| “The brand isn’t something you earn, it’s something you live up to.”
~ John Dutton, Yellowstone ~
The words slapped me in the face, and their impact reverberated through every cell.
I had to pause, rewind, rewatch, repeat, and then eventually write it down.
If you’ve seen the show, you know that the “brand” discussed in this scene is that of a family-owned ranch—a brand that physically marks their cattle and many of the humans who tend to them. You probably don’t need to have watched the show to know that he’s not talking about the cows earning or living up to a brand. :)
As someone who helps people discover, articulate, and grow their brands, these words unleashed a hurricane of inquiries and insights that I wrestled as I devoured the rest of the series.
What is a brand?
Well, for regular ol’ ranchers, a brand is a mark that indicates ownership. When you see the brand hanging at the edge of the long driveway, you know who owns the land. If you see a cow on your property with the neighbor’s brand, you know that it would be theft to raise him as your own for profit.
In the expert/messenger industry, a brand is “a particular identity or image regarded as an asset.” Think Brene Brown, The Good Life Project, or [insert your favorite messenger or message that has virtually become a household name]. These messengers and/or the enterprises they have built have become “identifiable names, images, and messages that hold a particular amount of value.”
What does ownership have to do with it?
Turns out identities and messages are even more valuable than cows (and sometimes land), yet it’s tougher to “see the fences.”
How many times have you discovered a messenger new to the scene and heard them say something that reminded you of someone else—an individual or message that has been around for some time?
I used to stun my friends at conferences when, after hearing a few sentences from a new messenger, I would whisper something like, “They’ve worked with Tony Robbins, Lisa Nichols, and are deep into Brene Brown’s stuff.” Almost as soon as I’d say it, the next slide of the presentation would pop up with said faces. They wondered how I did it, but…
What I was identifying were the valuable elements of these people’s brands—words, phrases, concepts, and even energetic experiences or expressions that they had brought forward or made famous.
When we learn something valuable—life-changing even—it organically becomes part of us. We naturally mimic and then integrate the words, phrases, concepts, and experiences, which is exactly what powerful brands are meant to do.
It’s all fine and dandy until we decide to create our own brand and fail to do our due diligence to find our own unique brand.
But how do you discover, articulate, and grow a brand? Where do you start?
Well, many coaches will tell you to do some
market analysis and find your own niche.
Others will tell you to choose what
lights you up the most and run with it.
Some will insist you ask your friends, start small, and just follow the breadcrumbs where they lead you.
The problem with all of these instructions, on their own, is that Brands must be trustworthy to grow.
And how can a brand be trusted if it’s…
- driven by the market and its ever-changing demands?
- contingent on the inspiration and feelings of the messenger staying the same?
- following inspirations and whims without a clear intention holding it together?
Brands don’t build trust or grow when they don’t have a solid foundation—a continuity of words, phrases, concepts, insights, and intention.
But there’s one more element that John Dutton reminded me of in that scene, and it’s the reason why I approach branding and messaging the way that I do.
The best brands are built on IDEALS
that we can only hope (and work) to live up to.
Think Apple and the wild idea that one day,
everyone could have access to information,
music, and each other at their fingertips.
Think Oprah and the impulse to inspire millions.
Think America and the bold declaration
that everyone is created equal.
When each of these brands were inspired,
the ideals were just that—
“conceptions of something in its perfection.”
They were declarations of what was true and possible,
but often far from embodied.
Powerful brands invite us to embody ideals, and when they are our own brands,
IT HAS TO START WITH US.
Below, you’ll find a few ways that you can get started building your message and brand, or healing the st*ries that are keeping you from fully embodying yours. |
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| | | This all started with an idea for a children’s book series.
I had a clear message.
I knew the audience.
I wrote most of it.
I even had an illustrator.
But I couldn’t seem to finish the project, and it made no sense.
I know how to organize content.
I am a good writer.
It was a children’s book for heaven’s sake!
So, what was my issue?
Years later, I met Theddee Rheyshelle, a woman whose soul thinks and sings in rhymes. She whips out most of her clever children’s books in no time at all, but not all of them. And she held onto them for a decade or so before publishing.
Why are some easy and others “impossible”?
Why the delays on getting them into the world?
If you have a children’s book idea (or maybe even a whole series in mind), but you can’t seem to start or finish it, you are going to love this portal.
(We call workshops portals around here because they transport participants into a truer story.)
JUNE 13, 2022 10am - 12pm PST
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| | This 2-day event will help you move through the first three phases of the messenger journey—Inspiration, Action, and Resistance. Whether you are just starting or stuck at some point on the journey, this experience will help you move that message forward. By the end, you will:
1) see how to change the world with your sacred message WITHOUT compromising your sanity or your soul;
2) start to alchemize your story and expertise to create maximum impact on your audience, brand, and bottom line;
3) know the down-and-dirty truth about publishing and monetizing your message; and
4) have the beginning of that safe cocoon structure you need for the transformative journey ahead.
June 24 - 25, 2022
9am - 5pm PST
Investment: $997 (Bring a Friend for Free) Purchase 30 copies of A Religion of Story
and then join us AND bring a friend for free! |
| | Imagine working with a cohort of other
storytellers and seekers who are committed to
changing the world with their message.
INCLUDES:
Pre-work to Help You Start Clarifying Your Direction
2-Day Online Event to Refine Your Sacred Contribution
Individual Sessions with Me to Excavate Content
LIVE 7-Day Retreats to Heal, Organize, and Write (Quarterly)
Online Writing Momentum Retreats
(Monthly)
Cocoon Breakthrough and Co-working Sessions
(Weekly)
Innerlight Energy Balancing Sessions
to Accelerate Healing and Writing
(Monthly)
St*ry-healing Quests to Stay True to Your Intention
Next Cohort Starts in June 2022
Purchase 50 copies of A Religion of Story
and get a $1700 Discount = $850 Savings! |
| | | Unearth and transform the disempowering stories you've assimilated that keep you from
stepping into heroic leadership!
90 Days of Videos and Writing Prompts
Theme-based Discussion Questions + Innerlight Balancing
"To say that this quest has changed my life is not an understatement
and I've gotten more out of it than I could ever have imagined.
The layers I've been able to uncover in the container of the community
that Amanda has created have been more impactful
than anythingI got out of years of therapy. Amanda holds space and meets every single person where they're at in their individual journeys with compassion and care, gently encouraging them to dig a little deeper below the surface where all the "aha" moments tend to be buried.
Not only have I learned a lot about myself throughout this quest,
but I've started to heal old wounds and break old patterns along the way.
Also, my sister and I signed up for this question together and though we were pretty close before we started it, the topics we've explored and the responses we've shared with new levels of vulnerability have allowed us to learn things about each other we never knew and hold each other with greater
love and empathy than we ever have before.
This quest is for anyone who is looking to connect or reconnect
to the essence of who they are in order to connect with the world
in a more deep and meaningful way."
Dimple Dhabalia, Founder of Roots in the Clouds
Next fellowship of allies starts July 4, 2022!
We're talking PERSONAL FREEDOM from st*ries here, which will lead us to COLLECTIVE FREEDOM!
Regular Investment: $149
Purchase 10 copies of A Religion of Story
and quest with us for free!
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| Committed to Writing Truer Stories with You,
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| | Founder, True to Intention
Smart-Mouthed Seeker | Unapologetic Story Junkie | Message Oracle | Messenger Guide
Mom | Wife | Friend | Witness to Divine Intention through Story
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