How to cultivate more authenticity in your work.
As William Ellery Channing said, "Every human is intended to have a character of his own; to be what no others are, and to do what no other can do."
Developing your own authentic voice is key to building a dynamic brand. A brand that is multi-faceted and interesting and not easily found elsewhere. It's about engaging people, not just selling. But it's also about you enjoying the work, enjoying the process, feeling present in it. And feeling like it all means something; it matters to us and to others. And in this way, what we're really doing is a building a heartfelt brand.
Did you know that in Eastern languages the word for heart is the same word as for mind?
The West has been built off of left brain thinking: numbers and data and analyzing. Chances are, if I say building a smart brand, you're going to think of clinical intelligence. But what about when I say, building a heartfelt brand? A little softer, a little less defined, maybe even a little less realistic.
But building a heartfelt brand and mindful brand are one in the same. It's not pick or choose. Especially when you're small, building things the heartfelt way is the smart way. It's going to help you enjoy your work. Do it longer and with more satisfaction. It's going to attract people to you. It's going to make marketing and selling easier. Wildly so.
And how do you build a heartfelt brand? With authenticity.
How often do you come across advice telling you to be authentic? Without any actual tactical help for doing so?
How to grow a YouTube channel? Be authentic. How to grow an email subscriber list? Be authentic. How to improve your social media presence? You guessed it, be authentic.
This term used to actually give me anxiety. As if I somehow wasn't cool enough to be authentic. There is pressure to choose the traits that are most likely to be popular. This is why we already covered shifting your thinking away from rules and trends about how you are supposed to look. So in case it doesn't go without saying, don't try to cultivate something you're not. It won't work.
"Every human is intended to have a character of his own; to be what no others are, and to do what no other can do."
And perhaps that’s why I am such a believer in brand strategy. When done the Journey Framework way, it gives you practical tools for cultivating your own authentic voice. It’s about knowing your business values. You should have them personally, but a brand is something you’re creating outside of yourself. It needs its own compass, it’s own values.
It’s also about a brand promise. Knowing with crystal clear simplicity and clarity what you are setting out to do. How you are setting out to serve. Without ever saying it directly, you’re audience will come to associate you with this promise. It’s that deep.
Together your brand values and brand promise form the bedrock of your authentic voice.
It starts to become something that only you would make. The combination is unique to you. And then it’s about bringing it to life. Your logos. Your brand feel. Colors and fonts. But also overall style and tone.
People often jump to logos when building a brand. A logo should be a by-product of a unique voice. Not the other way around. When you dive straight in to logos without knowing what you want to say or who you want to say it to, it’s far too easy to get lost in the maze of options. You need a compass to guide you. Your authentic voice is that compass.