What Is Branding?
Branding is one of the most powerful ways you can set yourself apart from your competition. And one simple way to acquire your ideal clients easier, increase your company value and build trust with your audience.

In this article, I’ll explain more about the benefits of branding but first I thought it would be fun to share a little story with ya’ll…it’ll give you a tiny glimpse into my life!

Flashback…Fall 2016
I was taking my very first microblading course and my mind was busy dreaming about opening my first studio and impacting the lives of women everywhere. I was overwhelmed with the thought of setting my business up for success. I knew I needed to start with a logo and I also thought that had a lot to do with branding, but it’s really a very small part of the whole picture and YOUR LOGO IS NOT YOUR BRAND!

Now, before I continue with this tale, I’m gonna’ have to let you in on a little secret. Brace yourself! Some of you may not like this very much, but this is who I am. I’m a huntress! That’s right, about this time each year you can find me ‘livin my best life’ in my tree stand. What does this actually have to do with this story? A bunch, so stay with me. I absolutely love the outdoors, but #treestandlife can get a tad bit long, especially when one heads to the woods early, which I sometimes do on purpose because like I said, I love spending time with nature. In the ‘tree stand off hours’ I can be found reading my Bible or another book (I’m a serious book lover) or simply hanging out on my iPhone nerding out on some topic I want to know more about, which is another love of mine…all things learning!

It was a beautiful fall afternoon and I headed out early, so I began pouring over articles on the subject of branding and jotting down notes on ‘notepad’ on my phone. I started documenting what exactly branding meant, the personality of my business, my core values, and how I would communicate them. At the time I knew this was a super important topic for me to wrap my head around, but to be honest, the real ‘clicking in the brain’ didn’t happen at that moment. It took some time. So, if you’re new to business and the idea of branding and it still has you a bit puzzled, fear not, just reading a bunch of articles doesn’t mean you’ll immediately ‘get it’. Okay, back to the topic at hand…

Brands vs Branding
Brands are made up of things you can’t necessarily see or touch. They are NOT your products, services, or goods. And while things like logos, color schemes, and fonts can help maintain consistency in your brand, there’s much more to branding than just those things. Think of it this way…

Branding, on the other hand, is who you are. It communicates your character, personality, and values. There may be lots of other companies out there doing what you’re doing, but there is only one YOU. When you effectively convey your company message, it will either draw people to you or repel them.

Does Branding Really Matter?
I’ll let you decide. I don’t know what you do, but I’m a certified microblading and permanent makeup artist, which, if you don’t know happens to be a very trending business. That means there are lots of people who do what I do. Why then do people choose me? They choose me because of the emotion they feel when they ‘get to know my brand’. How does that happen when we’ve never met? It happens when they visit my website, hop on my Instagram and/or Facebook page(s), and also when we do finally connect either on the phone or in person. Your brand is kinda’ like your personal reputation, only it’s for your company. Make sense? So, what do ya’ think? Does this whole idea of building a brand really make a difference. You betcha!

A Gift For You
I’m all about equipping new business owners with the tools to make succeeding easier because hey, I get it, this getting a business up, running, and off the ground thing can be tough! All this coming from the gal who has started multiple businesses, including one I partnered with the hubs (Mark) on, a masonry company. That business has not only stood the test of time but is also in the seven-figure club. Another partnership we tackled together was restaurant ownership, although I’m not exactly sure what we were thinking except that had always been Mark’s dream. Our restaurant did very well but after three years of that craziness we decided running two very demanding businesses at the same time wasn’t really working out well, not to mention I was pregnant with our fifth child. As I said, I’m not sure what we were thinking but that adventure was NOT sustainable!!

Still wondering where to begin? No worries, that’s why I’m here; because I genuinely want to be a source of blessing to others. It’s why I designed the ‘Build a Brand’ checklist; to help you get started and you can get it for FREE. That’s right! Just click this link right here and this sweet tool will end up in your inbox so you can get busy building YOUR brand right now!

Here’s to new adventures and making dreams come true!!