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! |
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Hey Reader, *The survey winner will be announced in this email, so read on!* I've been spending too much time on Threads lately and the whole vibe of the online business space has been seriously bumming me out. Coaches scamming people. Events not delivering. Everyone pushing their services as the "one" thing that will make your business successful (when there are actually SO MANY pieces to the puzzle). And I think that's why sometimes branding gets a bad reputation. Branding in the hands of...
Hey Reader, *Make sure you read until the end for your chance to win* My kids are finally back in school and I can finally breathe again. Woo-hoo! There's something about September that gives me SO MUCH energy. In between clients the past couple of months, I've been working on something I'm really proud of and I am soooooo ready to put everything I've got into it these next couple of weeks! As I send this, I'm updating my brand photos with Jocelyn Phillips (today is literally our photoshoot...
Hey Reader, So I did something a few weeks ago that feels a little uhhhh...cringeworthy, especially considering my entire brand is built around intentional anti-hustle strategy. I saw an email land in my inbox from a creator with a huge name in his space. He has around 30,000 subscribers!! For months, purchasing a newsletter ad from him had been sitting on my "maybe someday" list. I hadn't pulled the trigger because audience borrowing hasn't historically been a good investment for me...but...