How Do I Become a Brand Hero?

by Phoenix Desertsong, Personal Branding Expert

When most people start a company these days, they know branding is one of the keys of success. But, a brand goes far deeper than your logo, how your website looks, and how you present your product or service. What separates the brand zeroes from the Brand Heroes in the end is passion and the ability to connect on an emotional (and even spiritual level) with their intended audiences.

So, how do you become a Brand Hero? Here’s the number one tip...

It’s Not All About the Money!

Too often, it seems like money is the end goal when someone creates a brand. No matter what the stated objective in a business plan may be, the end result is what’s my cut in all of this? But, building your brand shouldn’t ever be just about your bottom line.

Still, it seems to be the hope of many budding entrepreneurs out there to build a fairly successful business, then sell their growing company to someone with a pile of money, and move onto new ventures. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with building a company and selling it. But, what’s the true motivation behind it? And, should you really sell your brand to someone else just for money?

That’s the million - or even billion - dollar question isn’t it?

The number one reason 90 percent - or more - of startups fail isn’t what you think. It isn’t lack of business knowledge or a lack of a proper business plan. Yes, that knowledge is helpful. But most successes aren’t as planned as the “experts” would have you believe. The reason that many fail is actually much more basic. A lot of those people that build brands are just trying to become rich and/or famous.

Guess what? Everybody tries that. Yeah, some succeed. But the reason those people succeed is because they weren’t in it for the money. Sure, money may have changed their motivations later on. Sure, someone may offer life-changing money in exchange for their product or business. But still, the initial success is because there was a purpose, a passion, behind creating the brand.

Well, passion isn’t enough some say. But you’d be surprised at how little of a plan some aspiring entrepreneurs have. They either enter the market at the right time, are doing something completely different from everyone else, or do something that others are failing miserably at. Let’s look at how these Brand Heroes figure out how and when to jump on their opportunities.

How Do I Get in the Market at the Right Time?

There isn’t a magical answer to this question. It really is partly luck. You can do some research and see if a particular niche is trending. Yes, you can jump on the bandwagon and just try to get int there and do it better than everyone else. Sometimes, this works. But the thing is, when you jump on a bandwagon, you’re competing with a whole bunch of other wannabes. So, the trick is to get into the market before everyone else has figured it out.

Being Completely Different

Obviously, being completely different at something is a bit difficult to do. But if you are doing something no one else is doing, and it’s something that people actually look for, then you have a chance of creating your own niche. Creating your own market is always better than trying to do what everyone else is trying to do. But inventing something new is hard. Still, it can be rewarding, especially if you get people who buy into your vision and stick with it until you’re successful.

Do Something Others Fail Miserably At...

Speaking of trying, there are plenty of things out there that are being done, but not necessarily well. If you’re experiencing a certain service or product that’s out there but that people aren’t happy with, then innovate! Turns out that most successful people took something existing and innovated on it, but it’s the innovation that’s remembered and becomes the real big success. So, yeah, you don’t even have to invent something to be successful. You just have to not suck at it. That’s probably the hardest thing to do of all, but it’s also how you can find an existing market that is hungry for something better. And, innovation is sometimes just as good as inventing something.

So, if you want ot build a company for the sole purpose of selling it later, well… that’s not how I’d recommend doing it. But you can! If you build something awesome that people want to buy, I suggest giving them a cut, but never, ever give up your baby’s ownership rights. Sure, someone may be able to run it better than you, or so you think. Staying in control of what you create and putting your heart and soul into it is what makes a true Brand Hero.

Do you have what it takes to be a Brand Hero? You’ll never know unless you put your best foot forward, chase your dreams, and never give up no matter what anyone else does or says. My best advice is to never lose control of your brand. It should be as much a part of you as your arm and leg. While I know plenty of people will disagree with me, this is what I believe. I’m going to always stick to it. After all, if someone wants to buy my company for millions of dollars, who knows what I could built it into myself?

Share your success with others, sure. Let others buy in, sure. But never lose hold of the reins to your chariot. It may be just a rickety cart right now, but you just never know how you’ll build it up to become an impressive vehicle for your hopes and dreams. Be a Brand Hero, stand out, and build something awesome!


Want to become a Brand Hero? But, not sure where or how to start? Hire the Brand Shamans and we’ll show you how!