Branding 101

April 3, 2018

by Hanna Hermanson

 Nailing your brand will help you…

• Choose what to wear
• Write emails with ease, on the drop of a dime
• Know what hashtags to use (and when)
• Get out of hustle, beg, fear mode
• Set you apart from every single other human being (and competitor)
• The GIFs you choose
• Bring your ideal clients knocking on YOUR door to work with you and pay you higher and higher rates

Branding is not your logo, color scheme, or tag line.

Your brand already exists. And it’s evolving every day.

Branding is a process.

And once you “get it” and feel an authentic connection to your brand, you will never wonder…

• Who am I? And how am I showing up online and offline?
• What parts of myself should I share / not share? What’s too much or not enough?
• How do I turn my personality, beliefs, skills, quirks, and experiences into an inspiring message?
• What do my grandma and neighbor and high school friends and everyone anywhere think of me?
• How to I balance 100% me, without offending or scaring people off?

You’ll never have to wonder—because you’ll just know.

In fact, real branding doesn’t need to be forced or described, because you can touch it, feel it, and connect with it in on every level…

And it’s definitely not “hard”.

Ultimately, it’s another invitation to get super clear on WHO you are and your WHY.

Don’t just take it from me…

“It’s the process of determining what exactly it is about you, your business, and the value you provide that makes you MEMORABLE and INFLUENTIAL to your audience and potential customers…

It uncovers WHY your people should buy from you instead of your competitors.

And when you exclusively exist online, branding is critical to the growth of your business…

Because not only is that the ONLY way that potential customers will find you—but it’s also the only way that you can really stand out from all those others out there that do-that-same-thing-you-do.

So it’s not just critical to the success of your business—it’s also critical to your wallet.”

-Sarah Ancalmo, Founder & Brand Strategist/ Creative Director, Public Persona

To start, dive deep into these questions:

• Who do I want to be as a leader?
• Who do I want to be as a businesswoman?
• Who do I want to be as a partner, relative, friend?
• What do I stand for, care about, believe in?
• What makes me ME?

Once you gain clarity on the nitty-gritty answers to these questions, it will become obvious what your brand is all about.

It will manifest in the way you…

• Curate your social feeds (what do you dare to share on IG?)
• Dress for a live video, conference or speaking gig.
• Speak to a client, new friend, old friend or even your Aunt on the phone.
• Design your messages, materials, and experience for your new clients.
• Step onto a stage and deliver a 45-minute keynote.

So go ahead dear, just take some time to self-reflect, survey your loved ones, and pull out your favorite journal to start your branding process.

Pretty fun, huh?

I’ve created this CLARITY SHAKEDOWN WORKBOOK to help you dive into these questions and start nailing your authentic personal brand straight away!