You don’t know what you don’t know.
Don’t know (ha) what I mean?
Allow me to explain …

For the past year, my partner, Caleb, and I have been lovingly renovating our Queensland property. Nestled between the forest and the sea, our property is a beautiful oasis of calm … and a virtual hurricane of calamities and conundrums for us to fix-up and restore.

There’s de-weeding and de-palm-tree’ing (it’s a thing, promise) our crazy, overgrown garden that’s taken over our property lives.

Not to mention fixing the wood rot, caused by the aforementioned overgrown gardens and their dampness.

And our latest adventure, which has seen us painting the exterior of our house and transforming it from outdated heritage colours to a nice, white (like the house from the Notebook! Swoon.)

And by “us”, I obviously mean a team of expert painters.

Because while I’m wonderful with websites and dreamy at design, and Caleb is our resident horse, bee and sheep whisperer, we really had no clue how to *properly* paint our house.

Like prepping before you paint and using the right brush.

Which, again, is a thing.

Caleb and I attempted a few sections of railing ourselves … but failed to prep properly and used a mini roller to boot. Which meant the finish was shocking – it’s already started to peel. Whoops. Also, we didn’t realise just. How. Long. It. Would. Take.

Getting pros in to do it right not only saved us time, energy and a few fights, but ensured that the end result was gorgeous.

And, yep, there’s a proper way to do it.

Just like a proper – and right – way to build your brand.

(And no, it doesn’t involve whipping up a logo and crossing ‘business branding’ off your to-do list. I love you, but no. Please no.)

But while properly painting a house means becoming a painting and decorating expert, building your brand requires a different (and, I believe, way more fun!) type of preparation: Brand Discovery.

 

What is Brand Discovery?

‘Brand discovery’ is a term I use to explain the process of getting to know the inner workings of your brand. It’s also an adventure I take my business branding clients on when they work with me.

Which means, well, what exactly?

Well, I liken it to exploring a new destination.

You arrive, sparkly-eyed and open-hearted, and begin exploring. You meet the locals, hunt down the best coffee, hike to the most scenic lookouts, visit the best attractions and indulge your curiosity with the local sights, sounds, tastes and culture.

Because every place, every destination, is unique.

Just like every business, and every brand, is unique!

And while you might not get to taste your brand’s coffee (or, maybe you do if you’re a coffee maker!), you do get to explore:

• Who you want your business to attract
• What you offer (and why it’s so special)
• What you want to be known for
• Why you do what you do
• Your strengths …
• And your weaknesses
• Your business values, beliefs and philosophies
• Why your dream customers should choose you over your competitors.
• Where you want to take your brand

But first … you have to figure all of that stuff out!

Which is where your brand discovery comes in.

Why brand discovery is so brilliant

I truly believe that a brand without depth, is a brand without substance. Sure, it might look pretty, but if it doesn’t have heart and meaning, it will fail to truly connect you with your dream customers.

But when you invest your time and energy into exploring and building the foundations for your business, then you’ll be more than just a pretty face: You’ll be a meaningful force to be reckoned with.

Brand discovery also helps you to:

• Connect with the heart and essence of your biz
• Find your unique points of difference
• Identify your positioning and niche
• Figure out your brand personality
• Get clear on how you can stand out from the competition

Which is why one of my favourite parts of my visual branding process is reading through the answers my clients have written in their Brand Discovery Workbooks.

I’m truly fascinated by what makes you and your business so unique, and it’s my job to translate that uniqueness into a visual brand that shares your story and captivates your customers.

Speaking of which …

Curious about the visual branding adventure I take my clients on? Grab your coffee and head on over here.

Or, ready to discover your brand muse and learn how to channel her creative force into your business? Take the quiz