Whether you’re starting a new site or refreshing an old one, it’s common for an upcoming site launch to bring on some serious anxiety.

You might have spent countless hours refining things. Questioning your UVP (unique value proposition) twenty times. Swapping photos over and over again. Going to bed after a bout of work, totally confident in your progress, then waking up doubting again.

Did you speak to your ideal client?
Are you explaining what you do clearly enough?
Are you making it easy for people to say yes to what you offer?

The list of internal doubts people commonly have could span several pages if I put my mind to it.

Here are the things you need to know to have the most delicious feeling for your next site launch.

1. Websites are fluid and changing. Did you forget something? Miss the mark? Just because you launched a site and twenty people viewed it, it doesn’t mean you need to feel embarrassed or concerned you got something wrong. Just resolve to fix it, carry on, and know that it takes time to build your audience.
   

2. Get a second pair of eyes. It’s easy to push yourself to meet an internal launch date, but it’s better to take an extra week and let a caring and attention-detailed compatriot look it over before you share it. Better yet, show it to your favorite client and see what they think.
   

3. Don’t obsess over an astrologically-aligned launch date. This is a biggie. Most of my clients, myself included, will fixate on launching on a full moon or sometime outside of Mercury Retrograde. Here’s what I’ve learned: it doesn’t really matter. Go live when you feel ready. The thing is, what matters is that you feel really good when you launch it. If you go a week early or a month later to feel the best you can, then you’ve launched at the right time. The only launch date you need to obsess over is the one that is tied into your marketing calendar for upcoming programs. Every other astrological timing concern is only fortuitous if it doesn’t stand in the way of your emotional and financial well being.
   

4. Let your site evolve as your business evolves. Are you unsure if you hit the mark on the client you are attracting? Pay attention to the clients coming in over the next six months after your launch date and tweak accordingly. You’ll find your client base changes after you refresh your images. You can let the Universe guide you to the perfect words for the clients you’re now attracting from this new point forward.
   

5. Breathe & manage your expectations. It’s good to remember that your website launch is not a make-or-break occasion. Share it with love and also understand that you may not get a lot of excitement at first. People will congratulate you (if you give them an opportunity to do so… i.e. don’t hide out after you finish it.) And, they may only scan your new site or barely respond, which can feel deflating after all the work you put in. Here’s the thing to remember: People care about the site once they think they need what you have to offer. It will likely take time to see the fruits of your labor, so don’t take it personally when people don’t get as excited as you hoped they would.
   

What’s the sign that you did a great job on your site? Six months later, you have more and better-paying clients than you did when you started, and you’re noticing you’re having more fun because the clients you do get are aligned for you and your work.

In short? Don’t get so caught up in making it perfect that you lose touch with the importance of your own peaceful evolution as you go. Of course, make it the best launch possible, but understand… you can always refine later. 

Ready to get support building a new site? I have limited openings for my Your Website, Manifested. Learn more and sign up for a discovery call.

Over 12 weeks, we work together to create or refine the perfect web presence to attract your ideal clients and fill your evolving programs. In three months you could be unveiling a beautiful new website with everything you need to get clients with greatest of ease.

Launching a new site is definitely an act of courage! But you don’t have to go it alone.

I want to talk about the relationship between the Now You and the Future You.

Like all Magicians and Manifestresses such as yourself, I love to take time to envision big things for my future. (Better yet, I love to create them!)

Since I was a young girl, I dreamed vividly about who I would become. And some of those things I am still quite certain are part of the self-chosen Destiny I’d selected before incarnating on Earth.

I'm guessing you have the same sense of having a deeper Calling.

Part of my daily ritual is to spend time connecting with the future me; she always sends love-beams and "atta girls" back through time.

She says:

"Thank you for showing up. Thank you for making my incredible life possible."

She is a great source of inspiration and cheerleading for me.

I didn’t always listen to her. I used to focus more on what could go wrong, rather than what it would feel like to show up daily to make my goals real.

That shadowy expectation often consumed my creative life force and took me away from the real work of regular expression and visibility—the first true manifestations of an unfolding Destiny.

Maybe you’ve felt the same way from time to time. Maybe sometimes, like me, you get an inkling of how the Future You could feel cared for by the positive actions Now You is taking today.

Here’s what I now know to be true:

You have to show up every day to take the steps to replace fear and confusion with feelings of confidence, self-belief, and the right to your self-expression.

When you do, you create a more fertile garden in which to grow the Future You.

You have to believe your dreams are valid enough to share them with others and ask for support. To invest the time, energy, and resources in making them real.

To make the sacred commitment to Now You and Future You.

Sometimes it seems like daunting work, but establishing a new normal can be simpler than you think. All it takes is one perspective shift to help you see all the possibilities that were once blocked from view.

If you don’t sit around and wait for the download and choose to start exploring that path now, you will get there so much faster than those who don’t.

And if you suspect that the next thing is in reach and you are ready to manifest it in your lived reality—if you need some support to channel all those big ideas into a plan that you feel excited to implement—I would love to be a guide on your path.

Here’s the good news. I have an incredible FREE resource to share with you that can start your path to greater clarity and abundance right now!

Sign up now for my HIGH VIBE VISIBILITY SECRETS FOR HEALERS, COACHES & LIGHTWORKERS program, where you’ll get access to my powerful, FREE video training series for Spirit-led entrepreneurs who are ready to amplify their brand, expand their earning potential, and find a heart-led way in to enjoying greater visibility.

I’ve already received tremendous feedback from the people who’ve joined this journey… The upleveling of consciousness and business expansion and opportunity has been off the charts amazing.

I fully anticipate if you jump into the program and follow through on the powerful content, you can fully anticipate a hearty “Thank you!” from your Future Self.

From my higher self to yours…

I hope you join us in the rising tide of high vibe business consciousness.

Choosing Freedom within a Challenging Situation

So, things seem to be humming along, and suddenly you’ve hit a block. This is a common condition we can experience in life as well as in business.

How any of us handle a block stems entirely from the story we tell ourselves about the block, why it is appearing and what it means to us.

When I hit a block in life, I ask myself: Is this block representing a limitation I think I have? A weakness I believe I possess? Or is there a choice I need to make?

Limitations – Within or Without?

Let’s start with the idea of a block that is showing up as a limitation.

Limitation can come in two forms: as one that is imposed upon us or in a belief that we are in some way limited ourselves.
 

Outer Limitations

Having limitations imposed upon us can sometimes be freeing, given a more positive perspective.

Let’s say you were given a canvas and told you could paint anything you wanted on it, with any medium. There’s a chance that this may excite you, especially if you were coming into the exercise with an idea to explore already. But there is a greater possibility that the multitude of directions in topic, subject, style, and medium would be overwhelming.

However, if you were given a canvas and told to paint a self portrait or to imitate a painting style or create an abstract landscape, your creativity would work within that limitation and in essence be freed by it to do something unique within the confines of the assigned task.

(In creative pursuits, I’ve always found limitations the tool by which truly unique and interesting solutions are discovered. It helps the mind step outside of well-worn grooves of thinking and look for innovative juxtapositions.)

Inner Limitations - Limiting Beliefs

But there is a different kind of limitation that is more insidious. If you feel limited  — say by thinking you don’t have a certain skill, that you’ll never make a certain level of income, that some achievement is out of reach, or some other barrier — then you have adopted a limiting thought about yourself, and that is truly (and unnecessarily) confining.

The truth is, most of our ideas of our own limitations live in our own minds and don’t reflect reality. It doesn’t mean it might not take us time to learn a skill, or that maybe even learning that skill is not an ideal use of our time. It doesn’t mean that it won't take patience and right timing to reach a goal.

However, if we go into something believing we are limited in some way, we are going to prove ourselves right every time. If we go forth thinking of ourselves as having unlimited potential, then what we do next is more a matter of how we prioritize our time or energy than it is about a story we have about ourselves that is likely untrue in the first place.

Weaknesses vs. Strengths

Let’s say we don’t feel limited so much as we realize we just aren’t quite strong in the area where we think we need strength.

Maybe we’re not so adept at some aspect of our business, simply because we don’t know enough or we haven’t had enough practice. Maybe some technology is still confounding to us or we are missing a strategy.

If we can identify the block as arising out of a weakness (rather than thinking in terms of limitations), then we get to choose if we would like to build that weakness into a strength or rely on partnerships with others who already possess that strength to shore us up.

And here’s a useful idea about strength and weakness. I believe it is Marcus Beckingham who teaches, “A weakness is something that weakens you and a strength is something that strengthens you.” It isn’t necessarily a personal judgment we have made against ourselves. It can simply mean that doing that task either causes us to expand or contract. In fact, a weakness might even be something we are really good at but feel miserable doing.

If something drains you and you can release that task reasonably to someone else, then by all means, let it go! You do have a choice.

Seeing Choices Everywhere

I would argue that even in the realms of limitation and weakness we have choice. We are always free to choose and we are always enough as we are (though of course we will always lean towards continued growth and expansion, even as we know — or ought to know! — we are perfectly imperfect at all times).

We get to choose how we will creatively use the blocks we are presented with in life. And I think blocks show up for a variety of different reasons, ultimately all in support of our highest good.
 

Blocks: The Seeds of Creative Solutions

In facing a block, I always ask myself the following questions:

• Is the block appearing to slow me down so I can consider another alternative?

• Is the limitation an opportunity in disguise?

• Is that weakness coming up to show me the great gifts in leaning on others for support, or to get me to ask others on board who can amplify my vision if I were to open to their wisdom and support?

• Is my personal feeling of limitation arising so that I can stretch beyond it mindfully and raise my upper limits even higher than I previously thought possible?

At times like these I will often rely on divination such as oracle decks, Tarot, or I Ching to help me see things more clearly. It’s too easy to have a knee jerk reaction about a block or a feeling of limitation, and tools like these can help my mind expand so I can see more opportunities where I once only saw opposition and a loss of momentum.
 

Choose to Be Free & Creative

We are always on a journey of growth and discovery in our businesses. When you are tackling difficult aspects — whether it’s getting to the heart of who you want to work with and how to reach them, figuring out how you’re going to get all those business materials funded and created, strategizing your marketing plan and content creation, or any other number of tasks — I encourage you to always see yourself as free, creative within any perceived limitations, and open to the lessons of the obstacle being presented to you.
 

Life — and Business — are a Playground (Not a Battlefield)

Within challenges are the seeds to your expansion and the attraction of tremendous good to you. Not only that, but these challenges also contain the greatest potential for unlocking and sharing your deepest gifts with the world.

When we see life as a playground instead of a battlefield, then we are more likely to enjoy the experience and find the ideal co-creators to join us in our play.

How do you feel about the term R.O.I.? It’s a commonly-used term in business and marketing that stands for “Return on Investment.” If you’re an empathic or spirit-led business owner, it’s possible that this phrase and others like it give you hives. Even if you are very focused and capable of building strong revenue in your business!

Us sensitives tend to be resistant to anything that smells of programming, manipulation, or entirely brain-led (vs. heart-led) strategy. And that's not a bad thing, as long as we aren't rejecting useful tools or ideas out of habit.

In my experience, terms like R.O.I. are just handy shorthand to describe common challenges and solutions that business owners encounter in their day-to-day. They have no more or less power than we give to them.
 

My Definition of R.O.I.

Personally, I like to think of R.O.I. as my “Ripples of Intent.”

If we think about the phrase, “Return on Investment,” there are so many different ways we can get a return on our investment.

Our investment is returned...

• in the most obvious way: by making more money.

• in the form of new leads, warm leads, a bigger email list, more connections: in essence, more potential client opportunities.

• when we grow our client roster.

• in the form of materials that bring us joy to share and express our passions and offerings in a meaningful and persuasive way.

• when we have greater opportunities to share our deepest passions and gifts with more people.

• when more of our perfect fit, dream clients are arriving at our doorstep to co-create and play with us.

In my mind, these kinds of returns on investment are actually a result of having put out clear Ripples of Intent. The ripples expand outward and roll inward — putting good out into the world and giving us greater opportunities to receive good as a result.

When you are creating strong ripples of intent, you go beyond an investment mindset to see the bigger picture.

In addition to the more traditional potential returns on investment you could achieve above, ripples of clear intention can help you:

• create more opportunities for the people around you.

• bring in those perfect fit collaborators to help you see blind spots and amplify your strengths.

• expand a spirit of goodwill and generosity that goes far beyond your own direct client interactions.

• inspire others with original ideas and examples of what’s possible through the illustration of your own successes.

• create a movement that offers thoughtful expansion, world healing, and results in drawing more people to you to support your own expansion and opportunity.

Are You Experiencing Challenges as a Result of Not Having Clear Intentions?

Have you ever stopped to really think about whether or not you are really getting what you want from your business? Have you truly asked yourself why it is you are creating a brand and website, and whether or not your intentions are clear enough for that brand and the resulting materials to get you the results you want? You have to know the results you wanted before you can decide if your branding work is successful in the first place.

If you’ve ever made an investment and were dissatisfied with the return, before you judged the service you received, you might want to ask yourself if the focus of your intention was clear enough to get the return you wanted.

If you’ve ever set out to achieve an obvious next step for your business and felt like the result was lackluster, is it because you settled for an intention that was less than you deserved? Maybe you were ready for more than you gave yourself credit for? For example: did you maybe convince yourself that you had no choice but to accept the limitations of a certain market you had become used to working with when there was an obvious and exciting market ready for you to step into?

Your Ripples of Intent are what bring the Return on your Investment. And like success, you have to clearly define both your intention and the return you are looking to receive from your efforts. Otherwise you will always be at the mercy of other people’s ideas about what it is you need. 
 

Being a Successful Visionary Requires You to Be Intentional

If you have ever caught yourself investing in system after system, program after program, and felt like you were getting nowhere (as opposed to feeling upgraded, expanded, inspired), then you may have been outsourcing your most important job — setting intention, setting the vision — out to someone else.

Let me say that again in a different way:

Your most important job in your business is to be the visionary — the one who sets clear and bold intentions.

If you are in any way sidestepping that and leaving it up to someone else, you are never going to see a significant return on your business, for any of your goals — financial or otherwise.
 

Be Intentional to Get What You Desire

The universe responds to clarity. And while clarity doesn’t always come in a flashing download — sometimes it takes time and exploration — even taking small action and putting down what you do know about what you want to paper can be very powerful.

So, what intentions will you set so you can see the ripples you desire?

• What kinds of clients are you dreaming of working with?

• Who would you most love to support with your gifts?

• What gifts and curiosities are begging for exploration in your work?

• What financial goals would you love to attain, and how are you going to clarify those against where you stand now, so you can move forward in a measurable way?

• How will you celebrate your successes?

• Who would you love to co-create with on your own business?

• What kind of life are you creating for yourself with the help of your business?

• What do sustainability, success, and happiness look like for you?

• What is it you really hope to get out of running your business? What is your non-negotiable need?

If you answer these questions and give yourself grounded spaciousness in answering them — in other words, if you let yourself both dream bigger and settle into what is reasonably attainable as a next stage of expansion — then I guarantee you will begin to see your Ripples of Intent work magic and begin to bring you what you desire in terms of perfect collaborators and clients, who will then help you grow your revenues and the lifestyle you are seeking.

Energetic Alignment on the Soul Brand Journey

It's day three of our brand alignment series, and I have to wonder, how are you feeling today? Did you take any big steps? Did you discover some subtle but compelling wisdom lurking deep in your heart, ready to be incorporated into a new or evolving vision? Did you find a new ally on your path in the voice of your inner child or a dear friend?

Have you uncovered clues of mis-alignment that we discussed in day 1 and are now moving them forward into aligned action?

Even if you haven't quite found that thing that is calling you forth into evolution yet, I know you will still appreciate today's discussion on alignment and the Soul Brand Journey, and I trust that, in time, this information will help you cultivate the next step that is right for you.

Even if you are feeling uncertainty (a very natural part of any creative process, I'll add), challenge yourself to take action, however small, in your effort to uncover your alignment.
 

Find That Feeling of Alignment 

You'll know you're on the right track when you find a feeling of divine alignment that makes you feel vital and alive.

Alignment isn't just a concept, it's a body sensation. When you are truly aligned with a new path, it makes you feel expansive. Your chest opens, you are almost physically receiving the excitement and newness.

By contrast, when you aren't aligned, your body and energy contract and close in. You get that gnawing feeling in the pit of your stomach that something is off.

Sometimes contraction can be a result of fear of the unknown, and that's another matter. If you feel a bit like you're contracting and expanding simultaneously—a flutter of excitement followed by the clench of anxiety—then you know you are in fear territory, and fear is something you can move through.

And very likely, when you feel that double-sided coin of fear and excitement, you are also onto something really juicy and potentially life-changing for you.

That's when you take the next step and the next, chipping away at that fear by taking a steady path of discovery and expression to the next, best version of yourself.
 

Shine and Share On! 

Here's the thing. Once you hone in on that next, luscious thing, then you find yourself having the easiest time sharing what you do with others!

1. You shine when you explain your offering, feeling proud to show it off. You are likely clearer when you describe it, too.
   

2. You are more excited to follow up on leads and likely have greater ease closing new business.
   

3. You wake up excited to do your work more days than not, and it shows in your customer service and quality of work.
   

4. BONUS: It becomes so much easier to market and brand yourself! You may even notice that you attract more resources to engage in all the exciting ideas you have around your business.
   

It's Not Just a Brand - It's a Soul Brand Journey 

This is why, when I work with my clients, I take them on a Soul Brand Journey. It's not enough to simply create a brand guide, color palette, unique value proposition, and logo. If you aren't completely in sync with the soul calling behind what you do, it shows in everything. No sexy brand can make up for a lackluster relationship with your business.

And here's the thing: that soul calling is going to evolve over the years! We can't count all the ways the different variations of ourselves influence who we are and what we do today.

So give yourself permission to make some changes. Everyone has to do it at some point. Running a business is a continual, creative endeavor and like any creative endeavor requires adjustment and fine tuning as we go. It's a reflection of our Heroine/Hero's Journey.

What's Your Next Aligned Action? 

Whether you are in a mostly aligned business or one that's been off for some time, what one action are you going to take to get back into your alignment? And what is the first step you will take to make this real in the world?

Please share your inspirations below!

At the end of the day, it is up to you to give yourself permission to live the life that is calling to you.

And you can do it! The world needs the voice and vision that only you can share.
 

Moving Toward Brand Clarity & Alignment
(When You're Feeling Stuck)

In yesterday's message I shared with you some of the clues that can tell you if a brand or business is off in some way. Did you resonate with anything you read?

Today we are going to go into ways you can move toward clarity of vision and purpose. I'll share with you some of my favorite tools for moving forward.

Tomorrow, I will close the circle as we evaluate the role of alignment and flexibility in our business and brand.

Let's carry on, shall we?
 

Passion Drives a Successful Brand

When you are passionate about what you do, you are filled with divine inspiration to pour love and beauty into all the touch points of your business and, as a result, your brand will sing with ease. Even the dreaded imposter syndrome will be kept at bay, because your enthusiasm just won't let it take the reigns long enough to do any real damage.
 

It's Time Get Out of the Quagmire of Ambivalence!

So, is it time for you to evaluate if you are apathetic or ambivalent about your business? Is it sparking the joy you need to shine and show off your passion?

Hey, don't fret if you're getting that sinking feeling. Let's get you to the other side, to inspiration and enthusiasm, shall we?
 

Here are my tips for easing your way out of the quagmire of business and brand ambivalence.
 

1. Listen to your curiosity.
   
   Aside from frequent urges to visit Facebook during the day, what are some gentle curiosities that have emerged as a theme in your life? Is there something awesome you are exploring in your personal life that you're not giving yourself permission to weave into your business model?
   
   While some of us may want to hold our hobbies and creative pursuits apart so we can focus on doing them without joy or obligation, some of us may need to bring a bit of that curiosity into our business model to make it sing. It doesn't have to be an overhaul, either. In fact, the more gradually you test the waters and adjust bit by bit, the better off you'll be.
   
   

2. Ask your inner twelve year old what she wishes you'd do.
   
   Now, we can't always fully listen to and employ the advice of our inner child (otherwise I'd be on an adventure with the Ninja Turtles right now), but if we've lost touch with our curiosity after a long bout of ignoring it out of a sense of pragmatism and personal responsibility, sometimes our child self can remind us what interested us when we were less burdened by obligations.
   
   Long ago, I remember when my sophomore year of college was winding down and it was time for me to consider a summer internship. I had worked so hard that year and lost touch with my curiosity. I got quiet, looked inward, and found myself asking, "What did I want to do when I was a kid?"
   
   My inner twelve year old piped up loud and clear. "Work at LucasArts!" I'd spent many a late night playing their story-rich and puzzle-filled games as a kid. It seemed ridiculous to me in the moment to think I could get an internship there, because I was studying as a graphic artist and I assumed they probably only hired concept or texture artists for those coveted creative positions.
   
   I didn't let that thought stop me. When I went to the site moments later to investigate, I was amazed to discover one graphic design internship listed as available. It felt as if it was meant for me!
   
   Over the following month, I busted my buns with a renewed curiosity and excitement, creating a stellar portfolio with my best work yet. It paid off -- I was hired! While working there, two separate supervisors shared that a stream of incredible synchronicity had gotten me into that position, starting with the fact that my immediate boss had had the random thought to hire a graphic design intern for once, when they had never done so before.
   
   Thanks to following that twelve year old's voice, I got to spend a summer in San Francisco at my (to that point) dream job, all because I listened to her when I got stuck and followed her curious yearnings.
   
   Side note: As a result of that experience I realized the video game industry wasn't for me, but I had a blast that summer and enriched my professional experience in a myriad of ways and got to see my work prominently displayed in an internationally-sold Star Wars game. You don't have to fully commit long term to what your inner twelve year old tells you, but she very well could get you out of a rut and help you take a more informed next step.
   
   

3. Ask your most trusted friends what they are noticing you doing and not doing.
   
   Girlfriends (the ones who really get our soul and can be trusted to support us through all of our explorations with love and genuine acceptance) can be the best mirror in the world. How often do we know something important about the highest good next step for someone else but hold it to our heart because we respect that they have their own path to travel to get to their destination?
   
   If you're ready and willing to hear what a great girlfriend has to say, she may have noticed ways you have been unconsciously limiting yourself and holding back your genius, leaving untapped prosperity and enjoyment on the table.
   
   A girlfriend may have noticed a gift, tendency, or curiosity you are leaving out of the equation that could really get you on the right track. Take note: you must be ready to receive the input.
   
   • Ask your question
   • Be quiet
   • Listen fully
   • Resist the urge to argue against her points!
   • Say thank you before you either choose to think it over (and maybe make the choice that it isn't the right path for you), or then discuss the finer points of how you will take the next step.
   
   The thing to keep in mind here is that we often have a tendency to refuse things out of hand when we are afraid to take a risk. While someone else may not know precisely what's right for you, be willing to consider that they have some information that could help take you to the next step.
   
   If you're not ready to really listen to input at this time, maybe because you are at too fragile a place or need to hold an idea close to your chest, that's fine! It's best in these situations to refrain from asking until it feels right and you're ready to hear the answers you receive.
   
   

4. Stop overthinking things so much. Just get started.
   
   Something I've noticed from intellectual and spiritual people is that we can overthink every damn thing. We can hold two simultaneous positions on something that are diametrically opposed. Dang, but does that lead to apathy, inaction, and long bouts of depressed naval-gazing. Not fun!
   
   If you find that this is something you do, then consider this: say "hello" to your two opposing positions, and choose to align your actions with the one that is a "yes" for momentum, enthusiasm, exploration, and possibility. Even if you have no freaking clue how it's all going to come together. If you say "yes" to the direction of inaction, not only are you not proving anything one way or another, you also aren't giving yourself a chance to succeed.
   
   If your quagmire is a moral dilemma, chances are good that feelings of ambivalence are actually a sign that you may be using a false story of morality as an excuse to hold yourself back. We can come up with all kinds of reasons not to move forward when we're in actuality simply scared to act!
   
   I think about the notion of the "artist sell-out" in this equation. Artists use this fear of selling out all the time as an excuse not to thrive or explore new pathways. The truth is, the idea of selling out is just a story and everyone's definition of success, and pathway to it, is going to be different.
   
   If you have some kind of limiting belief in this vein, you may not be able to trust friends to shake you out of it—chances are good they have similar beliefs and are going to confirm your limitations! So reach outside of your circles or at least find friends who have a different approach who will help you explore nuances to your position. Or better yet, take a risk, give it a shot, and see what happens.
   
   The best thing you can do is fail. That's right, it's the best thing! When you fail, you get data, and can then refine your direction in a meaningful way, rather than not doing anything at all thanks to false assumptions you've made so far.
   

Do any of these tools or ideas resonate with you? Which one do you think would be best to try out for where you are feeling stuck? Will you turn to your curiosity, your inner child, trusted friends, or simply step out and take that action you've been holding back on for awhile? I would love to hear from you if you have a moment to share.

There's another step beyond this one, and an understanding to tap into to really go the distance with creating a successful brand, and I'll share that tomorrow. We will go into the subject of alignment and how you can use this tool when evolving your brand on your own constantly-evolving journey.
 

In my work, I talk a lot about alignment. Having the showiest, sexiest brand isn't always necessary, and it's certainly not the most important aspect of creating your brand.

Brand alignment is the crucial component for a successful brand. Alignment with your values, with your authentic style and way of working, with your ideal audience, with your energetic state of being.

Of course brand alignment calls for professional imagery, content, and a strategic online presence, but before you can get to brand alignment you must have business and personal energetic alignment — especially as a solopreneur.

For the next three days I will go into the nitty gritty on how to achieve brand alignment. It might take some surprising turns and lead to you ask yourself some interesting questions about your own business and brand, so I hope you'll join me on this journey!

Brand Alignment Concepts I'll Share This Week 

In day 1 we will talk about all the ways that our lack of brand alignment can show up in the world. This will help you clue into some of the behaviors that might be indicators that your business or brand need to be adjusted.

In day 2 we will discuss ways to step around brand and business ambivalence. I'll share some of my favorite reframes and tools for moving forward when I feel stuck.

In day 3 we will talk more about alignment and how it can add so much juiciness to your brand and business. You'll learn why a brand needs room to breathe just as you need space to travel along your business and brand journey.

Sound good? Let's get started!
 

"No One's Buying It"

Have you ever had that experience where you met someone at a networking event or a party, they told you what they did, and you thought to yourself, "Huh, I'm not buying it"?

Not only are you not convinced that what they have on offer is fully legit, but you are literally "not going to buy it." What's the root of such a feeling?

Usually it stems from the fact that we either:

A) don't think the business direction is well-formed or clearly communicated,
B) the person lacks confidence in themselves or their idea, or
C) the person's boredom with their own business is showing, even if only subtly.

And, let's face it, who hasn't been at this place in their business one time or another? There's nothing worse than hustling just to pay the bills and going into a client attraction opportunity feeling like you're not even sure you want the business in the first place. Or worse yet, being plagued by imposter syndrome and having that sabotage all your efforts to express your deeper passion with a potential client!

Business Boredom = Bad Branding 

Your brand is actually the culmination of all the touch points of your business in the world and these kinds of interactions can have a negative impact on your bottom line. Who wants to work with someone who is bored or ambivalent about what they do, the product they offer, or the clients they're serving?

There can be any number of nuances and combinations of a lack of clear communication, focused business direction, or business ennui that can sabotage a business endeavor.

Let's look at the ways this can manifest in your business image through common client and audience touch points. Signs of Business Ambivalence

1. You don't get back to new prospects in a timely fashion.
   
   This could be a symptom of overwhelm, but overwhelm can be a product of procrastination (stemming from lack of interest or focus) or an overloaded schedule (stemming from a poor business structure or again, lack of focus in what you do that is contributing to burnout.)
   

2. You rattle off your elevator pitch by rote when asked what you do, or the opposite—you ramble without focus.
   
   You can be really clear about your offer and explain it without passion. (Yawn.) Or you can have no clue how to tell someone what you do. (Points if there's passion, but no good if they have no idea why they should call you!) Or you could be so afraid that you look like an imposter that you just don't shine. (I'll tell you now — this one hits us all at some point or another, so take comfort in its normalcy and try to simply let it go!)
   

3. You underperform or fall behind consistently on your work, missing the days when you felt on point with quality products and great customer service.
   
   Again, overwhelm can be a culprit here. As illustrated above, overwhelm isn't always just about having too much work on your plate. Maybe you're not feeling challenged or are no longer engaged with your idea. We all go through periods of feeling off! Maybe you just aren't attracting the kind of clients that are truly aligned with your work. If you have experienced a period of boredom or dissatisfaction for a year or more, consider that there may be deeper issues to address.

Your Personal Energy = Your Brand Energy

When you are an independent business owner or solopreneur, you are often a key component of your own brand image. Creating professional, clearly-communicated materials is very important to growing your business. Your own alignment is even more important if you are interested in creating a compelling, successful brand.

In my 20 years of experience in this industry, I have evaluated a lot of brands and websites. In all my travels, I've come to associate unclear, unfocused and poorly branded materials with unclear, unfocused, and uninspired businesses or business owners.

Sometimes the brand issue stems from lack of budget or resources, and other times people are so successful in their business that their brand simply lags behind. Most of the time, though — even in a case where someone is too busy to keep their brand vibrant and alive — there is some kind of mis-alignment at the root.

I part 2 we look at ways you can get out of that feeling of ambivalence or mis-alignment and find your way back to business and brand clarity! Continue below.

Many of the people I work with day to day are empaths, healers, artists, and keepers of the flame. Over all the years I’ve been working, I’ve had countless conversations about working through that “ick” feeling that high integrity people get about branding and marketing themselves.

I’ve been a freelance brand and web consultant and designer for eleven years. I’ve been working in the industry for twenty. So perhaps it may come to you as a surprise that, for awhile and up until a few years ago, I had a really complicated and sometimes ambivalent relationship myself to branding and marketing my own business.

The False Security of Referral Marketing

I’ve been pretty blessed to get so much business through word of mouth. For the longest time, I didn’t need to really market myself too much to keep a roof over my head. Even now, I could probably get by without a list, maybe without networking in the heart-centered communities I contribute to (but that’s debatable). However!

There is a big difference between getting by and thriving.

In order to thrive, I learned I had to learn to get to the bottom of my ambivalence and heal it.

I would often feel like I was at the mercy of whatever random job came my way. Sometimes things were a perfect fit, sometimes not. But when you’re trying to pay the bills, you sometimes make compromises to get by. And often those compromise projects would end up taking longer than my other jobs, have more complications, and take me away from sometimes even being able to accept the perfect fit jobs that would show up. I had filled my schedule up too full with too many things that I didn’t quite want.

In short, I wasn’t taking control over my own business or taking responsibility for my true desires.

Run Away or Take the Reigns?

But, even though I still got some great clients that way, a referral-only strategy was undermining my ability to achieve my biggest goals.

Ultimately my own marketing ambivalence was setting me up to have too many days where I felt like I wanted to run from my business, because the trials inherent in not being intentional outweighed the joy I experienced with some of the very special people I had the opportunity to work with.

I felt so lost, I even went to work for a company for a year. I inevitably came back to my business with a whole new appreciation for my sovereign life and the soulful work I was able to do through it.

Maybe you can relate to falling for this temptation to leave it all behind out of frustration? Maybe you have left it all behind, too, only to realize what you had before? What did you learn that brought you back and aligned you once again with your joy? How are you using that today in your brand?

I finally knew without a doubt that I needed to get to the bottom of my ambivalence and take the reigns in my business, once and for all.

I was determined to thoroughly enjoy my work and work with people who were a perfect fit for my services.

Look at Brands You Like for Inspiration

I talked to people I respected, people who were making achievements in business using high integrity marketing. I began to more closely watch people I admired, like Danielle LaPorte and Marie Forleo.

They were marketing their services. Why was it okay for them to market themselves and not for me? What was the difference?

First I looked at how they marketed their offering and what they were selling. At the end of the day, I realized that I was drawn to brands that not only rang of authenticity, but were also down to earth, heart-centered, and seemed to be genuinely focused on improving the lives of others with grounded strategies.

Think about these things when evaluating your own business’s relationship to the world of branding and marketing:

• What do the brands you like edify?

• How do they inspire you?

• What do you like about their marketing?

When thinking of what I didn't like, I knew that, “Do This One Thing to Triple Your Income,” and “six figure” language totally turned me off. Between dumb (but sometimes admittedly funny) Geico ads and this online “get rich quick” model that had become so prevalent, I had come to associate marketing with something akin to desperation and money-grabbing.

And I had done this despite the fact that there were plenty of examples of people doing it well and with heart. I had spent too much time focusing on what I didn’t like instead of what I did.

Forget About Integrity

Imagine how undermining that was for someone in my industry. If a client ever shouted, “But, integrity!” I really couldn’t make a strong enough argument to make them step up fully, because I wasn’t stepping up myself.

The funny thing was, I loved the people I worked with and believed in what they were creating so much that I actually had no problem helping them brand and market their services. I believed wholeheartedly in the effort and the need for it. But I still kept making excuses for why I wasn’t doing it myself.

So what was really going on? The truth was that there was a more insidious fear at work. The integrity story was a red herring, a disguise for the real problem.

The Real Root of Branding and Marketing Ambivalence

The real reason I was uncomfortable with marketing was because, on some level, I was afraid to be seen. Afraid that if I became too visible, too known for a specific point of view, that I might eventually be attacked for that point of view. Or lose clients for simply following my own voice and perspective in my work.

Deep down, I was afraid of getting trolled or going broke.

How Past Life Pictures Undermine Our Present Day Opportunities

If you are an empath and healer, I believe this mental picture of being lambasted online or becoming a bag lady has a deeper fear behind it. Many of us probably have past life pictures or a past trauma around either literally or figuratively being persecuted or being forced to go into exile for who we really are.

So it’s no wonder that we don’t want to shout too loudly about our point of view or be seen by too many.

The word of mouth method is probably how we did it in those past lives. Have some healing herbs to provide a poor, sick populace? Don’t talk about that too loudly, you might get labeled a witch. Better to let people quietly recommend you when they’re in need and let them in through the back door in order to avoid the potential pitchforks and torches.

Are You Visible or Are You Still in Hiding?

At the end of the day, we on the fringes people — healers, artists, change makers — are often so worried about getting kicked out of the village or being persecuted that we content ourselves with the seeming safety net of referral marketing.

And, it's true — you could Law of Attraction your way into a steady stream of work. However, if you do it without focus, intention, or a willingness to be seen, even that referral river will turn into a trickle at some point.

A thriving business requires you to learn to find more ease in being visible.

Talking Down the Fear to Get to the Real Work

Time and again I’ve seen that the criticism people expect to get by going visible in a big way almost never surfaces; even if it does it’s such a small minority that it’s not even worth fearing.

And yes, you may lose some clients, but the new ones you gain are going to love you so much more for being you.

Being fearful of "going public" is distracting you from the real challenge — how to market yourself effectively to get the results you want.

Or even more importantly, how to structure your business and brand in such a way that you get to do exactly what you love doing and reach enough of the ideal clients looking for your offering that you can actually thrive doing it.

I guarantee, if you are in any way ambivalent about getting out there, then whatever money you spend on branding and marketing will likely prove to be a waste. The Universe does respond to our energy, and without inner alignment on this issue, your brand will end up off kilter and unsupportive of your goals.

Your Challenge, Should You Choose to Accept It

If you do feel that ambivalence or even aggression against marketing and branding, then I challenge you to go deep and suss out the deeper reasons for your feelings. Trust that your integrity and passion will lead you to make the highest good choices, for yourself and for others.

At the end of the day, branding is really about taking what is inside of you and sharing it with the world. If you don’t share it, then we won’t know about it. And I know that you have a gift that we need. Let go of being the best kept secret and be willing to be a well known and loved resource.

Right now the world needs the healers to step out of the shadows and show us how it’s done.

Are you ready to shine your light fully so we can all be warmed by it?