Your Brand Looks Cool to You—But Does It Connect With Your Ideal Client?

I gotta share a question my mentor asked me this morning that sent me spinning even though it’s a question I think about ALL THE TIME when it comes to other people’s brands.

“Put yourself in your ideal client’s shoes, how do they perceive you?”

This is literally something I talk about with my clients all the time when we’re developing their brands. But honestly, it’s a question I’ve asked myself a handful of times and now that I’ve been asked it again - I can see in hindsight I haven’t given myself enough time to really workshop or think about it deeply with myself.

It’s easy for us to think about how we’re being perceived from our own point of view - you know, when you look in the mirror and decide if your outfit is cool or not - or when you put out your big, bold branding that you made on Canva thinking this will definitely stand out.

But the truth is - a lot of this type of thinking (from our own point of view) is just our subconscious judgement coming out to play the role of “vibe check” when really we’re still the fish swimming back and forth inside the fish bowl too close to our own work to really get a handle on what would actually make an impact.

If I would put myself in your shoes - think about what you think about, understand what you wish for, consider the current problems you’re trying to find solutions for - I start to understand the lens through which my brand needs to be expressed in order to stand out to you.

And when I put myself in that position and I perceive myself and my brand while standing in your shoes, I can see that some of the things I think “look cool” or “make so much sense” don’t even really connect with you.

In other words - I can see where I’ve let my ego take over and where there is opportunity for me to be more generous with my brand expression.

At the end of the day - sure, it’s great to like your own brand and all - but the question that really matters in business is - what does your ideal client think of of you?