A perfectly polished Instagram feed or 7,000 followers on Twitter is great. But what is your personal brand as it relates to how you treat others? Are you perceived as a sweetheart or a schmuck?

Has the flame of romance you once had with your brand dwindled into embers? Are you ready to move on to a more mature brand relationship? The process of discovering if you still love your brand is easier than you think.

This video is an excerpt from a presentation I gave to a group of micro business owners about the foundational elements of a strong brand message. It’s a peek into the process I guide my clients through to help them develop their mission, vision, and values.

For some businesses owners their logo has deep personal meaning, so when the owner of Bug Light Bookkeeping asked me to redesign her logo, I wanted to make sure I honored its legacy while also giving Cathy an updated visual identity that could scale with her business into the future.

Developing a mission statement for your organization doesn’t have to be an impossible or intimidating task. But it does require time and effort. And sometimes it requires a helpful guide, like me.

Your brand has many touch points, but one of the most persistent ones is your email signature. Here are some tips on how to keep it short, concise, and effective.

You’re probably sitting on a hoard of gold right now in the form of client testimonials. And the time to spend is now! Here’s how to leverage this important marketing tool and spread the value of your brand.

You don’t develop a visual brand because you want to make something beautiful. You build it to communicate a message.

I had never heard of a multipotentialite until a week ago. Now I realize that am I one. And you could be, too.

If your brand is comprised of a $50 logo and some cheap businesses cards from an online vendor, you don’t really have a brand.

Some entrepreneurs will buy a $25 logo from an online catalog to represent their brand. Your brand speaks about who you are and the value you bring to the world, so it’s worth more than a cheap pair of sneakers, right?

I hesitated to incorporate the pirate side into my brand for over a year. It took a catalyst (literally) and a lot of coaxing to help me overcome my fear and embrace the pirate.