Another fantastically fulfilling Saturday at Thackeray Towers. Fabulous walk, and indulgence in the kind of warmth received only from someone with whom you’re deeply in love. Divine.
Makes me wonder by keyboard exactly how I managed to get from Monday to Saturday when that A to B journey at the time seemed impossible. Lousiest start to the week ever (gross exaggeration, of course; it just felt that way). But sometimes a pick-me-up comes from the most unexpected of angles. In my experience your true strength of spirit is only really evidenced when you need to overcoming challenges and adversity. It certainly came through for me this week. Namaste.
State of mind is a peculiar thing. I’m always staggered when I realise the peaks and troughs of your emotional cycles are defined by what you feel inside. That wasn’t best described; of course your emotions are triggered by feelings and experiences, but what really spooks me in the nicest possible way is waking up the morning after a really bad day, to find something crazy happy playing on your mind. Kinda turns the whole game around, doesn’t it? One burning ember of an idea, something tiny, inconsequential that proves a catalyst for a complete switch in your fortunes, floods your psyche with unfettered optimism. Love it, love it, love it.
But that’s not truly the reason we’re here – right here – today.
Yesterday I had a great chat with two of my wonderful friends. The always-fabulous Dr Rachna Jain stopped by Skype style and we talked over a really interesting side of blogging that I’m bursting to tell you about. We’ll put that on ice for Wednesday when we figure the way forward for the first blog to go under the microscope in The Workshop.
The second pal is a more recent acquaintance, and lovely, honest and hugely clever. This time we had a chat about her wanting to start over with her web presence. Everything web – from rebranding through to a totally new system of social networking to take her efforts into overdrive and gain greater recognition and popularity on the interwebs.
It’s funny. While we talked and chewed over the usual ‘how to start this whole thing off’ principles, I realised just how hard it is to get your personal/business brand (they’re inextricably linked, now) off the ground.
Normally we ask:
- Why do people like you?
- Tell me some words that describe your business/your strengths…
- … and your weaknesses
- How can you make people money?
- How can you save people time – and money?
We talk through the sort of people who typically use the service in question. We mindmap their position in the marketplace. We look at competitors, reason their way forward/growth/progress strategy.
And then we dance. And talk colours/process documents to move the brand forward.
Jesus – it’s laborious, isn’t it? Tough going? Feather through treacle stuff?
And yet… noone’s nailed this yet. Starting over. Starting again. Starting from scratch. What do you do? How do you dominate? How do you become even half of the person/brand you want to ultimately become?
I should have seen it coming.
I recently turned down a client because their ask was too big, too clumsy, too muddled. Too disenfranchised from what would be. A case of demand over reality. Instead of thinking about what the customer wanted, it was all about what the owner needed. This from a company whose principled stance was focused on customer service.
At the time I wondered whether I was realistically someone people could come to to bounce around ideas for success.
Before I lost too many friends, customers and contracts, rationale and logic won through. It must have been a close call, though, because I started pondering my thoughts aloud courtesy of LinkedIn Answers. And with so many of my associates moving in similar circles, they may have misinterpreted my concerns as a freelancer’s one-size-fits-all P45.
The branding thing. The success thing. The you and me thing. It’s all about simple. There’s too much complexity and clutter out there.
Back to basics. Rebranding from now on is missing the marketing hyperbole. It’s about three things:
- What’s your passion? That’s what drives you and makes what you do, believeable/desirable.
- How does your beautiful product or service solve a problem/provide a benefit? Because that’s all that matters.
- Where are your customers? Don’t obsess only about online. Pixels don’t pay bills.
Figure answers to these three questions and step one is complete.
But then…?
Join a Mastermind Group. More about mine, and why I’m so completely driven to make it a massive, unprecedented success, tomorrow…
How do you rebrand? Start over. What process do you follow?