It was worth it though because now I can empathize with my clients when they come to me struggling to create their own brand.
They don’t know what elements go into a brand.
They don’t know what colors they should use.
More than half of the time they feel like they know their dream clients but they don’t really know how to create the visual aesthetics for attracting those clients.
You see, if your dream clients are bold and outgoing having a soft and feminine website might not appeal to them.
When I first started my business, I did something that I do not recommend that anyone does.
I looked at what everyone else was doing.
I looked to see what the other designers were doing to create my website.
I looked at them to see what services I should be offering.
That’s really hard for me to admit but I had to learn the hard way.
Because in the end, I created a brand that wasn’t me….and guess what, everyone knew it.
The first year in business is often a year of discovery, change, failing and pivoting but really figuring out what you are going to do, who are you going to serve, and what is this business going to be.
It’s definitely a time of working with some amazing clients and some not so amazing clients. But here’s the good news…
…the not so amazing clients are going to teach you so much. They will show you what needs to be fixed – your marketing, your copy, your process, your systems…
But you have to listen to the signs smacking you in the face during the process.
And no matter how hard you try to create a perfect brand when you first start out, you have to know
– it’s going to evolve. It’s going to change. It’s going to get better.
Even though it is evolving, you still need to present yourself to the world with confidence.
Nothing conveys confidence in online business better than a strong ONE OF A KIND brand.
No brand shame.
No second-guessing yourself.
No selling yourself short.
Here I am on the cusp of nine years in business and having learned from my many mistakes, I developed a really strict policy of not looking at what anyone else is doing.
It was really hard because I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing.
But, no matter what, you are doing the right things. As long as you are creating your own brand and not a cookie cutter of someone else’s.
The last thing you want in your business is to let someone else define you.
So this means that you need to create a recognizable brand that speaks for itself, but first you need that foundation.
And that is exactly why I created Business and Balance.
You will…
- …create your brand foundation so you can get crystal clear on your target audience, what to create for them and where to find them so you can start making money!
- …define and set your business goals then actually achieve them.
- …remove all of your clutter and stay focused.
- …and permanently say goodbye to the burnout battle.
If you are ready to create that foundation and need some help tell me a little about your business and grab your spot on my calendar.
