Last week I flew to Jamaica to go to attend my very first A-Fest.

One of the speakers, Wim Hof (aka the Ice Man), shared how he was able to…

…climb to 22,000 ft on Mt. Everest with only shorts and shoes

…stay in freezing cold ice for almost 2 hours (a world record)

…and climb to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2 days with only shorts and shoes (most people take 6-7 days with full gear).

There were two things necessary to complete these records.

1. Mental toughness
2. Breath

It was 9:30am and I found myself standing next to the jacuzzi filled to the brim with ice and I was facing my own fear — being submerged in ice for 1 minute. Could I do this? Could I last the whole time?

Stepping into the ice for the first time was a shock to my entire body. I could feel my body become more and more tense. I wanted to jump out. How in the world could I last a minute?

Then I remembered the two things Wim Hof said to us.

Fuck Fear
Focus on the breath

It was his philosophy to stare fear down and just do things despite fear. Fear was always going to be there, but do it anyways. How else was he able to break so many world records?

And to take your mind off of fear, just focus intently on breathing in and out.

That’s exactly what I did. With Wim Hof yelling at us, encouraging us from the sidelines of ice filled jacuzzi, I focused on my breath. Inhale, Exhale.

And before I knew it, we were done.

You might be wondering, how this relates to business and branding.

Being successful in business is not just about the tactical steps, but it’s also about the mental stamina and how to move past your mind in order to fulfill your dream.

It’s also about having the right support system around you to help you move past your fears and into action.

I couldn’t have stayed submerged in ice for 1 minutes without Wim Hof’s techniques and his constant support.

Next week, I’ll be sharing with you how you can learn the techniques to build a brand people LOVE and get my support for $1 for 1 whole month. Yes, $1 for 1 whole month.

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for this special offer.

In the meantime, go out and be fearless in your business. Take an action that you would have scared you.

xo!
Minling

Have you ever heard people telling you, “Just Be You” or “You Are Your Brand.”

Well it’s bull…

Yes, it’s a little harsh and I don’t usually get heated. (And you know I mean it when I start off getting passionate).

But whenever I see someone write this in an email or blog post, it makes me cringe and my blood boil.

That’s because I’m super passionate about teaching branding the right way based in my years of experience working on large multimillion dollar brands including Nestle Toll House, Lean Cuisine, and Toyota.

And “Just Be You” is BAD advice.

Just being you is not enough to make you different in the market.

Just being you is not enough to give someone a reason to buy from you vs. your competitors.

Just being you is a cop out way for coaches to teach branding.

Your brand has to BE MORE than just you.

Think about it.

Why would someone want to buy from Heather’s Fitness vs. Jessica’s Fitness?

By golly, it’s not because of Heather or Jessica’s name or their personality.

And if they are both talking about helping you lose weight, then forget about it!

People will view these two brands as similar (even with a different website layout or pictures) and start comparing based solely on price.

That’s not where you want to end up…competing solely on price. Eek! It’s the kiss of death for your brand.

A REAL brand creates true differentiation and perception in their customers minds.

Differentiation means that you offer something that ONLY YOU CAN OFFER.

That’s why Toms shoes hit it out of the park with their brand message. They were one of the first companies that created a sustainable giving model for every shoe purchased through their store. People saw them more than a shoe brand. They were seen as a giving company. So people didn’t buy their shoes because of price. They bought it because they believed in the cause.

Now the idea of social giving is a trend for businesses, but Toms was able to establish themselves as a leader in this market because they were one of first to do it.

That’s why Drybar grew rapidly with their unique blow dry bar concept. They were the first company to say know to cutting and coloring hair and focused only on blowouts. Because they focused on one thing and doing it really well, they became known for affordable blowouts that women can get on a regular basis. People didn’t see them as a salon and they created a whole new market.

Branding is so incredibly vast and is more than what meets the eyes.

But often, branding can be confusing and coaches teaching branding end up water it down by saying “Just Be You” because they don’t know how to teach it.

What happens when you “Just Be You” is that your message may not be that much different than your competitors. So even though you think you’re differentiated, you are actually not. Or more importantly, you aren’t perceived by your ideal clients as different.

Being perceived as different is key. So is people willing to open their wallets and pay for what makes you different. (Think of Starbucks and their $5 Pumpkin Spice Lattes or Nikes and their $185 Air Jordan).

If you don’t get this right, you end up not being able to book the clients you want because they don’t see the value in what you have to offer compared to other people doing something similar and won’t open their pay for it.

And even if you spend money on a pretty website and copy, it’s not going to help you be different or book clients. No website, photo, graphic, marketing funnel, opt in, FB ad or whatever else people are teaching is going to help you unless you find your unique selling proposition that makes people want to buy from you.

This is the biggest downfall — not finding what truly makes you one of a kind and your own voice in the market.

And if you aren’t sure how finding your unique selling proposition can shift your business, join my FREE masterclass, Brand Like A Boss here.

Photo credit: Stocksnap.io

What’s Your WHY?

Undoubtedly, if you’ve been coached by any business coach, they will ask about your why.

Like some magic pill, your why is treated like BIG key to having a successful business.

While your why may be important to some degree, I really don’t care about it.

Because your “It” Factor is way more important for me.

How can this be?

Let me break this down.

Just about EVERYONE in business has a why.

It could be because…

You want to leave your 9-5…

Spend time with your kids…

Have freedom to travel to some exotic location…

Have financial freedom…

Whatever it is, chances are your why is the same as another person starting their business in the same industry as you.

That’s because just about everyone who has a business started because they were seeking some sort of freedom.

And this the problem.

If your why is the same as the next person, how can you stand out?

In order for you to have success in your business, you need to be DIFFERENT than the next person. And being different is how you get people to notice and buy from you and only you.

Think about it.

Why would someone buy from you if you offer the same thing as someone else?

Why would someone pay attention to your message if someone else is also saying the same message?

If you want your business to take off, it’s time to be different. It’s time to find your ‘It’ Factor.

Your ‘It’ Factor is that one thing that makes you unique.

Every successful brand knows theirs.

Disney’s is creating magic.

Virgin’s is it’s cheeky fun.

Drybar’s is their ‘bar’ theme.

Zappo’s is creating happy.

When you have that one thing, it’s easier to become known in your industry.

But this is where most people spend the least amount of time.

It doesn’t have to be this way though. Here are 3 easy steps you can take now to get you started in finding your ‘It’ Factor.

1. Write down a list of reasons around “WHY YOU”.

You want to list out all the reasons that make you and your business special. This is the starting point for your ‘It’ Factor.

2. Look at your competitors and find “WHY THEM”.

You can’t be different than your competitors if you don’t know know what makes them special. So you have to understand what they are doing and saying so you aren’t saying things in the same way.

3. Identify your unique ‘It’ Factor

Now that you know what makes your business special and what makes your competitors special, it’s time to identify the differences between you and your competitors. What is something that you are the best at doing and your competition doesn’t do or talk about? You want to find the gap between you and your competitors.

Remember, it’s important that you find your ‘It’ Factor. If you don’t, then it’ll be much harder to get people to buy from you because you’ll look and sound like everyone else in the market. And that’s no fun.

But it doesn’t have to be this way forever. Following these 3 steps are a great start. Now, if you want to go deeper, I have a  FREE masterclass called “Brand Like A Boss” where you will learn how to find your it factor, leverage it, and become an influencer with people lining up to buy from you and only you.

Grab the Brand Like A Boss Masterclass for FREE by clicking here.

*Photo Credit: StockSnap.io

You look at your website and it hits you like a ton of falling bricks.

DREAD.

Eek…

“The website isn’t me,” you say to yourself in a moment of panic.

If you are feeling like you are ready for a rebrand because your website doesn’t speak to you, you’re not alone.

Most people get tired of their brand image and think it’s time to scratch everything and rebrand from the ground up.

But you want to first check in and see if you need a whole rebrand or just a refresh in your brand.

3 Signs You Need To Rebrand

1. Did Your Core Message Change?

First things first.

A brand is more than your website. This is important because most people think of their website as their brand. And because you are smarter than most people (wink wink), you know this is true too.

Visuals (including your website) are only part of your brand.

And branding goes deeper than just the visuals.

Branding starts with your core message.

Your core message is the heart of your brand. It is what makes you unique. It showcases your value to your ideal clients. It positions your brand in the eyes of your clients.

When your message changes significantly, it’s time to rebrand. That’s because you current brand is associated with your previous core message. When you are moving directions with your business and your message is no longer in sync, then you should rebrand to reintroduce your brand and its new core message.

Apple is a great example of a company who successfully rebranded. Even though they made computers (and still do), their core message and value proposition was off.

Back in 1997, Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy. They had lost their way and didn’t release any innovative new products.

This was also the time Steve Jobs returned and began pushing for innovation. A year later then introduced the colorful iMacs and 4 years later, the first iPod was released.

And to introduce the new “Apple”, they launched a new “Think Different” campaign as part of their rebrand.

Rebrand: If your core message is no longer in sync with the direction of your business.

Refresh: If your core message is still mostly the same with some tweaks.

2. Did The Market Change?

Sometimes it’s not you that initiates a rebrand, it’s the market.

When the market changes rapidly, you must rebrand to stay “in the game”. Nothing is worse for your business than if you tried to keep doing the same thing when your competitors are changing and your clients’ needs have changed.

You’ll be left in the dust if you don’t rebrand.

And throughout history, there have been many iconic brands that have faltered by not rebranding and getting left behind.

• Nokia – failed to join the move to smartphone technology
• Blockbuster – failed to switch to streaming technology
• Abercrombie & Fitch – failed to follow the fast fashion model for retail

The taste of the market and the customers have a big impact on how you are perceived. Your brand may be in one day, then out the next because of the external changes.

A few years ago, I worked for Nestle on the Lean Cuisine and it was one of the best selling brands to help women eat healthy. The messaging focused on helping women stay on track when dieting. During the time I was working on the brand, the market was starting to shift towards more natural products with Whole Foods taking more prominence and consumers perception of healthy started to shift away from dieting.

Because of this, coupled with the recession, the brand image started to suffer and we had to begin to rebrand the business and shift perceptions. We began to innovate on various concepts to bring the idea of “fresh” to frozen, which is a project I worked on when we launched Market Creations in 2010 and focused on highlighting that the food steams fresh in the microwave. The product ended up making $54 million in the first year and won product of the year.

Rebrand: If the market is rapidly changing and you are seeing consumers tastes shift away from your business.

Refresh: If the market is changing, but at a slower pace and consumer tastes remain relatively the same.

3. Are You Attracting The Wrong Clients?

If you are finding that the wrong clients and customers keep on coming to you, then you should look at rebranding pronto.

Why?

It means your current brand is way off the mark and your message needs to be changed. Having the right message is key to success.

For example, maybe you are a health coach who wants to attract higher paying clients, but all you are getting are broke people who want free help or advice.

If this is the case, then you need to look at what you are saying in your message and how you are positioning yourself in the market to make broke people come to you.

Are you giving too many free things away? If so, you might be perceived as cheap.

Are you sharing the right information your ideal clients are looking for? If not, then they won’t be paying attention to what you say.

Are you giving advice that is generic? If so, then you are not showing enough value for people to justify paying for you vs. getting free advice.

The key to attracting the right clients to you is understand what your unique value and selling points are by getting to know your ideal clients and customers biggest pain points.

Old Spice is a great example of shifting their brand to attract their ideal clientele. Prior to 2010, Old Spice was primarily seen as an old man’s brand. Young people thought of Old Spice as their fathers’ and grandfathers’ brand, not theirs.

This was bad news for Old Spice if they wanted to stay relevant. To survive, the brand knew something needed to change and start attracting a younger demographic.

Old Spice launched a series of new campaigns with The Man Your Man Could Smell Like Campaign with the sexy Isaiah Mustafa playing the Old Spice Man. The commercials were geared towards women because they saw that women often made purchasing decisions when it came to men’s hygiene products.

The campaign and the rebrand was so successful that Old Spice became the #1 deodorant / body care wash for men.

Rebrand: If you are attracting the wrong clients.

Refresh: If the the right clients are coming to you and you just need a little update.

Rebranding Done Right

Bottomline is that your business’s success depends on how successful your brand is.

If you are finding that your message has changed, the market dynamics have changed, or if you are just attracting the wrong clients, then you need to rebrand.

And by rebrand, I don’t mean a new website.

First you have to make sure you have your brand strategy down by looking at how you are positioning yourself in the market and your core message. Once you get these down, your rebrand will come naturally.

The biggest mistake I see is people jump into the visuals before the strategy and what ends up happening is that they are no better off than they were before.

So if you want to do your rebrand right, then focus on your core message and finding what your unique value / selling proposition is in the market.

And if you want some assistance with your rebranding efforts, apply for a free branding strategy call.

xo!

With the popularity of shows such as Shark Tank, the rise of startup tech companies, and the lure of online marketing, it seems like almost everyone is starting a business.

While an idea is easy to develop, it’s much harder to stand out in the market when there are so many people vying for attention.

That’s where branding comes in — and no, I don’t mean websites, logos, graphics or other visual elements of a brand. Branding is so much more than what you see on the outside. A brand is the culmination of experiences and goes deeper than what meets the eyes.

In actuality, branding starts way before the design phase. It starts with understanding what your company stands for and where your company fits in the market relative to your competitors. That’s because how you are perceived in the marketplace by your customers is the true indicator of a strong brand.

Apple, Nike, and Disney are all strong brands because of the perception people have about the brand’s value and their value compared to their competitors. They are perceived as better than their competition and therefore are able to charge premium prices and have a loyal fan base.

When branding is done right, your brand can position you as the leader in your industry where people want to buy from you and only you. But when done wrong, it could cost your business time, energy, and money.

Here are the 3 costliest branding mistakes I see new entrepreneurs make and how to avoid them:

1. Being vague and broad with your brand

Great brands started with a specific niche. They weren’t one size fits all. Trying to appeal to the masses, especially when first starting out, can hurt your brand and cost you sales.

That’s because in a crowded market, you need to be identifiable. It’s hard to be seen when you are one of many.

When you niche, you are playing in a more specific and smaller market and it’s easier to stand out.

For example, Lululemon could have started by positioning themselves as another apparel brand in the early stages of their business. However, instead of being broad, Lululemon focused on a niche called athleisure, athletic apparel worn in non-athletic settings, where there were virtually no competitors. Doing so allowed Lululemon to build a cult following because they were the only company focused on athleisure when they first started and they tapped into an unmet customer need.

All great brands pivot their brand and tailor their products and communications towards a specific niche.

Apple is for the misfits, dreamers, and crazy ones who dare to think different.
Volvo is for families who value safety first.
Toms is for people, especially millennials, who believe in social good.

These brands are very specific to the type of customers they cater to. They aren’t looking for everyone, only the ones that fit who they want. And because of this, they are able to create a stronger message that speaks directly to their customers, making it easier for their customers to find them.

FIND YOUR NICHE

With your brand, you must find your niche by first knowing exactly who you want to serve, their problem, and how you can solve it better than anyone else in the market. Look for a specific problem that hasn’t been solved yet and make sure it’s something your customers desire.

Examples:
Prenatal massage therapist vs. massage therapist
Holistic healer focused on healing allergies vs. general holistic healer

Once you find your niche, you’ll be able to reduce competition and make it easier for your ideal customers to find you.

2. Jumping into the visual elements too soon

Although the visual elements, websites, logos, and graphics, are the fun outward expressions of the brand, the visuals are not the entire brand.

The biggest mistakes I see is that entrepreneurs start working on their visual elements before first understanding their message or value proposition first.

This is a costly mistake because having visual branding completed does not automatically translate into sales. You can have the most amazing looking website, graphic, or logo, but if your message doesn’t connect or if your potential customers don’t see the value in purchasing your product or service, they’ll still pass your brand without stopping to buy.

And I see so many entrepreneurs fall into this trap of spending thousands of dollars on a building an amazing looking website only to find out that no one is purchasing a single product or service.

DEFINE YOUR UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION

So before you jump into the visual elements of branding, take the time to understand your message and your value proposition.

To do this, first, figure out what the value of your product or service is to your customer. Ask yourself questions like:

• Why would they be willing to buy what I have?
• What’s the benefit for them?
• How will it help their lives or reduce a pain point?
• How am I adding more value than my competitors?

Once you know this, you’ll want to craft your message. What are your customers most interested in hearing about? What change do they want in their lives? Focus on the end benefit vs. the features when you craft the copy.

Example from Apple:
There’s iPhone.
Then there’s everything else.
What makes iPhone unlike everything else? Maybe because it lets you do so many things. Or that it lets you do so many things so easily. Those are two reasons iPhone owners say they love their iPhone. But there are many others as well.

Apple is focusing on the benefit of ease of use and the ability for their customers to do many things with their iPhone. And by doing this, they are able to paint the picture of the value the iPhone brings to their customers’ lives compared to the other phones in the market. With their message they are establishing their leadership position.

Like Apple, be very focused on the message you want to convey based on the value proposition and the end benefit you provide for your customers.

3. Losing focus and trying to do too much

Doing more doesn’t mean your brand will be perceived as better than your competitors. In fact, when it comes to branding, doing more causes more confusion and mixed messages leading to less sales.

To build a strong brand, your brand must be known for doing one thing well. And when you do, you build more trust.

For example, Nike was known for making the best, most technologically advanced running shoe, Disney was known for high quality animated movies, and Apple was known for producing easy to use, simple, and stylish computers. They had the best products in the market, became known for doing it well, and as a result, built a loyal following.

And it wasn’t until after they consistently delivered quality products did they begin to branch out to other products and services for their customers. They were able to do this because they’ve built a level of trust with their customers. And as the trust grew, their customers were more willing to try something new.

When first starting out in business, you don’t have that trust built in yet to do too many products or services. Focus on one area to do well and build that trust. Provide quality work. Think about the entire experience. How do you want your customers to feel? Create that experience throughout your brand and be known for that one product or service.

Having a singular focus and being the best at it helps you build loyal fans and followers quickly.

While there are many aspects to branding, these are some of the foundational pieces of branding that must be in place before diving into visual elements of branding. Having the right product for the right customers builds your perceived brand value in the market and will be imperative for your business and brand to grow.

And if you want to learn how to create a brand that everyone is talking about, I made a workbook just for you.

The ‘It’ Brand Guide to Unbland Your Brand will help you find your unique brand identity, message, and voice so that you stand out from your competitors and attract new customers to you.

Download the workbook by clicking here if you are ready to be the next ‘It’ brand in your industry

**originally published on the Huffington Post.

Are you TRYING?

Or are you going for it?

That’s the difference between succeeding and not.

You are either all the way in and you CHOOSE SUCCESS.

Or you are out.

There’s no in between.

“Trying” is bullshit. It means nothing.

“Trying” means you have one foot out of the door.

“Trying” means you don’t believe you can do it.

“Trying” means you won’t do everything it takes to actually make it work.

“Trying” kills your business before you even start.

This may sound harsh, but it’s the truth.

Most businesses fail because they didn’t do everything possible to figure out how to succeed. They had a PLAN B. If this doesn’t work then, what’s next. For solopreneurs it’s usually, “I’ll go back and get a job.”

Do you see the problem?

You are already thinking you won’t succeed because you have a back up plan. Your energy and focus is split thinking about the worst case scenario vs. thinking about how to figure it out and make your business work.

Successful people seek solutions to their problems. Their eyes are laser focused on success.

What does this mean for you?

It means that if you aren’t where you want to be in business, you must seek out the solution and get help.

If you suck at sales, get a sales coach.

If your mind goes bonkers, get a mindset coach.

If your brand is bland, get a branding coach (hint hint — or you can also download my FREE ebook, The ‘It” Brand Guide To Unbland Your Brand to get a jump start).

The point is, you need to seek solutions to your problems.

And bottom line is that you got to for it and start taking action.

Or you “try” find time, energy, money and you watch your business dreams go bye.

The choice is squarely in your hands.

xo!

If you wait until tomorrow to take action or when you are ready, then bad news…your business will not get very far.

Even when it’s uncomfortable, you have to start taking action now! If you don’t grow then your business doesn’t grow. That’s why it’s so important to constantly step outside of your comfort zone.

Now I’m not suggestion you do something drastic, but just try one thing and do it, even if it scares you a little.

For example, I recently been doing more videos for my business. I am by no means a pro, but I’m getting better and better at it. Now I can do one or two takes vs the 10 I was doing before.

As my mentor always says, “Fail Forward”. You’ll learn more about yourself and your business if you try and fail.

Here’s my steps for taking action before you are ready:

1. Write a list of actions that you know you need to take, but for some reason you are scared to take or have procrastinated.

2. Next to each item you listed, write down the date when you will complete the task.

3. Now hold yourself accountable. There are various ways to do this if you are like me and tend to need a little incentive. You could put a dollar in a jar for every deadline you miss. You could ask a mastermind partner to hold you accountable. You could schedule it into your calendar so you don’t forget to do it. You could post it below in the comments so everyone can see what you are doing and the deadline. It doesn’t matter how you hold yourself accountable, but you need to make sure you treat the deadline as a non-negotiable.

Share your top 3 action items and deadlines in the comment section below.

And if doing a video is one of your action items, head over to the Brand Fame Mastermind Group on Facebook as we are doing weekly video challenges.

You want to be a leader and not a follower otherwise you’ll be known as a “Me Too” player in the market.

Start thinking outside of the box and tuning into to the amazing possibilities of your business.

Here are my top 3 tips for finding your own brand style:

1. Look outside of the industry for your inspirations — Inspiration can come from many places, not just in your industry. If you look outside of your industry, you’ll find new ideas your can incorporate into your brand that hasn’t been seen before. You can be inspired by an era in time (the 50’s and 60’s), you can be inspired by a TV show (Project Runway was mine), you can be inspired by something else (nature, the beach). The point is look at other points of inspiration for your brand and you won’t look like everyone else.

2. Write down a list of things you like about various brands — Getting words down on paper is important. List out 5 brands you like and words that you associate with the brand. An example is Apple — clean, simple, minimal. Those are the top 3 words that come to mind. Once you list out all 5 brands, you’ll see which words come up the most often. Chances are those words match your aesthetic and you can use it to guide your brand look and feel.

3. Think about how you can do things better — If you want to be a leader in the industry, you need to start being better than others. You can do this whether you have a big following or not. Look at what everyone else is doing and ask yourself, “how can I do it better?”. This question will spark your curiosity and imagination.

Which tip are you going to incorporate into your brand? Let me know by commenting below.

Tomika owns Out For A Walk, a pet siting and dog walking service based in LA. She was struggling with figuring out her niche market and how to be different than all the dog walking services out there.

In one hour, we were able to hone in on her target market and figure out her unique selling point so that she can position herself as the best dog walking and pet sitting service in LA.

Here’s what we did.

We tapped into her story.

Understanding Tomika’s story about why she started her company allowed us to figure out what services and niche to focus on and it provided a theme to set her apart from everyone else.

Tomika started her company after she came home from a long day at work and saw her precious dog Toby. Toby was home alone all day and didn’t even have a chance to relieve himself while she was away.

It dawned on her that other people may need the same service so she decided to go into business herself. She always loved animals so it was the natural fit for her.

This is important for 3 reasons.

Identified her niche – She would be able to help other apartment dwellers who worked long hours and didn’t have a chance to go home to take care of their pets. Often they feel guilty for leaving their pets at home all day and she could tap into that pain point.

Provided a point of differentiation – Tomika mentioned that her competitors don’t necessarily hire animal lovers and tend to treat dog walking as a job. In her company, her staff loves animals and provides the utmost care. They even make it a point to send pictures to their clients of their happy pets. Her love of animals extends beyond just a walk and she’s able to provide extra perks for her clients.

Gave her a theme for her business – Because we identified the extra care she puts into each animal and essentially treats them as her own, she could provide other little touches that make the owner feel secure their pet is taken care of and also little treats (e.g. celebrating the dog’s birthday). To Out For A Walk, pets are not another number, they become part of a family. And that it was important to showcase her relationship with Toby.

As a result, Tomika created a new video sharing her story. In the 2 weeks since the video has gone live, Tomika has receive new inquiries about her service plus the video is being shared by other people because her story resonates with them.

Before working together, she didn’t have as many inquiries as she has now and for a small business, new inquiries are important.

I share this with you because it’s important to remember that your message is critical for you to stand out.

Branding is more than logos, graphics, and anything that has to do with design. Branding is very clearly about how to position yourself from everyone else and showcase what you do best.

If you are struggling with your message and how to stand out from everyone else, then let me help you. My Brand Fame Influence 1:1 mentorship program will help you get clear on your message that automatically makes you different than everyone else in your industry.

We’ll also work on strategies to build leads / fans, create a cohesive head turning brand, and create an ‘Oh Wow’ offer that people can’t resist to buy.

If you think this mentorship program is right for you, then book a complimentary Brand Breakthrough Session call with me.

xo!
Minling

It may sound crazy because I just rebranded a few months ago, but it was time to do it.

Refreshes are great to keep your brand current. Just like you wouldn’t wear last seasons ‘it’ item because it is out of style, your brand needs to evolve or it may end up out of date.

The refresh happened on my work with me page.

Here is the before picture:

And here is the after picture:

Big difference right?

The after picture is lighter, less cluttered, and easier to digest than the before picture.

My entire brand didn’t change at all, but there was just an update. It’s like a Marc Jacobs creating a spring collection after the winter collection. The overall ascetics of Marc Jacob’s designs are the same, but he may use different prints, shapes, colors, etc to create a new look.

Another example is Diane von Furstenberg and her iconic wrap dresses. How many variations has she created over the years? More than I can count. But that is her signature look and it’s updated every so often.

There are a few things to remember when you do a refresh and here are the things I thought through during my refresh:

Theme: I know my theme I want to go for on my site. Knowing where you want to go and your look and feel is key.

Images: Find images that represent you (your own from a photo shoot or images you buy). Either way, make sure it represents the look and feel you are going for.

Inspiration: Look for inspiration on other people’s websites. It doesn’t have to be from the same field / industry as you. You can look for layout ideas, image ideas, etc.

Experiment & have fun: Although I had a theme, I didn’t know the exact layout I wanted for my header or my page. I had my inspirations, but allowed time to play around.

Here’s a little guide why I chose certain elements to include or exclude from my refresh.

Hope this was helpful for you as you work on your brand.

Please let me know what your key takeaways are by posting it in the comments below.

xo!

Minling

P.S. Ready to create a brand that is so uniquely you that you can stand out in the marketspace and attract clients you love?

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