How to Build an Audience Without Starting with your Ideal Client
Have you ever wanted to burn it all down?
Like you’ve unintentionally hit a glass ceiling of your own design?
Over the course of the last few weeks a handful of female founders — self included — voiced their intention to rework, rebrand, or rebuild.
Seven-figure copywriter Ashlyn Carter outlined her plan for simplicity in this YouTube video.
Coach Mariah Coz disclosed her roadmap to rebrand in 30 days or less in this blog post.
There is something in the air.
And I suspect it’s not just BS stink of building a business around pleasing algorithms — though that is certainly a part of it.
What we’re looking at here is growth seeping out.
Personal rebranding is rediscovery of ourselves — an emotional growth spurt that stems from the strange and magical in between.
A time when we are not yet the new version but the old version is falling away.
For me, it looks like gobs of free form writing, research, 100 cups of tea, gobs of rewriting, and a literal breakdown-under-the-desk to coax that truest voice out.
It’s a messy thing — crying, wanting to throw up, give up.
But there’s beauty here, too.
Sharing an un-polished growth journey is a permission slip for others to show up authentically, too.
A counter intuitive truth I keep bumping up against is that you have to try to be more authentic.
Especially if you’re conditioned to not fully express yourself.
Here’s what I am learning about personal and business growth:
Authenticity isn’t just what’s real now.
It’s what you’re trying to make real within yourself.
It’s thinking, wouldn't it be cool if?
And becoming the person who makes “if” happen.
In December, I shared a post, “I want to have more joy in my business.”
My anxiety pushed me to realize I was on the wrong path, so I started by asking questions.
What do I believe?
What do I stand for?
What would bring me joy in this process?
The answers swelled into a 15-page Google doc that became the catalyst for a rebrand/refresh that embodies the intersection of my skill set, interests, and curiosity. A whole person brand.
Here’s how the process started for me.
I hope you can take what resonates as you build something lasting that you love too.
I threw out the marketing advice “First, define your target audience.”
Starting with “I believe” statements — instead of the more common “I help” statement — provided deeper connection to my “why.”
I’ve never been more clear on my target audience.
Examining this intersection provided deep insight into the audience my work serves.
From this brain dump, a brand mission-in-the-making came to life: Storytelling content about the intersection of business growth and personal growth.
Boiling it down to one sentence inspires insightful content ideas, and better yet stories. Best yet, reclaiming my narrative.
If this hits, congrats on your level up in-the-making.
I’m rooting for you, and I’m an email way if you wanna chat about the process — just sign up for the StoryCraft Newsletter and hit reply.
Talk soon,
Cyndi
If you’re wondering if now is the right time for a rebrand, or what that even looks like for a solopreneur, follow along on this journey by signing up for the StoryCraft Newsletter.
In the StoryCraft Newsletter share two-minutes stories of doing life and business better with actionable tips to tell your stories every week-ish.
