Have you been asking yourself questions like these?

• I already have a logo, isn’t that my brand?
• What the eff is a brand, anyway?
• I’m a just small biz, do I need a brand?
• Is it going to cost me a gazillion dollars? How do I pick a company? Or should I pick an agency? Or should I call my cousin’s step-sister, Sheila, who used to make logos in her free time in exchange for a case of Bud Light Lime?

That’s a lot of questions y’all. Let’s start out by debunking some common myths.

#1: Your BRAND is NOT the same thing as your LOGO

Your logo is a pretty little symbol of your business. It tells people your name, gives them an idea of your style & personality, and a sense of your place in the market.

Obviously, a logo IS important. But is NOT the same thing as a BRAND. A brand goes much deeper than the physical appearance of your marketing materials.

#2: Your brand defines your strategy

Branding is all about clarity.

The best brands stand for (or against) something. They live and die for their purpose, their values, their goals, and especially their ideal customers. They are super clear on exactly WHAT they provide, and WHO they are providing it for.

It is soooo much easier to design a logo, website, urinal cake with your face, etc. once you know exactly where your brand needs to be positioned. Before you ever start on the design, make sure you know these things:

• Your why. Your reason for existence. Why did you start the business in the first place? Do you really love what you do? Or did you start because you hated the way everyone else was doing it? Keep that energy and passion present in your brand.
• Your niche. Find an area that you LOVE to work in, and then ONLY DO THAT. If you’re a photographer, pick your favorite thing and target that market. If you love babies, be a baby photographer. Dogs? Do puppy portraits. Even if it’s something weird, there are lots of other weirdos out there that will probably pay for it.
• Your target market. Meaning your ideal clients, the ones you would be pumped to work with every single day. All of your messaging should speak directly to them (and only them).
• Your voice. How are you going to talk to your potential customers? Are you hip & funny, or are you corporate & professional? Just make sure it fits your target market. You probably shouldn’t make fart jokes in your ads to upper-class soccer moms. Probably.
• Your service. And it’s pricing. If you’re providing a luxury service, price it that way. If your target market is 22 year old hipsters that wear suspenders and bowties, price it for them. They’re probably poor and live in their dad’s basement.

Once you know all of these answers, it will be much easier to design your logo.

#3: You need a brand

You should have already known I was going to say that.

So, now that you’re convinced…how much is it?

#4: Bottom line – you can pay however much you want

The options are endless. You can call cousin Sheila and pay in beer, you can go to a branding agency and pay anywhere from $20-60,000, or any number in between.

So what is right for your business?

It depends where you place your values? Remember the old Venn diagram from school? You can only pick 2.

If we generalize it, you basically have 3 options:

• The “Service Provider” ~$2,000
  This would be your freelancers, students, Fiverr-ers, online shops, Sheila the Bud Light Lime-er, etc.
  [Pros] You can get all of the pieces you need this way. And sometimes you can get really lucky with the quality (especially with the students).
  [Cons] You aren’t going to get any of the strategic advice or recommendations. You will be on your own in a lot of areas. These options are your basic level service providers – you tell them what you want, and they do it. Even if you’re wrong. Or if you don’t know what you’re doing. The quality usually lands somewhere between amazing and “what the hell is that?”
• The Best Choice for Small Business  ~$2,000 – $15,000
  These are your more experienced designers and small design studios.
  [Pros] The designers are seasoned professionals and know exactly what they’re doing. You can get great work for your logo, website, identity materials, etc.
  [Cons] You still won’t get the strategic branding advice. You have to trust that you have done all of your homework in branding and marketing. With the higher price point, this can make it a bit of a gamble if you aren’t sure what you need. **Filament Branding fits here. Learn more about how it works here.

• The Big Boys  ~$15,000 – $60,000+
  [Pros] These guys go all out. They do strategic marketing research, competitor analyses, and provide great work.
  [Cons] Because branding agencies typically cater to large corporations, you wouldn’t get the same level of personal attention as with other options. Also, the turnaround time for these projects is usually around 6-8 months to complete all of the research and design.

I know branding and design can sometimes get confusing for small business owners, so hopefully this cleared a few things up. And if you want my advice… don’t pay for your brand in beer.

If you think this would be helpful to any of your small business besties, please share it with them!

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You know you need to build an email list.

So you’re making super helpful free content.
You’re Canva-ing the crap out of some pictures.
You’re writing posts and articles and sharing them in every single place you can.
Livin’ the #nopromo life in other people’s groups.

You also know you need to like, actually talk to the people once they’re on your list.

You know you have to get a website up eventually.

And write all the actual words to go on the website.

And get a logo designed.

And, oh yeah, work with some actual clients at some point.

Your “I know I should do this” list is 8.5 miles long and growing.
But you’re trying.
You’re taking the initiative.
You’re doing the freaking work that everyone says you need to do.

So WHAT.THE.EFFFFFFFFF.
Why isn’t it working?!?!

Here’s why.
Because you’re not being YOU.
Because you aren’t being the uniquely freakin’ awesome human that you are.
Because you’re doing exactly what everyone is telling you to do.

But why are you doing that!?
You don’t want to be a copycat.
You don’t want to sound like everyone else.
So why are you doing the same things as everyone else?

Here’s my tip:
Don’t do things because it’s what you’re supposed to do.
Stop “should-ing” all over yourself and make up your own damn mind.

The world doesn’t need 742 internet businesses that are all saying the exact. same. thing.
It’s effing boring.

And no one cares.

Decide what’s right for YOU.
Then build your brand around YOU.
Because YOU are your brand.

And once you do that, something  ✨magical  ✨will happen.
It’ll be approximately 104% easier to do allllll of those things.
Because you’ll already know exactly what to say.
And exactly how to say it.

And hell… you might even have some fun with it.

I know I do!

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The internet has to be the coolest, most amazing thing to ever exist, amiright?

You can learn literally anything from How to Be Like a Seductive Vampire Lady to How to Be Friends with Your Furby.

It really is pretty freaking incredible.

But what’s even better than those gems?
Free business advice.

With a quick bit of Googling, you can find articles and videos and podcasts and eBooks and PDFS and masterclasses and webinars on exactly what you need to do to build a successful business!

There are thousands of pieces of advice from hundreds of successful entrepreneurs on exactly what you need to do, step-by-step, to create a successful business.

But does it really work?
Sometimes.

Will it work for you?
Well… maybe…?

I mean, you’re a pretty intelligent person, right?
And you have all the initiative in the world.
You follow all the right people.
You’re ready and willing to do the work to make it happen, NOW.

That should be all you need. Right?

…but has it been working so far?

Or are you still working your fingers to the bone typing article after email after FB post without actually making a single freaking dollar? Because that’s what it was like when I first started.

So what’s the problem?

Simple.

The internet doesn’t know who you are.
Or what makes you so awesome.
Or what you want in life.
Or why you want it. 

So why do you keep expecting that video course from your favorite guru (the same course that thousands of other people are taking at the same time) is going to make clients suddenly jump into your lap?

I don’t say that to be a dick.
I get it.
I’ve taken plenty of those courses myself over the years.

Until I finally realized that one size fits all business advice DOES. NOT. WORK.
Or, at least, not in the way that I wanted it to.

Really.
Think about it.
When has a “one size fits all” anything EVER worked?
Like… ever…?

One size fits all bicycle helmet? 
Maybe…
probably not.
Actually no.
I have a weirdly small head.

One size fits all ice cream flavor? 
Ummm, no.
I’m not buyin’ it.
Cookies n Cream for life.

One size fits all pants??HA.
I mean, that’s only ever fictionally happened like one time in the history of ever.
And they even made the book into a movie because it was so incredibly mind-blowing.
But really though, I’m not really buying that America Ferrara’s voluptuous curves and Blake Lively’s barbie doll booty could actually fit in the same pants anyway…

So why, FOR THE LOVE OF COOKIES N CREAM, do we expect it to work in our businesses?!?!

Stop it. Now.
You’re too good for that.

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Last week I had a booked a brand spankin’ new client for a $4,000 package.

But that’s not the best part…

The BEST part is:

1. She (let’s call her “Nancy”) was from a COLD audience. She had only just learned that I existed the week before.
2. Nancy didn’t book a discovery call.
3. Nancy didn’t even ask a single freaking question.

How is this possible?!

It’s branding. Pure and simple.
(Shocker, right?)

Let me tell you how I did it.
And how YOU can do the exact same thing.

Step 1

Create some really juicy content – I’m talkin’ like, the BEST stuff you’ve got – and give it away for FREE.
Why would you do that? Why would you give away valuable information for free?
::  Firstly, it showcases what an expert you really are. Your audience can SEE, first-hand, that you know what the eff you’re talking about and are MORE than capable of helping them.
::  Secondly, it shows them how VALUABLE your services are. They’ll be thinking, “Wow, if I’m getting this much value for free, imagine what it’d be like to work with this person!?”
::  And lastly, it gives them a chance to get to know the real YOU. Your goal is to infuse as much of your personality as you can into that sucker. You want the reader to feel like they know exactly who you are after they read it.

My example: Nancy saw a post in a Facebook group and took my free quiz, Discover your Brand Archetype and use it to start attracting your DREAM clients like a freakin’ magnet!
(Notice the juicy name that tells them the VALUE of taking the quiz.)

Step 2

Go for the easy YES.
On your website, make sure the first step to working with you is a NO-BRAINER.
::  It makes them feel more comfortable because they get a chance to work with you and see what you’re all about without a huge commitment or investment upfront.
::  It gives you a chance to OVER-DELIVER. You get to prove your value to them first-hand.

And that’s what I’m all about, y’all.
If you’re charging premium prices, you damn well better blow your clients’ expectations out of the freakin’ water.

My example: Nancy booked an Intensive on my website. She didn’t email me. She didn’t call and ask questions first. She KNEW it was the right fit for her based on the website copy and her previous introduction to me via the quiz.

Step 3

Offer your service.
If you’ve done the first 2 steps correctly, then this part is just a matter of logistics. They either know they want to work with you, or they don’t. It’s as simple as that.

My example: After Nancy’s Intensive, I emailed her the pre-made proposal through Dubsado (which is AMAZING, by the way). She picked the option she wanted, signed her contract, and paid her deposit.

Within 1 week of knowing I existed.
Within 2 days of speaking to me personally.
Without ever asking a single question.

Simple as that.

And you can do the same thing.

Think for a minute what that might look like for you:

• Fewer objections on sales calls.
• Easier “HELL YES” responses.
• Less time wasted talking to unqualified leads who try to haggle with you.
• And best of all, only working with action-takers who truly value your services and are EXCITED to work with you.

If you wanna’ chat with me about how we can make this a reality for you (no obligation, no-icky sales pitch, of course), then I have a few spots open for you: https://brooke-logan.com/lets-chat

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Howdy y’all! I’m embracing my Okie roots today to talk a little bit about that stereotypical “southern hospitality” gene I’m supposed to have. (spoiler alert – I don’t have it)

Yes. I say y’all a lot.

I DO own a pair of cowboy boots and they are the second most comfortable things I’ve ever put on my feet (after my moccasins).

I love drinking sweet tea out of mason jars. From the front porch. In my rocking chair. Okay, the porch part is a lie. My front porch is tiny, but I totally would if I could.

But one thing I DON’T do is the stereotypical “southern hospitality” thing.

Lemme just give a quick definition of what southern hospitality means – courtesy of my best friend Wikipedia: Southern hospitality is a phrase used in American English to describe the stereotype of residents of the Southern United States as particularly warm, sweet, and welcoming to visitors to their homes, or to the South in general.

That doesn’t sound so bad though, right?

It’s not… But here’s the “real” definition. i.e. what it actually means around here… Hint: it’s mostly used as an insult unless you’re singing a stupid country song by Luke Bryan that isn’t even country, it’s just pop with a fake hillbilly accent.

Southern hospitality: noun
Source: Brooke Lawson’s brain

Going out of your way to make other people happy (or to prevent their feelings from being hurt) at the expense of your own goals, desires, values, and/or beliefs.
First let me say this – I get that we’re all humans. We ALL want to help people. We all want to be liked. (especially my Caregiver’s and Innocent’s), but I’m here to tell you that saying NO is the BEST thing you can do to build your brand, keep your sanity, and actually love your business.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a mean person by any account. And I’m in NO WAY advocating being a dick to anyone. Ever.

But what I AM saying that sugarcoating the truth, doing things you don’t wanna’ do just because someone asked you to, and bending over so far backwards to kiss someone’s ass that you could win the Yoga Olympics (?? that should be a thing) does not help anyone. It doesn’t help you. And it certainly doesn’t help your clients.

You might think it sounds a little harsh, but here’s the thing… IT’S NOT MY JOB TO MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD. #sorrynotsorry

↠ It IS my job to provide support and accountability however you need it.

↠ It IS my job to create a safe space to share openly about your goals, struggles, and desires.

↠ It IS my job to make you think about things differently.

↠ It IS my job to help you get where you want to be.

But you’ll never get there if I don’t tell you the truth.

Our relationship will never work if I’m worried about hurting your feelings.

I would be doing a huge disservice to you if I just told you what you wanted to hear all the time. Because you would never achieve your goals. You’d stay in your cute little comfort zone and never actually accomplish anything new or scary or amazing that you want to do.

I’d even be doing a disservice to myself. Because hello… if my clients don’t succeed it kinda’ makes me look bad. Right? I WANT YOU TO SUCCEED. And I’m gonna’ do whatever I need to do to make sure that happens.

And the same thing goes for you and your work.

Sometimes you HAVE TO say no to your clients. You have to be okay with making them uncomfortable. You even have to be okay with turning them away completely if you feel like you aren’t a good fit.

But that’s hard, right?

Have you ever had to do it? Or have you ever WANTED to say no, but couldn’t make yourself do it? (been there)

Comment below and let me know how YOU handled it!

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Last week we talked about how NO is the single most powerful word in your brand vocabulary.

In case you missed it, here’s a quick recap of why you should say NO to certain clients:

• Saying NO increases your reputation. If you’re not 137% confident in your ability to deliver the highest quality service, then you’re risking your brand’s reputation. Nothing is worth that.
• Saying NO increases your profitability. When you agree to do things outside of your thang, you’re losing valuable time learning new systems & processes. And time = money, right?
• Saying NO strengthens your message. Your messaging shows your value to the world and builds trust with your audience. If you say you ONLY work with “X” because that’s how you provide the most value to your clients, then you’ve gotta’ stand your ground. Strong brands aren’t willing to compromise their standards for a few extra bucks.

and finally…

• Saying NO increases your happiness. It saves you from stress and headache when you reealllyyyy just don’t want to work with someone.

But how do you know when you should say NO and when you should just do the work?

Here are somethings to think about when deciding whether or not to say no to a potential client:

• Will you be able to complete your job to the highest possible standards? You know me, I preach to OVER deliver on everything you do. If you think saying yes to the client will in ANY WAY affect the quality of your work, then say no. You absolutely cannot afford to put anything out into the world that isn’t up to your standards. End of story.
• Are you okay with getting more clients like this? If you do the work, then that person will likely refer you to other people they know. (that’s the goal, right?) Just remember that the people in their circle are probably a lot like them. In that way, you’re not just deciding if you’re gonna’ say yes this one time, but potentially create a network of referrals of the same type of clients.
• Is this in the best interest of your bottom line? Sometimes clients will ask you to do things that are just a little bit outside of your wheelhouse and you have to decide if it’s worth it. If it’s not something you usually do, then it might take some trial and error to get it right. Just don’t forget to add in the extra time and expenses when you’re deciding.

So let’s say you’ve decided to say NO to a potential client… how do you do it?

You want to turn them away, but you don’t wanna’ hurt their feelings or give yourself a reputation of being a dick, right?

Here’s the trick.

Be honest.

Be firm.

Be graceful.

Here’s an example:

Hey Gertrude,

 

Based on our conversation, it looks like you are needing help with [thing that you don’t usually do]. Unfortunately, that isn’t really in my zone of genius. I primarily work with XYZ and it’s really important to me that I’m able to truly help my clients succeed. For that reason, I’m going to have to respectfully decline.

 

However, I have a couple of other amazing colleagues in mind that I think could knock this out of the park for you. Would you like me to introduce you via email?

 

Looking forward to hearing how I can help,

Brooke

 Honesty is always the best policy. Try not to make excuses or brush them off… they’ll just come back later.

Also, notice the firmness. It’s clear and concise. There isn’t any room left for argument. It just is what it is.

And finally, it’s graceful. It isn’t rude or mean. It’s clear that I have Gertrude’s best interest at heart because I am genuinely offering to help her get what she needs.

It takes a little bit of practice to start telling people no.

But here’s the cool part…

It’s totally up to you to set these boundaries. YOU get to decide what’s okay and what isn’t okay for your business. That’s kinda’ what being an entrepreneur is all about!

And once you master it… dang. It’s really good.

Your brand message gets stronger.

You’re more engaged in work that you love to do.

You even make more money.

Have you ever had to do it? Or have you ever WANTED to say no, but couldn’t make yourself do it? (been there) Comment below and let me know how YOU handled it!

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Let’s take a hot minute to talk about your website, mmk?

Everyone always has approximately 938 questions about their website.

Luckily, it’s somethin’ I kinda love to talk about!

I did a video training with my girl Carla on her Instagram page (you should totally stalk her), but I thought it could be helpful for you, too!

We talked about allllll the website things, including:

• What are the most important pages to have on my website?
• What information goes on each of these pages?
• How can I turn my website visitors into subscribers or paying clients?
• Opt-ins – what exactly are they and where/how should I use them on my site?
• Should I be using pop-ups?
• Do I need to be selling something in order to have a website?
• Do I need a blog?

So, without any further ado… here it is!

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Alright y’all… we needa’ have a little chatty chat chat about somethin. Right meow.

(P.S. I saw the new Super Troopers movie last week and it’s HILARIOUS)

Let’s talk about OFFENDING PEOPLE for a minute. 

Specifically, why I believe with my entire body and soul that offending people is CRUCIAL to the success of my business.

If you think I completely insane, then I have 2 things to say to you:

1. I don’t give 2 shits. Actually, not even one little teeny tiny shit. #sorrynotsorry
   
2. The little button to LEAVE is right at the top of your browser. No hard feelings. Really.

If you’re intrigued, then keep reading cuz I’m about to pull out my Sage-y side for a minute and make you a good ol’ fashioned pro/con list.

PRO’s of saying the F word on my website (or whatever other word I feel like saying)

1. I’m using it to make a point. 
   I’m not saying words just for the hell of it, y’all. I pride myself on being intentional with all of my decisions – especially word choice. If I chose to use a specific word, it needs to be there to have the effect I need it to have.
   
   
2. My ideal audience does not care. 
   In fact, my point probably resonates with them on a deeper level than if I hadn’t used a potentially “offensive” word – because that’s how their brains work, too.
   
   
3. It’s efficient and STRATEGIC.
   If someone is not actually my ideal client, then I wanna’ know that before either of us waste any time trying to connect. Ideally, they’ll read that big fat f-bomb on my website/post/whatever, decide they think I’m a complete lunatic for cursing on the internet, and go find someone that they love to help them with their brand. 
   The alternative would be to get on the phone, have that f-bomb slip outta’ my mouth on the call (as it’s been known to do), they get REALLY offended, I think they’re lame, and we both waste 30 minutes of our lives. Weeding them out early = efficient strategy. Boom.
   
   
4. I’m happier.  Obviously, that one is important.
   When I’m not worried about offending people, I can focus on staying in my zone of genius. 
   I can focus on sharing my message. 
   I can focus on saying what my audience needs to hear in the way the ways they need to hear it.
   All of which makes me so much happier than trying to water down my personality so I don’t accidentally offend anyone.
   And I know from experience, the ones that are my ideal clients appreciate it. 
   
   

CON’s of saying the F word on my website

1. Some people will think I’m a complete lunatic.
   They’ll read something I wrote, gasp in horror, think that I’m legit cray-cray, move on with their search until they find a different branding person who says no curse words on their website, and live happily ever after. And so will I.

Here’s the bottom line…
Building a strong brand around your personality is about deterring the wrong people just as much as it is about attracting the right people.

Your ideal clients WANT you to be yourself.
They want you to say what you REALLY think.
They want you to speak your TRUTH.
And if they don’t… then you’re talking to the wrong people.

If you want to build a profitable brand that also gives you the freedom to say whatever the eff you want, then I can help you with that. It’s kinda’ my thang.

+ Let’s start with a 2 hour intensive +

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