2025 is *officially* here.

Am I excited? Not particularly.

Am I nervous? Yes, but who isn’t?

Will I replace $25k in income this year? Stay tuned to find out.

There’s a lot in the days ahead that we can’t control. And the dirty secret about branding is we can’t control that, either. Because your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.If that gives you the cold sweats, trust me—I get it! My whole career revolves around building brands and people often hire me because they want control. But when it comes to branding, all we can do is paint the picture we want folks to see. How they interpret it and share it (if they share it!) is up to them.

But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless.

While we can’t control every aspect of how we’re perceived, we can intentionally activate our brands in ways that increase the chances of that perception aligning with reality.

And speaking of reality, here’s a dose of it.

Do you need to do the things that are stressing you out about building your brand? Sure, there are things you think you have to do, but deep down, you know they aren’t making a real difference.

Let me give you a permission slip to let go of these traps.

Posting a video every day because everyone said you should.

Sure, video is a powerful tool, but posting just for the sake of it? That’s going to be a no for me. Instead, create content that serves your audience and feels authentic to you and your brand. Focus on the stuff you actually enjoy making. Authenticity always beats forced content.

Chasing the latest trends.

Trends are tempting—looking at you beige color palettes and serif typefaces—but they don’t serve your long-term strategy. When you follow trends, you prioritize being palatable over staying true to what draws folks to you: your vision, your values, and your impact. Before you hit “record” on that Reel, ask yourself: Is this valuable for my audience?

Saying yes to everyone and everything.

I recently shared that I’m ditching all design contracts in 2025. Why?

• They’re putting me on a one-way street to burnout.

• They’re diluting my brand strategy work.

I continue to get referrals for design work, even though I haven’t promoted that as a service in 4+ years. Brand strategy is where my powers shine, and until I go all-in on that one thing, I won’t be known for it.

Your 2025 “Fuck It” Permission Slip

As we step into the new year, ask yourself: What’s actually moving the needle on my brand?

Here’s your permission slip to let go of the things that aren’t.

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for branding (or anything in business).

That means you don’t need to follow every piece of advice out there (this advice included).