037 | Brand Building for the Solopreneur
Brand Building for the Solopreneur
Branding isn’t just about logos. It’s about leadership, identity, and making your complexity feel cohesive.
Key Takeaways
- Brand ≠ Logo. It’s the total experience shaping gut feelings.
- Five Brand-Gap Disciplines (Neumeier): Differentiate, Collaborate, Innovate, Validate, Cultivate.
- Onlyness Test: “We’re the only ___ that ___.” If you can’t finish it, niche or clarify.
- Color & Shape Psychology: Colors cue emotions (red = energy, blue = trust); shapes cue meaning (circles = community).
- Visibility Requires Courage: “You don’t have to be fearless; you have to be brave.” — Jen Gottlieb.
- Iterate in Public: Low-stakes testing (IG stories, mini polls) beats silent perfection.
- Commit—but keep evolving. Schedule a quarterly brand check-in to ensure alignment.
Resources & References
- Books:
- Marty Neumeier — The Brand Gap, Zag
- Charles Duhigg — Supercommunicators
- Jen Gottlieb — Be Seen
- Donald Miller — Building a StoryBrand
- Bernadette Jiwa — Meaningful
- Free Tools: Canva Color Wheel · Coolors Palette Generator · Google Fonts · Hemingway App (tone clarity)
- DIY Exercises (download link in show-notes PDF):
- Brand-Buddy Scorecard
- Traffic-Light Asset Audit
- 5-Voice Bio Script
Put It Into Practice
- Do the “Onlyness Test”. Post your answer in stories; tag me so we can cheer you on.
- Run a Traffic-Light Audit. Green/Yellow/Red your assets—snap a pic, share on LinkedIn with #EOBrandAudit.
- Find a Brand Buddy. Swap 30-minute reviews using the scorecard download.
Until next time—keep those emotions working for you.
