad news. Just clarity. And honestly? Clarity might be the most exciting thing you can get when you've been stuck. So if you've been carrying around a brand that belongs to an older, smaller version of you...one that doesn't quite capture who you've become or the clients you actually want to attract...that's not a you problem. That's just unfinished business. And it's exactly what the Brand Intensive is designed to help you with! It is NOT a teardown or a giant overwhelming project. It's just an honest (and very in depth) review at where your brand is versus where YOU are...so you know exactly what needs to change and why. With the right foundation, your business should change and grow with you. You are allowed to change! Even if your brand colours, values, and website do not. That's normal. It's expected! While I am still feeling a little cringe about using "scary" wording when I delivered my latest Brand Intensive review, I am SO grateful for the feedback. And I am actually EXCITED to refine how I deliver this report for the next client. The way I show up for my clients IS part of my brand. And it simply took someone else's eyes to show me something I couldn't see before. That's not a weakness (as much as my perfectionist self sometimes tries to convince me it is). We are always too close to our own stuff to see it clearly, which is exactly why it's good to have someone in your corner who can see what you can't! Hit reply and tell me...what's one thing about your brand that you KNOW doesn't feel like you anymore? I read every single one. 🩷 Emily 💋 👉 Ready to book your Brand Intensive? Learn more here! |
Being Yourself is the Strategy™ Newsletter
Tired of business advice that doesn't feel like...YOU? Sign up for the Being Yourself is the Strategy™ newsletter. These aren’t tips or “how-to” emails. They’re honest reflections on running a business…the kind that help you slow down, think differently, and question the pressure to do everything faster, bigger, better.
Hey Reader, I’ve been working on a little side project (very slowwwwwwly) in between my client work lately. I want to use this week's newsletter as an opportunity to put words to something I've been thinking about a lot lately: the way we’re taught to buy business support in the online space. Because if you're currently eyeing a coaching container that costs more than what you're currently making in a year, I want to tell you to step away from the checkout page. Don't do it. Not yet, anyway....
Hey Reader, There is something about the beginning of summer that makes me feel like I should be doing more (when really all I'm craving is rest). I love a good schedule, but I am so ready to stop making lunches every morning. I mean, yes, I still have to feed my kids when they're home, but I just want to be a little more chill about it, okay?! I don't know about you...but it feels like everyone around me is ramping the f*ck up. People seem to be getting more social, planning events, doing...
Hey Reader, Sometimes I get confused... Not about the work that I do. Not about WHY I do the work I do, my offers or my vision for the future (I've got a killer brand strategy)! What I get confused about is how I want to promote my work to the world. As a branding expert, sometimes I feel like I also have to be a marketing expert. The two are not the same (I wrote an article about that here)! Every small business owner is in charge of figuring out what works best for them. You can have all...