I’m going to let you in on a little secret today: your branding impacts YOU just as much it does your potential clients. What do I mean by that? Nothing builds more confidence as a business owner than thinking strategically about what it is you have to offer and how you’re going to make an impact.

I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE

Want to know something a little embarrassing? I have a background in marketing, but I completely ignored everything I knew when I was first launching my nutrition coaching business. It wasn’t intentional, my business was a side hustle at the time and I was doing the best I could, but the whole “throwing spaghetti at the wall” tactic only got me so far.

While I was still working in corporate marketing, I would create content with random brand messaging and post it on Instagram or to my website, so you might have thought I had a strategy in place. But, I really didn’t.

Eventually, imposter syndrome hit me hard. So hard, that I experienced a new level of burnout where I could not bring myself to post anything for over a month because I felt like a fraud. “Who was I even speaking to? What was I trying to help them with? Healthy living is so broad, where do I even start?” were just some of the thoughts swirling around in my head.

Now I think it’s important to mention that during this time, I was still running my coaching business. I was working with clients, using word-of-mouth referrals, and delivering value for my coaching clients. But, I wasn’t creating a brand or a reputation for myself. A brand that would allow me to expand beyond just coaching to generate profit in my business or become known for something specific.

HOW I TURNED IT AROUND

Luckily, once I decided to put my “marketing hat” back on, I saw real results from creating an intentional brand!

In just two months, my number of clients doubled. I attribute 90% of that success to my mindset shift because by developing a brand strategy, I became confident in the value I could offer to people. Let me break it down so you know how to do it too.

WHAT’S YOUR BRAND AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

REASON #1:

You learn about yourself and uncover your true purpose during the branding process.

A brand strategy takes into account many factors of your business and clearly defines who you want to support and how you support them.

As you develop your brand strategy, ask yourself tough questions and get to understand yourself on a deeper level. Get to the real “why” behind why you choose this career path. By doing this, you can see your unique gifts clearly and the valuable contribution only you can offer!

This exercise also allows you to figure out how you will communicate those gifts with the world and make the impact you ultimately desire.

REASON #2:

You tap into your CEO mindset when you feel established as a business.

As you make key decisions about your brand, you are flexing your CEO mindset muscles. You prove to yourself you are in control and you build your confidence in running a business.

How does it feel to call yourself a CEO out loud? Does it feel a little uncomfortable? Or does it feel right? By the end of the branding process, you embody a true CEO, and the title will fit like a glove.

When you take the time to develop a brand strategy early on in your business, you also cut down on decision fatigue later on. Your brand strategy acts as a rule-book to help guide your decisions based on your mission and values. As the CEO, you will know what fits within the strategy and trust yourself to make the right choices for your business.

REASON #3:

Effective branding attracts your dream clients, helping you create a successful business and build a great reputation.

When your brand is positioned correctly, you attract the right clients and easily build a great reputation among your target audience.

Have you ever read something and thought, “Wow this sounds like it was meant for me.”? When your brand messaging is created with someone specific in mind, this reaction will happen often. People will feel understood and trust you on a deeper level. Plus, as you gain more and more coaching experience, you’ll get an added boost in confidence in the value you offer to your clients!

CONCLUSION

As you can see, your branding (and the process of developing your brand) has a huge impact on you as a coach and business owner.

By being intentional about your brand, you dive deep into your own motivations, gifts, and purpose. You tap into your CEO mindset and feel confident making decisions that will lead to your ultimate success. And your well-positioned brand attracts the right clients, making it easy for you to gain more experience coaching to generate consistent income doing what you love.

For more on Mikala, head here!