Latest / TWRS-Leadership Straight, No Chaser / Simplicity Wins. So Why Fight It?

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Simplicity Wins. So Why Fight It? · TWRS-Leadership Straight, No Chaser

• Scott Brandt: one thing ⁓ as you're listening, as you're thinking about it, being in position, running a business, we've talked about it really being the force that a lot of people overlook, a lot of people don't have the clarity to really stand out. And part of that too, is the branding piece when it comes to what you do, who you are. And it's an important thing that you really drive down and get that clear. So that way you stand out and you connect with your ideal client. So welcome back to Together We Are Stronger, Leadership Straight, No Chaser. And tonight we have Julie Stroud on with us what she does, the branding piece. ⁓ of course we look at kind of what individuals went through to get to where they're at now. And Julie, one of the things that I was looking at was when you were going through the restructuring process, yeah, you talked about there was a situation that took place ⁓ through that process, you came to the conclusion that clarity wasn't very strong for you or was kind of lacking. And so when you look at that, what was the emphasis on why clarity was so important for kind of going through what you did and where you got. Sure, I think clarity provides a hook. clarity, why should anybody listen? So clarity gives ⁓ reason for people to stop scrolling and to start listening and to decide. And you only have a mere second to grab people's attention ⁓ them to decide to ⁓ listen, scroll, click, buy, or book an appointment. So I think what you're speaking of is Possibly there's a couple of different times that that could be for me personally, but many years back I ⁓ took time off of work late husband he had passed after many years cancer battle our children were still young so I didn't work for a little while there ⁓ and when went back to working I went back to being a business coach, but I realized that I didn't have enough of a hook. I was coaching. Christian coaching for women entrepreneurs, but it was very general in nature. And I was personally feeling frustrated that in my opinion, all I was doing was helping people make a decision for the next right thing until we talked again. wanted to give people something more. So I put myself on a ⁓ quest to start learning ⁓ I decided I will read at least a book a week and over two years, it took two years, ⁓ I read over a book a week. I took a whole bunch of certification courses. I took some graduate courses and I kept narrowing, narrowing and I kept thinking, am I gonna get into marketing? I guess I'm gonna do marketing. Cause those were the books I kept reaching for. But I was really looking for a way to bridge that with the human transformation. And when I picked up toward the end of that two year journey, when I picked up building a story brand by Donald Miller, I realized that I could bring my coaching expertise, my learning and development expertise ⁓ the art of messaging. And messaging, to me, yes, it's marketing, but it really is about brand copy and brand identity. So I started writing brand copy and guiding people to their own clear message. And I found it to be really rewarding. And I was kind of good at it. And the clarity that people get, I mean, there's nothing like clarity. You just feel like, wow, I can see out of these clean windows again or something like that. It just feels like ⁓ fresh. perspective and then of course as a business owner, know that enthusiasm that you get in that ⁓ increased confidence goes a long way. But of course you're also armed with clear message you can put out to the general public and people then get what you do and why you're there. so when you talked about the the reading It's one that a lot of people overlook power of reading, the power of really cutting down your learning curve. And aspect of reading one book a week, when you ⁓ work leaders, is that one thing that like when you talk to them, is that something that they struggle with? Is that something that really they're overlooking ⁓ on power of cutting down their learning curve by really tapping into reading? Because I think statistically, Once somebody graduates high school, they don't ever read a book again. And then we have a lot of leaders that are trying to grasp information, regurgitate it, but then not really going deep. And so it is a very interesting thing on the reading piece on how a lot of individuals overlook that necessary skill set to help speed up the process to get to the next level. reading is a powerful tool because by speed reading pretty much during the book a week, you're getting a lot of information that can help you turn around and really set yourself up to be in a different light, to share things differently. And so that's one thing when, if you're dealing with individuals, is that something that a lot of leaders kind of struggle with or that they're overlooking? You can tell the difference between people who are actively engaged in their subject that fascinates them and who are really reading. And those who you know, are, maybe resting upon their former education or just their experience. There's a real difference. I will say that I am so glad I did that. I don't read a book a week anymore. ⁓ I read a book a month or two books a month. Some of them audio books, but a lot of them are actual, like I buy the book and I'm highlighting and I'm writing in the ⁓ margins and I it so fun. I get out my journal and I start go to chat GPT and I'm like, What if I did this or what if I put these two? And it's so exciting when you take different theories and you put them together. And it's just like fireworks in your brain. And it changed my life. if anybody is feeling stuck or like, how do I get to the next level? I'd say go to Amazon, start shopping, get your book list going and start reading. It will change your life. And they say, that all it takes is to read three books on one topic to be considered an expert. You certainly will know more than other people who haven't explored that much in that topic. And then it's the easiest way for you to become a great consultant or leader is to really get that subject matter expertise going for you. And it definitely will change your life. It did for me. I never really thought of myself as even a necessarily super intelligent or smart person. I'm like, yeah, I got life experience. I started reading. and you just start elevating your thoughts and the way you express yourself and the way you start showing up. And before long, you start hearing from people like, oh, yeah, you're kind of smart. That was a good idea. Or, you know, and you're going, guess I did kind of get there. So it's never too late. You know, it will change your business in the course of your life, without a doubt. I know for a fact. that's probably the quickest way to get from where you are to where you want to be. I know a lot of people that do not read. And I was one of them at one time until the gentleman next year, Scott really just kind of pushed. Now I'm doing about three books, three books at a time. So when it comes to blank, brand clarity, and you talk about clarity all the time, and you got to have clarity. But when you strip away, what does it mean when you strip away the buzzword, clarity, you know, the brand of clarity? You know, when you strip it away, what's it like? It really is simple. It's the essentials of really good marketing. What's the problem that you solve for who and how do you do it that's different? And why does it matter? What are you doing here? What's the wrong that you want to write in the way that you provide your services or the unique solution that you offer? And I really like to say I focus on service providers, especially service providers in the business space. Lots of business coaches, consultants, those who are certified in a certain business methodology, trainers, and ⁓ And it really is about the customer. If you're in service, for who, for why? Yeah, of course we're all in the marketplace, we're living. can't earn that living without the customer. So therefore, our messaging and our clarity needs to be about who are we serving and what do they need? And what's the thing that bothers them that we can solve for them? And why does it really matter in the end? So that when you boil it down to those essentials, you're going to get a message that resonates with your ideal person. We're not out here to serve everybody. You can't boil the ocean. but there's a certain number of people that you are meant to serve. And it's about getting a message that resonates with that ideal person. That's awesome. You know, we're gonna stay on clarity just for a second. What's the first sign someone lacks clarity in their business? And I mean, what do you see when you look at that and when you talk to someone, what they are lacking? And I think a lot of entrepreneurs and leaders We're missing that segment of clarity. know, they're just so whatever sticks and keep moving forward and a lot of times people need to understand. One of the biggest telltale signs is jargon. you go to somebody's website and it's using industry speak inside knowledge, very long, complicated words, ⁓ the writing is like technical or, you really specialized. We don't ⁓ want make it hard for our customers to understand what we do. If you make it hard for them, they're just going to keep looking elsewhere because heaven knows everybody has competition. So we have to make it easy for people. We're here to serve people. So serve them in language that they will understand. That might mean that you have to write it a fourth grade or fifth, sixth grade level. because our customers are unable of understanding that, but because we're all deluged all day long with messaging. We want to just connect with people. In the end, isn't business human to human? We don't need to impress people with big words. impress them by the wrong that we are writing in marketplace. We will impress people by serving them well. And by to them at a human level, we show our leadership in that regard. And they start to feel like they can trust you and buy from you and engage in a project with you. So the biggest telltale sign hands down every time is inside language and jargon. it basically what you're saying so people can understand ⁓ really see what you do, what can do for them. That's amazing. Thank you so much. One thing really the simplification process we want to give a shout out to our power partner, which is ADP. ⁓ As business owners as leaders, you didn't get into business to do the back end HR payroll compliance. ADP is here to work with you help you simplify what you're doing. So you as a business owner can get in your zone of genius and they can help out with that to make sure that you are functioning as a great business to make sure that you can go and do big things. So ADP is a resource that's highly there for you to help you out on the back end. And then as you're listening here, if you're getting nuggets, hit the like button. If you're looking for these types of videos, hit the subscribe button. ⁓ thing like we've talked about is clarity. ⁓ you feel like you lost as you're listening and you're like, I just don't know what to do. You need to step back and where's your clarity with what you're building because clarity is going to be your filter system that's going to help you out and really fine tune what you showcase to your clients to whoever you're working with your ideal clients. And with a very interesting thing because you had talked about simplifying ⁓ of the statistics, I believe is that the majority of individuals read as a sixth grade or lower reading level. But as business owners, we get in our way of like, it can't be simple because if it's simple, ⁓ doesn't work. It's it's one of those weird things. And so business owners really like to try to sound smarter than who they are and try to over outsmart their their clients. And by doing that, they hurt themselves because like you said, if there's a cognitive load for your client and they have to put in more mental effort, they're going to walk away. so ⁓ ⁓ it seem like a lot of business owners want to overcomplicate things, try to sound smarter than probably they should be and to do some crazy different things when they're building and connecting with individuals. I think that we go to school and we study and like I was saying earlier, you know, continue on down the path of becoming an expert and read a lot of books and so forth. sometimes what we're doing maybe unconsciously is like, see, I know my stuff, you know, you should buy for me because I know what I'm doing. I can, ⁓ can fix this for you. But really what, what it can come across as is a little bit of maybe even arrogance. And what we really want to do is connect with people. want to serve people. So leave those complex words at the door. And another telltale sign of maybe showing off a little bit that I can do this is too many words. Most websites, most explanations, and heavens, even a lot of social media posts have 50 % too many words. So just cut down the number of words. ⁓ And thinking of the example of, for instance, Apple. Okay, mean, how more simple could they make their branding? It's a crisp, perfect apple. And what they're saying is, ⁓ you the simplicity of design, and you pick up your phone and the simplicity and elegance of that design. That's what we want in our businesses. We're not out to solve 27 different problems. It's very difficult to boil it down to one thing. But when you do that, your brand is memorable you become a specialist in that one thing as well. It's easy for people to remember you. And ⁓ a certain amount of elegance in doing that. It's difficult to boil it down to one thing. When you do, you landed on something really beautiful there. It's it's interesting because I don't know if you've heard of this I believe I was reading somewhere that Really when you're writing and using the written word Sentences no more than six to seven words per sentence And then as you look at like the body of a paragraph no more than like two to three sentences per paragraph Is that something that you've heard or is there a difference of that in regards to like the length and kind of the structuring? Because I think what it was saying was it helps reduce mental fatigue for individuals when you write smaller with less sentences in a paragraph. Yes, and to remember to be conversational in the way we're writing as well. Again, we're out to create relationships with prospective clients or customers and to convey that human touch in your copy and in your writing, whether it's an email you're sending or a social post or your web copy or a leave behind sheet that you've, for an in-person sales call, ⁓ all those should be more conversational. a big fan ⁓ starting a sentence. ⁓ tell my high school English teacher this, but I'm a big fan of starting a sentence with and or because or but we weren't supposed to do that. We weren't taught that in proper English class, but way we talk. And it helps make a point as well. I'm a big fan of the sentence that stands alone, maybe one or two words and white space all around it. It makes people pause and makes them stop and read it. And also when they're reading, they're connecting and it makes them think it's sort of like an interjection in the middle of, you know, a monologue perhaps or, you know, written monologue, so to speak. So a hundred percent. And we need to watch the number of words we're using in our copy or for instance, also in a speech, if we happen to do a keynote or something of that nature. It's so simple and people overlooking like we've talked to business owners and whatever reason they're like this is too simple. It's like ⁓ want it simple because you make it more over complicated. You're hurting yourself. You're missing out. And it's it's very interesting thing because there's a individual omarel to Corey that I follow. One of the things that he's talked about is it's not the best. So if you have a great service and everything of that nature, it doesn't matter how great the service is. But if you're not known, you're hurting yourself. And so it's not the best, but it's the best known. it's a very ⁓ thing when we look in the sphere of leaders, business I had issue of like not wanting to be in the spotlight and it comes from being in the military. So like if you're in the spotlight in the military, that's not a good thing because you get dragged into everything. So part of my hesitation was I don't want to be in the spotlight because of what I had from coming from the military, but it kind of clicked that I'm like, if we're going to do big things, business owners, leaders, they have to be in the spotlight. if you're not, nobody knows. And so do see a struggle with like business owners, leaders showing up, really being out there and really showcasing who they are? and instead maybe they try to hide behind whatever they offer, whatever services. Where do you see that struggle with individuals? I can with that because I kind of feel the same way. ⁓ don't, know, confessions. don't really love social media. I'm on there because I feel like I have to be. And it's a little tricky. ⁓ So I definitely with that. I would say. The best way to reframe that thought, though, is, again, I feel like I'm repeating myself in a way, but maybe that's because it's a point worth making, is that the star of your message should be the customer. And instead of leading with, here's what we can do it, know, xyz company, here's the company got started by my father, I'm second or third, now I'm passing it on to my kid. Customers want to know that, but not for you to lead with that. So sometimes that helps a lot of business owners to know that the whole framework should start with, what's the problem that you solve for the person who's online scrolling or asking their friends, hey, we need to get such and such for the house. Who should I call? ⁓ people are out there with real problems that they're solving. And so if we frame everything from that perspective and What's your solution? How do you do it different? And why does it matter? Then you've, you know, earned favor with that person. They're going to stop and listen to you. So, and then at that point, after all that's explained, or your headline is about that, then you can bring in like, you know, here's, here's why I can do this for you. Because I had the same problem. I decided to go fix it. I learned all about it I discovered I really love doing this. And so now I do it for a living. So we don't have to start with us. And I think sometimes that gives a lot of business owners permission to like, yeah, you can take the spotlight off yourself just a little bit. Of course, people want to know who you are, if they're going to be engaging in a project with you or have you come over to their home to fix something. Like you want to know who that person is, but it doesn't begin with you and the business isn't all about you. You're in business to serve your customers. Exactly. And a lot of times being in business and being the leader and entrepreneur, really try to ⁓ you got a window, you know, when you're meeting a customer, and especially if it's like in construction, a service type of business. So you want to put it out there. And I think a lot of times people, lie themselves That's where I think people get lost in is when people lie to themselves and say, you know, this is my brand, but why do you get someone to really focus on their brand? the is the biggest thing, It's not about sixth generation is about the brand of the company. What can you do for the You know, I love that the term actually came from back in the day when they were shipping big boxes across the ocean and they would stamp on the box, what company, that box. And then the whole idea of branding your cattle as well, this cattle belongs to this ranch. And so that's what we're doing when we're branding. We're like putting our stamp on. what we're putting out there to the world, our messages, the look, the sound, the experience, the feel of doing business or engaging with our business, that's our brand. And so if it's a very small business and the owner embedded with, everything, then you are the brand as well. So we have to remember that you are a representation of the business and the what are we doing? We're teaching people over and over again by the way we show up, our marketing strategies, the way our brand looks and sounds and the consistency of it. We're teaching people how to think ⁓ think of our brand and think about what we can do for them. So all of it is like an exercise in like show and tell basically, know, here's what it is and here's how we can help you. And to the point where when you're doing it right, people can repeat Some of the things you've said or they can see it in their mind's eye and they can then refer other people to you, too That's when you know, you're doing it, right? The the idea of consistency is such a interesting thing because You have a lot of individuals. They're like, ⁓ I can't do this because of XYZ. I don't have the time I don't know what to create. I don't know what to talk about and it's just a bunch of excuses that like people just throw out there ⁓ they wonder ⁓ Why am I stuck? And so with the aspect of consistency, what really is like the biggest pain points for business owners when it comes to really staying consistent, showing up with their marketing, with their brand and making sure that the message is out there. some people are like, well, I don't want to do this anymore because everybody that follows me, they probably see my stuff. I'm they're probably tired of me. But if we look at social media now, it's not social media like it used to be Gary Vee talks about it being interest-based media. And so sometimes we were like, well, I don't want to, I don't want like to burn people out and confuse them because they keep seeing my message. But legitimately that's how somebody really gets to know you by that consistency piece. But for yourself, like what is that biggest pain point when it comes to consistency in businesses for marketing and branding? There's a lot of different answers I could say for that. oftentimes think that a can only go as far as the owner will let it. So I that a lot of times the owner gets in their ⁓ own way potential growth and they may have a team, but you how are you directing or supporting that team? So, you know, a big part of it. The other issue is always like just how relentless social media and content marketing can be. It never ends. So you have to have a plan for it and carve out time for it. And when you can afford it, then get somebody on your team to do it for you. If it's not your forte or if you're the business owner, you need to be leading in a lot of different ways. Maybe that's an easy thing that you can farm out or hire in. It's social media and content marketing is just like I said, it's a consumable product of your business that has to keep, you've got to keep cranking it out. The good news is when you have good messaging, it's really about reusing that messaging over and over again. And yes, you might feel from time to time like we said this before, but that's branding. We have to keep searing that brand onto people's minds. This is who we are. This is what we do. This is how you can think of us. This is how we serve people. This is what's different about us over and over again. It's just, it's another consumable product that you're producing. know, when you talk about simplifying, know, how does an owner simplify their message without completely watering it down? ⁓ because you can say so much, did I go overboard? Did I do this? And so that watering down aspect really kicks in. I guess I'd say, okay, so water it down to one word. What's that one word? again, I'm thinking of literally thinking of ⁓ the Apple brand in my mind's eye right now. I mean, it's speaks to, simplicity. And the other thing is they're making the iPhone, and look what happened since the iPhone came out. It's now natural, like an apple. It's natural to be walking down the street, and everybody's got their head down in their phone. I don't think there's any harm ⁓ in boiling it to one or two or three words. Because again, it makes easy for people to remember you. ⁓ If we water it down to the point where it's meaningless though, that's a problem. We want to have a word and you know, I remember years ago, long time ago when my children were young and I lived in Chicago or in the Chicago suburbs and we would have Oprah Winfrey on at nine o'clock in the morning up there in Chicago. ⁓ I'd be home with my little kids and know, I'd say ⁓ mom her time to watch Oprah and one episode she had Who's the founder of Spanx, Sarah? Sarah Blakely. Yes. And that's when Spanx was just like ⁓ the thing ever. And she Sarah Blakely. She said, how'd you come up with that name? And Sarah Blakely said, I follow her on LinkedIn. She has some great posts on LinkedIn. ⁓ She said, this is 30 years ago, 25 years ago. She said, well, I knew that all the great brand names had a hard sound in it. Coca-Cola Nike they all have like these, know hard, McDonald's, And ⁓ that's where she just her ⁓ So she got that hard ⁓ hard case out in there I think it's not a bad idea to boil things down to the simplest form. It's memorable I think it's interesting because George when we were working the podcast like George like it's got to be perfect. Like it I was like, I don't know what perfect this year like we just got to take action. And it's an interesting thing because there's a lot of businesses where they're like, oh, my brand needs got to be perfect. My marketing has got to be perfect. But it's like a constant iteration of you as a person with what you offer. I know for myself and the one thing so of course AI is a big thing right now. And everybody's freaking out about AI. use it to have a conversation. It's a thought partner with myself. It helps me out, but it's also not the end all be all. so with, as been doing the branding and helping individuals, when it comes to AI, because some businesses are like, well, I can just have an AI system do this for me. I'm like, you're the human touch. ⁓ And so that's thing when we look at is people are looking. for that human effect, that human connection piece there. And so when you look at kind of this realm, the growth, everything that's taken place, what would you share with business owners, leaders in regards to not having fear of AI, but having it as a thought partner, but also working with human individual that can come in and bring that human connection piece. really to help bring this and make it flourish. So the output that we get from AI is only as good as the input that we put in. So you need a good quality prompt to good output. ⁓ And are you going to get a good quality prompt? By knowing lot about the subject that you're talking to AI about, it will elevate your conversation. Just like if you read a bunch of books in one subject area, you become an expert in that subject. It elevates the way you think about that subject and the work that you're doing in that area. So the same is true. You can apply that principle to your conversations with AI. of course I use AI in the work that I do now. I can get more done. It will also show me my blind spots sometimes. So I guide a client better. And it will speed up the process of getting the message down pat. I used to spend days working on a web copy and so forth for a client. Or I would powwow with some other colleagues to get a tagline down pat. I can do that in mere seconds now. It doesn't mean the quality of the work is any less. It means It helps me think more sharply produce better stuff for people. So yes, there's a whole lot of new businesses sprouting up, even I think at a more rapid rate right now because we've got that tool at our fingertips. But you're to get more quality output when you're a conversation with somebody who's an expert in marketing or branding or what have you to guide that whole thing. Yeah, no, that's huge. They use their experience and use what they've gone through. Really. And that's the thing is people, people have to understand is if you're putting garbage in, you're getting garbage out. so it's not like people are freaking out. But it's the fact that if you don't know how to even speak to it, and you don't train yourself, it's not going to be beneficial to you. It's gonna, ⁓ may actually make it worse. ⁓ then ⁓ You just don't realize it. And so it is that aspect that it is a tool, but we still, it's a human connection piece, human factor, because a lot of times these language models are just taking the context from different things and putting it together. But having a human, human mind going through it, there might be something there that just hasn't been grabbed because it's just not out there for it to grab from. And the context is kind of missing. And so. I think it's one that it's the power of the tool, but it's not the end all be all like you're seeing with a lot of people with just these clones. And I'm like, now you're opening up the door of you don't people don't like to be catfish. But now we're like, ⁓ it's okay. And then I'm like, Okay, so are you okay with being catfish? Because if we keep doing this, you can't get mad when people get mad at you because your picture doesn't look like you. And you decided to go AI heavy with just this wild stuff. you know, ⁓ think it's a great tool, and it's ⁓ to really change the way we work. And you know, one thing that people are nervously kind of, talking and maybe, you know, making some jokes about, but there's nervousness around it is like, it's going to take over the world and none of us will have a job. I think those who stay on top of their expertise ⁓ plug for reading, if you just keep reading on your subject and become an expert, ⁓ can stay ahead of that curve and influence positively because it can be a nefarious tool as well. So yeah, get yourself ready to be your level best in your area. you'll ⁓ stay and you'll stay a leader in your space. And let that be a tool that makes you even better than you already are. As to this, on your expertise, the uncomfortable truth, people need to hear right now. I mean, seriously, I think a lot of times people forget to hear what's going on, what the truth is, how they need to react. mean, when we have conversations, Scott, is pinpoint black and white. And I think a lot of times, especially with your experience, is that uncomfortable truth people really need to hear about. And I think a lot of times people get lost. Yeah, yeah. And I think that, with AI coming, on the scene and, we ⁓ were able to get more done. I'm to see what's going to happen What's going happen a year from now? not five years from now, what's happening in 2027? ⁓ I'm excited about all of that. I think it's a ⁓ fantastic opportunity. And ⁓ anybody's feeling behind in it, how you get good at it? Just jump in, just jump in. Try several different AI tools, start having conversations with it, but make sure step away and make sure you get outside and you have ⁓ conversations with and family and value a well-rounded life as well ⁓ so that can bring your best. ⁓ to your AI conversations and the prompts that you're giving it and the outputs you're getting and how you're going to implement it. Yeah, you also hear sad stories about how, you know, it's just taking over people's personal lives. know, balance and all things, but yeah, ⁓ been remarkable tool for me over the past year. I'm glad I have it. And the other too is like, each of us as we're not meant for everyone. And so that's the other thing too, is as a leader as a business owner, when you're working with individuals, you want to find those people that you really connect with that you have that comfortable level with. Because there might be somebody else that's also doing branding for businesses, but just the personalities just don't connect. And so that's the way when we start looking at this is all of us have these tools. But at the end of the day, if you are trying to connect with people that just don't match with you, and one of the things that George and I've talked about is understanding what your values are, and then finding people that have similar values, have a easier connection piece. But at the end of the day, it is really gonna be based on the connection with the individual, because you might not be a good fit for somebody, but there might be somebody else that is a better fit. And so that's the other thing is understanding it's that human connection piece, and not just jumping on with the first person is like doing the research and saying, Okay, do we really truly fit? Can I work with this person long term? Because if we are working for a year and three months into like, I hate talking to this individual, that's not gonna do anybody any favors, it's gonna throw everything out of whack. And so I think that's another thing people need to understand and remember too is that human factor, don't lose it. Find who you connect with and you feel comfortable with to build that relationship with. That's right. But ⁓ the about being a consultant or providing services and doing one-to-one work with people as well is, I can sometimes feel a little hit or miss, like let's try and see if we get along and if this works out well. And that's the way a lot of service providers begin freelancers work. But I believe that you can minimize that ⁓ in your brand. a big of your brand is the legacy aspect of your brand. And that is, ⁓ what does business stand for? ⁓ What are values? What's your mission, vision, and your purpose statement? And view those ideas into the way your brand is talking and showing up and the way ⁓ your brand and looks and your customer experience. All of that is your brand. So when you have all that in creating the brand and then managing the brand as you grow the business, it will cut down on mismatches with customers. It will repel the people that you don't want to work with in a good way. And it will draw the right kind of people to you. And then there's one other thing that I advocate and that I help my clients design. And that's a good introductory service. I do two different VIP days that I sell to people. ⁓ they come to an introductory call with me, sometimes it's a paid call, sometimes it's free, depending on what they choose, how they want to get to know me and see if I can help them. And then usually, if a good fit, then the next thing we do is I will them to a VIP day with me. And yes, we spend the day together, but it's only one day and it's structured. have like a, here's what we cover in that day. here's, you know, here's how the, you know, I've got an agenda for the day and here's what you get at the end of that day. But that's one other way for them to kind of screen me and for me to screen them. Like, can I engage in more projects with you? Or, you know, can I really serve you best or should I send you to somebody else who I think might be a better fit for what you need long run? And they get a lot of value for the day, but it's just one day. So I'm a big fan of like an introductory service. You know, you to sell, you know, to be in business and you got to provide services and get people results. you know, sell them something that's short term, that's, you know, one and done, try it out. And then it will minimize, you know, potential problems. I really enjoy my clients. And there's only been a couple of times where then it's like, This isn't really working. Let's get it to this milestone place. And then I'm going to line up who you should go to next. But I mean, it's been so rare. So I think those are my two best tips. I actually, one of the VIP days is an offer clarity VIP day. And I help people design like that product ladder so that they are not always doing all these free get to know you calls with people, but they can actually get going with somebody right away like a ⁓ short burst little project. Let's about legacy. when your time comes, what legacy do you want to leave behind? I think I need tissues and I don't have any here at my desk. to me, it's really about serving people. In the end, the only thing that really matters is people. And why are we in business? It's not to sell that gizmo or gadget. It's to move things forward to the next step, which almost always involves another person. ⁓ really in business to make our lives and make our customers lives better. So in the end, what I really want is for people to say, she cared, she loved me, she was there for me, or it wasn't about the project so much as it was about my own personal transformation. Because when we engage in a project together with a small business person, they're changing when their business is changing. It's a momentous time in their own life, not just their time in their business. ⁓ So in the end, what I would really want is for people to say, you know, like the things about, you know, my heart and why I'm in business. And, you know, and then of course, for my sons to say that I built this business for our family. Amen. Thank you. That's amazing. And I always ask that because, everyone talks about, you know, legacy, money. properties, this and that. And a lot of times people forget what real legacy is. It's about showing kindness to the community and giving back to the community about establishing that standard it will keep going on. And think a lot of times people forget that just like in Branding. I just think it's what you said. It's passion what you want to do for your clients and help them out. And when you have that, people open up, you start to see people bloom ⁓ and you get to help them grow their business. Hat's off to you. That's amazing. Thank you. Yeah, you know you're doing it right when your clients are happy and they tell their friends or their colleagues about you. So that is really the highest compliment is to get a referral. Or when a ⁓ strategic partner, a colleague in my line of work brings me into a project or recommends their client, like ⁓ don't do that, but Julie does. That's huge compliment. You're doing something right that people will refer you. So for individuals that really resonate or just kind of want to get more insight to what you offer, kind of how you work, would individuals want to go to kind of explore that with you? Thank you. ⁓ So it's brightbrand.com, B-R-I-G-H-T, brand.com. And you also go to brightbrand.com slash brand clarity quiz. And it's quick quiz. ⁓ that I devised to show you where you're doing well with your brand and where to focus. And it gives you tips to get started on how to start improving how your brand looks, sounds, shows up, and makes a difference for people. big one there, really, to highlight what you may not be seeing and kind of some things to walk away with. And then that also opens up the door. And they're like, ⁓ OK, yeah, let me go ahead and. talk of Julie and see potentially if there's more in this so that's huge on that one and then Like as you're listening to this if you're looking for these types of videos hit the subscribe button and like we talked about if you are stuck You just don't know what do next. You need to kind of look you can say, okay Where's your clarity at do you have a vision for what you're trying to accomplish? So that way you can filter everything through that clarity piece for you as an individual Other than that, appreciate you guys coming along on this journey with us, allowing us to be on the journey with you, and we'll catch you on the next episode.