Is your brand connect with your ideal clients? When you’re able to generate and build a connection with the right people who need your work, it’s empowering to know that you have the ability to reach those people time and time again. It also allows you to do the work you love, command the high-end rates that your work is worth, and work with the people that you’re excited to serve—yet this is tricky. Join me as I share how strategy and authenticity can work together to build a brand around your clients, not you. If today’s episode resonates with you and you want to show support for the show, here’s an easy way to do so: Buy Me A Coffee! Having a Brand that Speaks to Your Ideal Clients When your brand speaks to your ideal clients, you’re building a brand around them. While this feels deceptively simple, it’s easy to overlook this component of your brand. Oftentimes, when we’re building brands, we build it around ourselves when our ideal clients should be the focus. The thing that will attract your ideal clients to your brand (and ultimately you) is going to be something that speaks to them. If you’ve created a brand that is all about you, yet doesn’t resonate with your ideal client, you’re missing out on connecting with them. People aren’t going to feel connected to a brand that doesn’t attract them, therefore when you build a brand all around you, it’s pushing away potential ideal clients. If you have a beautiful brand that you’re proud of, yet it’s not doing the heavy lifting for you by captivating the attention of the people you want to serve, you’re not appropriately running your business. Building an Authentic & Strategic Brand For years, the creative industry has pushed this theme that you should show up authentically and build and authentic brand. I believe that you can do that while still building a strategic brand for your business to help you attract and connect with the right audience. Having a strategic brand will reflect your intentions and values to that idea customer, simplifying the sales process. It becomes less about selling and more about serving—how your brand is there to show up, support, and serve your clients. How to Make the Switch The first step I want you to take in creating a strategic, yet authentic brand is to take a look at your brand overall. This includes your visuals, messaging, social media content, brand voice, client experience touch points, etc. Are you doing these things because you enjoy it? Take some time to review these things, then speak to your ideal clients. Ask them about their values, client experiences, desires, needs, etc. You’ll find overlap in what you like and your customers like. You may realize that you’ve build your brand around you—not your ideal customer. This is where a branding professional or an industry friend can help you look for common ground to meet your ideal client in the middle. Empowerment in Your Brand Your existing brand and online presence may also be holding you back from charging the prices that you want to charge. The power of branding allows you to have the confidence to connect with the right people and charge what you want to be charging. Shifting Your Mindset As you begin to shift your mindset on your branding to being about your client,