Branding Tips

When it comes to branding and presenting ourselves, I have noticed that most people try to hide the things they don’t like about themselves. I say, Do the opposite! Flaunt whatever you want to hide! It is probably your best asset and the thing that makes you most human.

The first time I met Sam Beckford, the Small Business Millionaire, he introduced himself by saying, “I failed at five businesses before I succeeded.” I was impressed by how he used honesty as a marketing tool. Why hide this detail about himself? It would be available on the Internet anyway, for everyone to see.

One of the first questions I ask my clients is, “What don’t you want me to know about you?” It makes them think, and once they come clean with themselves, we can clear the air. It’s as if a wall dissolves for them and their perspective becomes broader.

The Internet is full of websites where the business owner (or maybe the CEO) tries to hide behind generalizations, stock images and conventional photos. I spend a lot of time with my clients promoting my philosophy of Show Yourself!—how to relate to others and be transparent. The brave ones who embrace the Brand Your Fire and Show Yourself! philosophy are very successful. In this world of pretense, transparency pays off, and showing yourself is the best way to offer service.

Let me tell you about two awesome websites where people are not afraid to show you who they are:

Todd Towers of Farmboy Fine Arts is not afraid to flaunt himself and his company. I get a kick out of someone who would use Farmboy as the name of his business. Todd comes clean about himself and what he does. I can’t say enough about his business, his website and his philosophy.

Photographer Kate McLaren says it all without saying a word. Talk about a home page that truly represents her! Instantly, you know that her photographs are provocative, engaging and, above all, bold. Kate’s boldness takes her deep inside her clients’ uniqueness.

Let me support you in finding your own counterintuitive branding tips and presenting yourself to the world with transparency and power.

XOXO Monica