The Lie I Believed About Branding

I used to think branding was a privilege.

That it was what you did after you had customers. After you figured out your pricing. And after you had a few logos lying around.

But a weird thing happened one afternoon.

I was meeting with a client who ran a bakery. Tiny place. No ads. No fancy website. Just damn good brownies and even better word-of-mouth.

She looked stressed. Said the orders had dried up.

Competitors were copying her menu. Her Instagram was dead. And she was tired of discounting just to see one more customer through the door.

So I asked her, "What makes your brand different?"

She said, "I don’t know. We just make everything from scratch."

Exactly.

That’s when it hit me: If you can’t say why you’re different, your customer definitely can’t.

We didn’t touch her product. Didn’t run any ads. Didn’t change her pricing.

We just rewrote her Instagram bio. Tweaked the headline on her menu. Told her story in a way that actually mattered to her kind of customer.

In 3 weeks, she got her first inbound lead from someone she didn’t know. Two more the week after.

Then it snowballed.

Same brownies. Same kitchen. Same owner. Different story.

That’s the thing about branding.

It’s not always about adding. It’s about subtracting the noise until the real story is everything that remains.

And when that truth is clear? Your audience finds you.

Because real branding isn’t about shouting louder. It’s about speaking the right words to the right people.

Words that feel like a mirror. Words that say, "This was crafted with you in mind.”

But here’s the lie I believed for years: Marketing is how you grow. Branding comes later.

Nah.

Marketing is the loudspeaker. Branding is the script.

Without a good brand message, you’re just spending to confuse more people.

Let me break it down.

Your message is your shortcut. Your words are your leverage. Your brand story is the difference between:

• "We make cakes."

• and "We help people celebrate better."

Same business. One sounds like a vendor. The other sounds like a partner.

Your brand message isn’t a tagline. It’s not a one-liner. It’s the story your customer tells when they talk about you to a buddy.

And if you don’t write that story for them? They’ll write their own. Usually with the wrong title.

So if you’re tired of chasing attention... If you’re posting every day and still feel invisible... If your dream clients compliment you but don't commit...

The issue isn’t what you do. It’s your story.

Fix the story. Then tell it better.

Branding is the cheat code.

Not because it fakes authority. But because it clarifies value.

Right words > Loud ads.

If this lands with you, I want to hear from you.

Tell me: What part of your brand story feels unclear? Reply to this email — I read every one.

P.S. If you want to learn how to write your brand’s message the way your dream clients actually feel it...

Join me inside The Brand Engine. It’s my complete course on brand strategy—built for founders, creatives, and solo rebels.

No jargon. No fluff. Just the roadmap.

It’ll teach you how to write your message, define your positioning, and build a brand that grows without selling your soul.

You in?

Enroll for The Brand Engine

Let’s make your brand talk like it means business.

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