“Authentic brands don’t emerge from marketing cubicles or advertising agencies. They emanate from everything the company does…”
― Howard Schultz, Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time
Your brand is everything from your business card to how you do business. There comes a time when new marketing strategies come into practice. The re-branding process can make you feel like a bundle of nerves and very excited at the same time. For me, it is going to be transformational. A fresh new look – new life.
Years ago, I started “The Millionaire Woman” as an opportunity to help people “live rich from the inside out”. I still continue to believe in the philosophy but something has changed. I have changed. I want to make a bigger difference on a grandeur scale.
I recently completed my Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Six months of webinars, alumni coaching, pro-bono coaching, and assignments. Our Capstone involved coaching someone in the community in front of an instructor and a handful of peers. It can be a bit nerve racking but for me – coaching makes me feel alive; it is like breathing. Don’t get me wrong – I did get nervous. I did have that negative self-talk – a chirping, but I learned to tune it out. I excelled and completed the program with incredible people from across Canada and parts of the U.S. Something changed – I developed a new vision for where I wanted to go. I continue to love working with the business owners but I knew I needed to branch out, up level, and show up as the person I wish to be at this new level!
There are many reasons to rebrand and share who you are and what you are bringing to the world. Most importantly, it is to stay true to who you are – be authentic.
1. Be Proactive – Keep it Fresh. Either you outgrow your brand or it out grows you. When you look at your logo or your marketing materials, you might feel that they are outdated and you and your business or no longer the same. This growth comes with age and maturity of the business – but no one said you or your business become “old”.
2. Expand Your horizons. It is time to stretch! I challenge people to dream bigger. We tend to limit our own dreams based on our current reality. Sometimes, I even need to be remind myself to dream bigger. When you first started your business, you may have decided to narrow in on your target audience and now you wish to broaden your horizons.
By expanding your horizons and being open to new opportunities, it allows you to prepare for predicted growth.
Often I think of a phrase someone shared with me once, “If Oprah called today, would you be ready.?” Would you be ready for an interview that could potentially change the entire landscape of your business? Do you have the infrastructure to support your growth?
I have expanded my audience to include business owners, professionals, and organizations to reach a global scale.
3. Stand Out from the Crowd. In today’s marketplace, business can get to be a big noisy place.
How do you differentiate your business from your competitor?
What makes people chose your business over someone else?
What keeps people talking about your brand and what you do?
A new logo or branding can help you step out from the crowd.
4. New products, services, or offerings. You may have developed a new program or recently obtained some new education that supports what you currently do. For me, I added a certification in executive coaching even though I had coached many people before without a title. I love hearing how coaching has improve their lives and shifted their daily practices impacting their business growth.
5. Identify your new brand or promise. Your mission and vision may change but chances are your core values with remain the same.
What will your company be doing for others?
Five power words that are a foundation to our promise and the work we deliver:
I am excited for the road ahead.
I know it will be transformational for you and I.
People. Passion. Productivity. Performance. Profits.
