Do you ever ask yourself: What is my brand??

I’ve been thinking a lot about my brand lately. (If you’re wondering what branding is in the first place, check out this post). Figuring out my brand is something that you think would be super easy for me because I help companies with their branding all of the time. But when it’s time for you to put your own business in front of a mirror, you realize how hard that shit is. It’s like you’re going on a first date with a real stud muffin, and you have NO idea what to wear. 

You’re just sitting there, staring at a pile of clothes on your bed trying to figure out if any of these clothes actually looked good or if your sister was just being “nice” when she said it “accentuated your hips.” 

Does that actually mean it makes me look fat? (Oh no, I don’t want HIM to see my jiggles. ON THE FIRST DATE!! Maybe I should wear this sweater and tent looking dress so no one thinks about it.)

Gahhhhhhh, cue the body insecurities…quickly turning into fear, indecision, low self-esteem. All the things.

Y’all, dating is stressful. Don’t even. 

Because when you’re looking at yourself in the mirror, a LOT of shit comes to the surface….especially when you’re trying to impress that special someone.

So, even though you’re probably asking these questions: What outfit should I wear? What should I say to him? What food should I order? (AKA: What is my brand? Will it resonate with my customers? Will they buy from me?)

The real underlying question here is: “Will they like me??”

Will. They. Like. ME?

And just like when you ask your mom if the stud muffin will like you (because SOMETIMES, you just need the support!!)…she will inevitably say:

“Of course he will, sweetie. Just be yourself.”

Which is, obviously, great mom advice. (Love you, mom.) But then you’re like, “Wait…WHO AM I???”

And this. The “WHO AM I” conundrum is where so many businesses…so many people…get stuck with their brand.

Because it’s not like we’re just one thing every single day, right? Sometimes, we like to hike and be a complete outdoorsy chick (*cough not me cough*). But sometimes, we would rather do our nails and wear those ridiculous Korean face masks while watching chick flicks. So sometimes, our interests are kind of conflicting.

That’s not wrong. We’re complex creatures and we like different things based on our situation and our mood.

Like these outfits below, for example. This one outfit says I’m a third grade teacher, and I like to wear comfy shoes. 

This other outfit says that I’m a sexy WO-man, and I’m ready to make some bad decisions.

Let’s make bad decisions. ↑

Somehow, I’m the same person, and yet I have BOTH OUTFITS. Which one should I wear? And what would he like?!?!

Then, as a result of our indecision, we end up mixing all of the outfits together to make this weird hodge-podged look so we can appeal to “whoever shows up to the door.”

And what do we get??

A compromise.

Did y’all hear me??? A COMPROMISE. 

Where pretty much, no one gets what they want. You’re wearing an outfit that looks like a blind person picked it out, and he’s like WTF is happening here??

The first date, like the first impression, is your chance! It’s your chance to make your statement, come out swinging, and be…the real you. Because you KNOW who you are. You’re just scared the person on the other side of the door isn’t going to like it.

But remember. NO ONE wants to be with someone who has just been compromising on their personality the whole time so as not to come across too “strong.” Who really wants to be in that luke warm of a relationship?

Don’t you want the real deal, “Notebook” kind of love? The passionate HELL YES and FUCK NO? The “grow old together, read me our love story everyday so I’ll remember, have babies with me, and die next to each other” kind of love??

I can guarantee that kind of passion doesn’t come from compromising on your personality for the sake of a sale.

And just like finding a mate, when you’re working on your own branding and finding your ideal customers…the goal is for you to show the best representation of yourself and for them to say HELL YES or FUCK NO. It’s your best and quickest chance at finding your one true love (those “die hard, follow you to the ends of the earth” fans).

Because in case your mom hasn’t told you in awhile…you’re a fucking catch. And if he doesn’t like you for you, then he doesn’t deserve you. 😉

Till next time.

xoxo,

madison