Hey there,

It’s really unfortunate (for me) that brand strategy has gotten a bad rap over the years.

People think it’s busy work, fluffy stuff, and a “nice to have” but not a necessity.

That’s because most brand strategy sucks. And the process behind it sucks even more. And I have a hunch it’s because a lot of people in 2020 were told they could “charge more” if they tacked on brand strategy to their design/writing/social media services.

Gather ‘round and let me tell you a story about a webinar I joined in 2020.

In 2020, I had just quit my job as a Creative Director at a B2B agency. I wasn’t sure what the next chapter of my career held, but I figured it was time I revisited all my former job titles to see what still fit.

And while I knew I wanted to continue the strategy work I was doing in my CD role, I wasn’t sure what my “angle” was or really how to break into the space. My only freelance experience was as a brand and web designer.

Someone in a local community recommended I join a webinar their friend was hosting about building your design business, and I thought, “Heck, why not?” Because remember, this was 2020, and the only thing to do was look at my computer screen for 12 hours, then switch to looking at my television for 8 hours.

During the webinar, the presenters asked people about their deliverables. A lot of people said things like a logo, a full brand suite, a webpage. Then a slide came up on screen that said: STRATEGY in big bold webinars. I’m picturing it surrounded by this emoji: 🤑, though I’m 99% sure it wasn’t.

The presenters said some version of this: If you start charging for your discovery call and call it “strategy,” you can charge thousands more dollars.

“But how do I make my work strategic? I’ve never done strategy,” someone in the chat asked.

“By sending a survey to your clients to get more information,” said the presenter, very matter-of-factly.

My heart started racing. Was this the world I was trying to enter?! Where strategy was a theoretical idea, not something people could use (or, in this case, actually understand and implement)? I was tempted to hit “EXIT!” and leave the middle finger emoji in the chat on the way out, but I decided to know thine enemy.

“What questions do you put on the survey?” another attendee chimed in.

“I’m so glad you asked,” started the presenter. “You can buy my survey template and get my actual survey for $29 for the next 24 hours. OR. You can join my course on how to build strategy into your design business. And by being here today, you get a discount code.”

I shit you not.

The justice part of me was making my heart race. I needed people to know THAT’S NOT HOW THIS WORKS! And if I had known Amyl and the Sniffers in 2020, I would have dropped a wagging finger emoji (does that exist?) and, “U Should Not Be Doing That!” in the chat.¹

Instead, I asked, “Do you think anyone can send a survey and turn it into a strategy?”

The presenter responded, “This isn’t actually turning it into a full-blown strategy; it’s sending a survey and using that survey to create great design.”

MA’AM, THAT IS THE BARE MINIMUM OF BEING A SERVICE PROVIDER.

I left the webinar promptly after, and I hope those folks are doing well.

This is my villain origin story

I hate most people’s approach to brand strategy. Mostly because it’s not brand strategy. Let’s be real. It’s a money grab.

And how do you know it’s a money grab?

The expectations and demands are put on YOU, the CLIENT, to tell THEM, the EXPERT, what your brand should be. You know this is the case because they’re sending you endless surveys, asking you questions you don’t know the answer to (like “What is your brand’s unique value?” and “How are you different?”). And if you knew the answers to those questions, would you have hired someone to “do strategy” in the first place?

A lot of “brand” folks tell business owners what to do:

• Use your values as a guiding light

• Only create content that solves your ideal client’s problem

• Make sure you stay on brand.

But they never tell them how to think about brand in the first place. Let alone how it applies to their unique business.

This is what’s different about Brand Clarity Lab. The only expectation is that you come as you are, and you come ready to dig in.

It’s part teaching, part workshop, part coaching, part consulting. AND ALL YOU.

Yes, there are a lot of questions and reflection prompts (all optional, mind you), but combined with teaching experiences, group workshops, and individual sessions, you’ll get a clear picture of how these principles apply to YOU (and no one else).

Some weeks, I’ll hold your hand. Other weeks, I’ll nudge you out of the nest because you’re more ready than you think you are.

Here’s what to expect when you join The Lab:

• Turn complexity into clarity. You’ll turn scattered ideas into a clear through-line that connects your audiences, offers, and message so everything you share builds on the same story.

• Say things that sound like you. Your message will reflect your actual work (and your unique personality). Plus, it will make sense to the people you want to reach.

• You’ll stop shouting into the void. With a clear audience and roadmap, you’ll stop posting to post. You’ll choose platforms and messages that fit your goals.

• You’ll stop winging it! You’ll leave with direction and a reason behind all your marketing actions.

Brand Clarity Lab kicks off on January 12, 2026, but space is super limited. We keep things small so everyone gets the space to explore what they’re building and get intentional feedback.

If you want to build a brand strategy that actually sees the light of day, join us.

Thanks for reading,

1  In this scenario, I guess I am both the antagonist and protagonist of this song? IDK, but I like the reference, okay?