In March 2020, it felt like everything changed for me in a heartbeat. 

I was working in a high-octane senior leadership role as the Marketing Manager for a global travel brand. I’d just returned home from beautiful Mauritius, which I’d been lucky enough to visit for a work trip, just days before the COVID lockdowns began to rollout worldwide. 

Then, I was suddenly furloughed from my job when our Prime Minister announced that we must stay at home. In the UK, this meant that I was actually banned from working in my day job. The government stepped in to pay 80% of our wages to help keep companies afloat. My identity disappeared overnight which, for a workaholic like me, was extremely difficult to digest.

In the months that followed, most of my colleagues were sat around enjoying the unseasonably warm weather, baking loaves of banana bread, working out with Joe Wicks every morning and taking advantage of the slower pace of life that was enforced upon us all. 

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And me? 

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Well, things were a little different. I was frantically launching a brand new business. Unfortunately for many of us, redundancy swiftly followed and by September of 2020, I was officially standing on my own two feet.

Fast forward just two years and I’ve grown this business from the ground up - quite literally from ZERO. We’re now on track to surpass that elusive six-figure mark this year. 

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So how did I do it?

Well, I’ve got four key suggestions for you, to help you build an equally magnetic and soulful brand. 

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1. Solid Brand Foundations

First things first: establish solid brand foundations.

For me, this came in the form of investing in branding from the very beginning. I wanted to create something that was immediately identifiable and also felt like me. This would prove to be a key part of our subsequent success and I wanted a brand identity that would be future-proofed too. 

I worked with my designer on a full branding suite including illustrations, colours, fonts, logos and a clearly defined tone of voice. I also made sure my brand purpose, mission and value statements were crystal-clear. A powerful brand purpose can be paramount in your business - acting as your guiding compass as you evolve.

A few tips here - do your research. It’s important to find a designer that understands your mission and aligns with your aesthetic. Investment in branding can wildly vary in terms of price point but I would say that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Like many industries, the design space is full of “cowboys” so tread carefully and ensure you’re being provided with a wholly unique design that can be protected legally, if you choose to do so. 

Establishing these key foundations in the early stages gave me confidence when I needed it the most. It also meant that my community started forming attachments and loyalty to the brand from day one. 

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2. Slick Online Presence

For many of us that operate in the online business space, our website is our digital shop window. It’s often one of the biggest first impressions that we have (especailly if we don’t have an in-person bricks and mortar presence) so in my view, it needs to be top-notch. 

My first website was by no-means perfect. It was more of a panic response to redundancy and a rather speedy self-build. I quickly realised that whilst it was serving a purpose, it could be significantly improved. When I was offered the chance to work with a designer on a new platform called Showit in the autumn of my first year, I jumped at the chance - it was time to take things up a notch. 

This massively elevated my brand. I receive a lot of compliments about our website because it perfectly encapsulates our message, aesthetic and brand feel. It’s our digital home and has become even more crucial this year with the addition of a new blog. 

As you scale your business, unless you are blessed with heaps of time and technical skills, be prepared to invest in website development. 

Firstly, it’s unlikely that you’ll have the bandwidth to continue doing this yourself, even if you can access the right know-how. But working with an expert will likely result in a better outcome for your brand because, just like you, they are a specialist in what they do. 

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3. Connection and Culture 

We put our clients and people at the heart of everything we do.

Little and large gestures help to make the experience of our brand really special. This could be a gift for my team members or a client on a special occasion or milestone. Or maybe it’s just an extra check-in message on Voxer if I know they’re going through a difficult time.

Ultimately, you want your clients to be renewing their commitments with you. Creating personal connections and making sure they are happy will help you maintain stable relationships and cash flow, which also means less time and stress looking for new leads. 

Alongside this, I prioritised our internal team and brought in people who genuinely love the brand. A key part of scaling is having the right people around you when growing your tribe. The support I found in the early stages of my business journey was crucial to the success I experienced. With the right guidance and accountability, you can discover your true authentic self and become more aligned and content in your business.

Working with like-minded people in your industry and building a sustainable referral network is also invaluable. I’ve had so many recommendations and business from my existing clients. Plus, collaborating with others who share your values and a similar audience is a great way to get the word out there about your business. Building connections is something that will help support your business, as well as your mental health.

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4. Consistency is King

The golden rule of entrepreneurship - consistency! This will look different to everyone. 

Consistency for you might mean carving out time every evening to do four hours of solid work because that’s when you’re at your best - anyone else in the night owl club? For others, it might be the introduction of a daily morning routine or other things that make you feel good. It could mean showing up your Instagram less than you would like to, but in a more consistent way - perhaps three days a week is better than seven days in a row and then crickets for weeks at a time. 

Speaking from experience, it can be really easy to fall into the trap of thinking that everyone else around you is doing better. This isn’t a healthy mindset to have and will likely lead to burnout. Instead, think about what is realistic and works for you. Make a list of what you can feasibly achieve - and a word of warning - we usually massively overestimate what we can achieve in a given period of time. 

I’m pretty fluid with how I plan out my days. Rigid calendar blocking really doens’t work for me and I love to have white space in my day for going to the gym, doing life admin, walking the dog and getting outside in nature. Consistency is definitely more likely to be achieved if you start putting yourself first - once you’ve done this, you’ll be in the right mindset to stay on track with your goals.

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Keeping these things in mind will pay off in the long term and allow you to experience freedom - financially, creatively and time-wise. Focus on building a business that, first and foremost, makes you feel amazing, and watch the rest fall into place. 

Nobody is perfect but remember - your best is enough.