01: Brand + Business Pivots
Nonprofits to grad school to entrepreneurship? Hear the story of how Kim Wensel started her business and why she decided to start this podcast. Kim is a brand storyteller who works with small business owners who want to upgrade their messaging, build a reputation, and attract more of the right clients online.
We’re kicking off the show with our host, Kim Wensel, sharing her story of building a brand and the unexpected pivots along the way.
Kim’s background is in nonprofits and academia, a far stretch from entrepreneurship. It wasn’t until she was 27 that she got the hint that starting a business might be the right fit for her multiple passions and skill set. Six months later, she was running a wedding planning business on top of her full-time job in international development.
In this episode we explore:
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Balancing multiple work priorities and a family;
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Pivoting your business focus and services;
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The difference between an expensive hobby and a business; and
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What this podcast will cover: getting to know your customer, brand positioning, client language, steps before hiring a designer, and working with the right designer.
QUOTABLES FROM KIM
“Branding is more than a questionnaire. It’s more than an hour long strategy call. And if you’re not clear on your strategy when you hire a designer, you’re not going to be happy with the results.” –
“You always hear, ‘How do you do it all?’” The answer is: you don’t. You make sacrifices and decisions on what’s most important.”
“I see myself as the bridge between your business goals and your brand design. There’s so much in that space and if we don’t address that work, your brand is never going to represent the highest version of your business.”
“What is a brand and what is branding? Your brand is your reputation. Branding is the elements that shape your reputation—like colors, logo, images, and language.”
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
The Curse of Knowledge blog post:Why It’s So Hard to Write Copy
FOLLOW + CONNECT
Follow along for the business and personal side of things:
IG: @pattern_ofpurpose (business),@kimwensel (personal)
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