Of all of the businesses I’ve developed brands for, coaches are easily the most prone to pivots I’ve ever seen.
For example, let’s look at Kelli's story.
At the start of her coaching career, she set out to be a business coach for exhausted Corporate ladder-climbers looking to transition out of the rat race and into their own venture, since that's the route she took and found a lot of success.
So she set off merrily down the path of building a professional-looking brand around that identity and role.
Fast forward to today— a few years and a bunch of successful clients later— Kelli realizes the common thread to her best coaching moments isn’t so much ins-and-outs of business, but rather her ability to help strong women leverage their self-discipline to actively create their next season of life.
She realizes that her dream client doesn’t have to be a business owner at all, but is looking down the barrel at a midlife crisis— considering burning their life situation to the ground (whatever that entails). This kind of 90º pivot is typically recipe for a brand overhaul, right?
This is a fictional story, but it happens all. the. time. in coaching.
I'll be the first to tell you that this is an expensive proposition to rebrand every time you pivot or evolve your business.
Expensive not just monetarily; but even more importantly, the energy required to pivot and reinvent your business like this is immense. But, alas... this is the name of the game without the right strategy. I'm speaking from experience, this isn't something you want, I promise. And, that's coming from someone who does this for a living.
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Back to pivot-proofing...😄👇🏼
Most branding doesn't (and even can't) account for evolution like this, though— because it's geared strictly toward what your business is NOW.
I'm a firm believer that branding can and should account for your evolution, because it's inevitable— especially for coaches and consultants who are always on the lookout for ways to improve.
This means:
You need a brand that's as adaptable as you are. This requires strategy.
The way to pivot-proof your business is simple: create your brand as a foundation to your entire career, rather than this sliver-of-a-moment (when you zoom out and consider the bigger picture).
If this feels even more daunting to you, I completely understand. This approach isn't for the faint of heart or the shallow-minded, because to get this kind of longevity out of a brand strategy, we have to dig deep to find what's most true about you. It's a process of profound self-discovery and awareness, and is entirely worthwhile if you're willing to be vulnerable.
Let me be clear: there will more than likely still be pivots.
Just like how waterproof mascara doesn't mean there won't be rain, humidity, or tears— you opt for waterproof to account for the chance there might be.
Pivot-proof means that the effects of pivoting won't impact your business and brand nearly as much as they would without the proper strategy.
If this rings true for you, reach out or even schedule a free consultation. It's never a bad time reach the people you were born to help.
Until next time...
XoXo—
Dana-
📷 : Lawrence Hookham on Unsplash
