W E E K 2 : E X P L O R E

© C E R R I E S M O O N E Y | W W W . C E R R I E S M O O N E Y . C O M

NoticedC L A S S 1 P L A Y S H E E T

NoticedHello!

In Week One of Noticed, you were in a phase of PREPARING. I’m so proud of you for doing that work, because it really did set the scene for this week’s focus: EXPLORING.

We’re starting this week by exploring your BRAND.

What is it?

Why does it exist?

What does your unique brand strategy look like?

You are no longer going to throw spaghetti at the wall. (Mmm...spaghetti).

You are going to head into the next two weeks ahead with an actual strategy.

A clear idea of what you need to create, and why it’s important.

You’re also going to understand the moving parts of your brand, and which of those parts are essential - or optional (and you can actually leave for another day).

The aim of this Playsheet is to leave you feeling clear about what you gotta do, and confident that it’s all achievable (and not a reason to feel overwhelmed, confused, or stuck).

You’ve got this!

Enjoy!

Let’s expl�e your BRAND

Ce�ies xo

What the heck is a brand?

No...seriously. What is it???

I know that this seems like a crazy question to ask - because, given that you’ve enrolled on a program about branding, it’d be reasonable to assume that you know what a brand is.

But the thing is - I’ve asked this question in so many surveys over the last few years, and the answers are always so random. The answer - it seems - isn’t as clear-cut as we assume it would be.

The most common answers that crop up are:

Your logoYour business nameThe essence of who you are and what you doYour colours and fontsThe images you useYour websiteYour tagline, and your tone of voice in your copy

It’s true: all of those things are part of your brand. But if they’re just the parts - what is the actual ‘brand’ itself ?

I don’t know about you, but that kinda sends my head into a spin. Almost on a similar level to questions such as ‘Why am I here?’ and ‘What happens at the end of the Universe?’. Well - not quite - but it does hurt my brain to try and answer the question of what a ‘brand’ actually is, because there doesn’t seem to be a clear, logical answer.

The truth is: your brand is SO much more than your logo, colours and fonts. SO much more. It goes way deeper than most branding experts seem to think it does (but...I know that’s why you’re here - because you instinctively know that there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye).

Many solopreneurs start attempting to brand their business before actually understanding what the word ‘brand’ means, and - more specifically - what it means for them. And...As a result, they quickly end up feeling overwhelmed and like they have no direction whatsoever (which usually means spending time, energy and money they don’t have, and can’t get back).

As easy as it would be to have a ‘branding to-do list’ full of tangible tasks (design logo, choose colours, pick images) - branding just doesn’t work that way. That’s because a ‘brand’ isn’t something you easily define. It’s something that you feel.

What exactly IS a brand?

Brand = feeling.

That’s what ‘branding’ means.

It means how you feel - and how others feel when they come into contact with your business, or your energy.

Or - how you want to feel, and how you want others to feel when they come into contact with your business.

Brand also means decisions.

If you look at your brand in a very practical, logistic sense - all it is is a series of decisions that you’ve made along the way. The moment you decided to start building your business (even in the most early stages - even when it was just the tiniest seed of an idea), your brand started to manifest itself. Every decision you have made (or - incidentally - not made) to this point has influenced the evolution of your brand.

And finally - brand is energy.

As I mentioned last week, your brand is like a ball of energy - with you at the centre of it. You can’t see it, but you can feel it. You can’t ‘build’ it, but you can feed it. It’s your essence - it’s YOU - infused into your business and life’s work.

It’s one of those things that you know is so crucial to the growth of your business - yet it’s not something that’s easily achieved. It’s not something you can throw money at (if, indeed, you have any) and as if by magic, your perfect brand or website will appear.

The problem is: so many of us feel so confused about who we are, what we do, and who we serve, that our brands end up scattered and misaligned with our unique energy. Desperately looking for a way for our brand to appear more ‘authentic’, we try so many different things to improve it (or maybe even outsource to a designer). As a result - the more we add into the mix, the more scattered and misaligned the brand appears (which ultimately means leaving money on the table, because people just can’t translate your vibe into something that makes sense to them).

This week is about going back to basics, and SIMPLIFYING your brand strategy. To assess what’s working well, what’s not working well, and eliminate the clutter.

To figure out how you want to feel through your brand, how you want others to feel when connected with your brand, and the decisions you’ll (realistically) have to make to make that happen.

(Hint: it may not be as overwhelming as you fear it might be, or have experienced it to be).

What exactly IS a brand?

1I T ’ S A L L A B O U TT H E F E E L I N G S

This is - by far - THE most important question you need to ask yourself when it comes to branding your business.

It is absolutely crucial that you give this some thought, because your answers will determine the way your brand takes shape from this moment on.

Most solopreneurs create their brands from the question of ‘Who do I need to be to attract my ideal customers?’. As you know from my story (which I shared in Week One) - it’s a path that leads to burnout, frustration, and feeling trapped inside a business that doesn’t feel like it belongs to you.

How do you want your brand to make YOU feel?

If you’re worried that by putting YOU at the centre of your brand instead of your ‘ideal customer’ you may be risking losing out on sales (or not being noticed), remember:

Brand is energy.

If you’re not feeling it, others won’t, either.

People are operating with a highly-sensitive authenticity radar these days.

If your brand lacks authenticity, they will feel it.

They will sense that something is off. They may not be able to put their finger on it, but they’ll just feel that somehow - you’re not being genuine.

Rather than feeling a heartfelt connection with your brand that whispers to them that you’re a good fit, they’ll be left feeling uninspired, unsure, and certain of one thing: it’s best to walk on by.

So...how do you ensure that people who ARE a good fit for your business actually notice you, and feel that connection?

You start with figuring out how YOU want to feel in your business.

The meaning of the word ‘authenticity’ means being true to oneself.

So, let’s get honest, shall we?

How do you want to feel in your business?

How do you want to feel about your brand, your work, and yourself as a contributor in the world?

Let’s find out.

How do you want to f�l?

1

When it comes to my brand, I want myself and others to feel...

When I ask the question ‘How do you want your brand to make you feel?’ to my clients, they often look at me with a blank expression.

They just can’t answer that question.

Sometimes, it’s because they genuinely don’t know. Most times - they just can’t put it into words. They have an idea of how they’d like to feel, but they don’t know how to articulate it.

And that’s where archetypes come in.

Your Primary Archetype (and Secondary Archetype, if you know it), can help you succinctly put into words how you’d like to feel in your business - without you having to do hours of soul-searching to figure it out.

On the next page, you’ll find a table of words that typically describe how you might like to feel, depending on your archetype/s.

As with everything on this journey - these words are suggestions, not prescriptions.

Use them as a starting place to think of your own, or use them exactly as they are. Or - if none of them fit - feel free to substitute for your own.

I would like you to choose FIVE WORDS that describe how you’d like to feel in your business, and therefore how you’d like others to feel, too (because energy is infectious - so make sure your brand is giving out the right one).

Once you’ve taken a look at the table, list your five words below. Don’t overthink it - just use your intuition, and write them down. These are simply guiding words to remind you of what’s important to you as you move through this process.

Keep these words safe, as we’ll be coming back to them later in the process.

How do you want to f�l?

How do you want to f�l?

Revolutionary

Romantic

Ruler

Sage

Warrior

Alchemist

Creator

Explorer

Innocent

Jester

Nurturer

Realist

Inspired. Inspiring. Powerful. Successful. Transformational. Significant. Impactful. Efficient. Strong. Effective. Magical. Connected. Excited. Uplifted. Magnificent. Abundant.

Creative. Authentic. Genuine. Significant. Expressive. Excited. Inspired. Playful. Vibrant. Free. Abundant. Energized. Inventive. Artistic. Fulfilled. Invigorated. Alive. Connected.

Authentic. Free. Exhilerated. Fulfilled. Spirited. Independent. Satisfied. Successful. Full. Infinite. Expansive. Unrestricted. Inspired. Determined. Excited. Impulsive. Thrilled. Curious. Carefree.

Optimisitc. Happy. Joyful. Playful. Peaceful. Idealistic. Delighted. Free. Loving. Hopeful. Positive. Idealistic. Grateful. Gracious. Trusting. Wonderful. Faithful. Charismatic. Resilient. Inspired. Childlike.

Joyful. Free. Happy. Fulfilled. Spontaneous. Connected. Impulsive. Innovative. Excited. Spirited. Whimsical. Real. Authentic. Creative. Curious. Carefree. Lighthearted.

Generous. Heart-centred. Compassionate. Joyful. Fulfilled. Devoted. Connected. Intuitive. Safe. Supportive. Impactful. Needed. Significant. Grateful. Loving. Empathic.

Real. Down to earth. Authentic. Genuine. Honest. Joyful. Connected. Equal. Caring. Open. Strong. Comfortable. Rebellious. Enthusiastic. Accepted. Empathic. Yourself. Love.

Powerful. Strong. Catalytic. Transformational. Rebellious. Honest. Inspiring. Significant. Impactful. Authentic. Fearless. Challenged. Passionate. Courageous. Effective. Disruptive. Sincere.

Passionate. Connected. Love. Joyful. Beautiful. Meaningful. Alive. Spontaneous. Vibrant. Heart-centred. Dedicated. Devoted. Committed. Open-minded. Authentic. Playful. Luxurious. Intimate.

Strong. Resourceful. Inspiring. Influential. Significant. Controlled. Together. Efficient. Strong. Abundant. Prosperous. Responsible. Powerful. Generous. Principled. Organised. Decisive.

Wise. Balanced. Objective. Curious. Fulfilled. Authentic. Independent. Full. Expansive. Honest. Knowledgeable. Non-committal. Thoughtful. Deep. Inspiring. Transparent.

Courageous. Heroic. Strong. Brave. Efficient. Passionate. Disciplined. Focused. Determined. Capable. Skilled. Selfless. Fearless. Respected. Impactful. Successful. Devoted. Significant.

2E S S E N T I A L SV S .

O P T I O N A L S

2 Branding is - at its heart - very simple.

We allow ourselves to become overwhelmed by the whole process, but it really doesn’t need to be that way.

I believe there are two parts to branding:

The Essentials and The Optionals.

T H E E S S E N T I A L S

The Essentials are the things that, in general, you really do need to have. In my experience, these are the things that help to solidify your brand, and are generally what customers look for to establish a connection with you. Although nothing in branding is set in stone, these are the basic requirements that every business will benefit from. If you had a shopping list, I’d recommend that these items should be top of your list.

T H E O P T I O N A L S

The Optionals are the things that, in general, are ‘nice to haves’. They’re not essential. In my experience, these are the things that can enhance your brand, but aren’t necessary for it to be successful. These are the things that - if truth be told - we’d like to have, rather than need to have. These are also the things that have the biggest potential for slowing us down, and procrastination to occur.

The aim of this Playsheet is to help you determine which elements of your brand are essential, and which are additional.

The mistake many solopreneurs make is being influenced by others about what they NEED, rather than use their own intuition and common sense. In this Playsheet, I’m going to tell you what I believe the essentials are, and help you identify what your optionals are.

By the end of this Playsheet, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to develop your brand, and have a plan for how you’ll do it.

What ingredients make a brand?

Y O U R B U S I N E S S N A M E

The first of the essentials is a strong business name. (And by strong - I don’t mean complicated).

One of the biggest mistakes I feel solopreneurs make is putting off launching (or promoting) their business until they’ve got the PERFECT business name.

The trouble is: perfection is often elusive, and wastes precious time that could be better spent elsewhere.

Here are some top tips for naming your business successfully (if this is something you’ve been struggling with):

Do

• Keep it simple• Remember that you can ALWAYS change your mind• Use your own name, if appropriate - it gives you tonnes of flexibility as your business grows • Make sure it’s easy to pronounce• Try to get a URL that will match up well with your business name

Don’t

• Try to make it too ‘clever’• Use wacky spellings - it just confuses people• Make it too long. A maximum of three words is ideal (although the fewer, the better)• Aim for ‘unique’ - aim for ‘authentic’ instead• Waste time on this - make a decision, move on, and live with it for a while

You need a business name, for sure - but if this is something you’re stuck on, make a decision RIGHT NOW to make a choice, and move on. Changing your business name later down the line is always a possibility (I changed my business name from ‘The Brand Alchemist’ to ‘Cerries Mooney’ around a year into running my business - it wasn’t anyway near as nightmare-ish as I thought it’d be!).

If in doubt, consider using your own name. I often see solopreneurs rejecting this idea (as their name isn’t ‘unique’ enough) - but the truth is, your business name is simply an anchor for your brand - NOT your brand itself.

The E�entials

Y O U R L O G O

Although you technically could get away without having a logo, I feel that any self-respecting solopreneur should have some kind of mark to identify their brand with.

That said, so many solopreneurs make the HUGE mistake of spending so much time, money, and effort finding logo ‘perfection’. In my opinion? It’s just not necessary.

You might think that this is strange, coming from someone who designs logos for a living. But it’s true. If you can’t afford the time or money to invest in something completely bespoke, choosing a simpler option and moving on is absolutely no big deal.

There are two main options for sourcing a logo:

1) DIY

2) Hire someone to create it for you

Of course, the fact that you’re here in Noticed means you’ll be learning how to create your own logo (exciting!). It doesn’t have to be complicated, but to create something professional - a little learning curve goes a long, long way.

For future reference: if you’d prefer to outsource - generally, your options would be to hire a designer, buy through a crowdsourcing website (such as 99 Designs), or choose a pre-designed logo from somewhere like Etsy.

Out of those options, I would strongly recommend that you hire someone - often, you’ll start to grow a relationship with your designer, which is always a highly valuable asset to your team. A great place to start would be to reach out to others for recommendations.

Either way, the most important part of logo development is to avoid perfectionism, and procrastination. (Probably not what you’ve heard in most branding manuals, right?).

Don’t let this become a rabbit hole. Your logo is essential - but not an excuse to hide behind.

The E�entials

The E�entials

A C R E A T I V E D I R E C T I O N

By ‘creative direction’, I mean: an idea of what colours, fonts and images will help you develop a brand that feels good to you...AND gets you noticed by the people you most love to serve.

(Notice I didn’t say ‘agonise over choosing a colour palette for your business for eight months’ - that’s most definitely NOT essential).

Your creative direction (or brand identity) is usually made up of the following elements:

Colour Palette

Choosing a palette of 3-5 colours for your brand can help you maintain visual consistency. Later in the program, I’ll be teaching you my 5-Colour Strategy, which includes neutrals, main colours, and a call-to-action. However - choosing a dark, a light, and a couple of additional colours is all you need to tie all of your visuals together.

Font Scheme

If fonts are something that stress you out (or you’ve found yourself going round in circles and unable to make a choice) - please, choose...and move on! If in doubt, stick with a simple font (such as Montserrat), and flavour it with a script font (tip: search for script fonts on Pinterest - there are often free ones that’ll do the job nicely). We’ll be going into fonts in more detail soon.

Imagery

As I’m sure you know already, images can make a HUGE difference to how your brand feels.

Spend an hour or so choosing some key imagery that you can use in your business to start with. You don’t need to invest a tonne of money - just 3-5 great images will be enough to get you started. Try searching for ‘feelings’ as opposed to ‘objects’. For example - if you’re an Alchemist, try searching for ‘expansive’ or ‘ethereal’, as opposed to ‘magic’ or ‘crystals’.

Again - we’ll be going into this in more depth later in the program.

1The E�entials

A W E B S I T E

Probably the most important of The Essentials is your website.

No matter what industry you’re in, or how you love to serve, your website is your portal to connecting with those who need you most.

If you’re just starting out, don’t overwhelm yourself with aaaalllll the things you think you need. Start slow, and start simple. A basic, clean, minimal Wordpress website is absolutely wonderful - you really don’t need the bells and whistles so many ‘experts’ tell you you need (and we have you covered with our bonus Wordpress theme we’ve created just for you - more on that later!).

Within your website, there are a list of requirements that I personally feel are sub-essentials. These include:

• Responsiveness - over 80% of website visits are now carried out on a mobile or tablet. Make sure yours is mobile and tablet-ready!• Your logo• A memorable URL• Your colour / font palettes• A couple of strong images that truly represent who you are• Clear navigation (use simple words that people can understand instantly, such as ‘Blog’ and ‘Contact’)• An About page (which tells people who you are, and how you can help them) • A Work With Me page (make it obvious how people can work with you)• An opt-in form (you can be as creative as you like with this, but as a bare minimum - at least include a simple opt-in box where people can leave their details to stay in touch with you) • A Contact page (with an email address if possible - not everyone loves filling out forms!)

And that really is it!

Of course, you can completely go to town on your website. But trust me: so long as your website has those elements listed above, it WILL be enough.

Your brand and personality shine through only when you DO THE WORK. And that’s the role of your website: a platform for you to do the work from.

(Please note: I didn’t list ‘Blog’ or ‘Social media links’ as essential. I know plenty of solopreneurs who don’t blog, and a number who don’t have social media accounts - if it doesn’t feel good to you, don’t do it! Although I do recommend both, I don’t believe they are absolutely essential to run a business IF they’re not congruent with who you are).

1

T A G L I N E

Taglines are one of those things that many of my clients get soooo hung up on.

Here’s my view: taglines are useful...unless they’re not.

If you’re a solopreneur, you don’t NEED a tagline. If you feel it helps, go for it. Sometimes, a tagline just seems to appear naturally, and it feels right.

If, however, you’re laying awake at night with possible taglines running round your mind: STOP.

For smaller businesses, they matter far, far less than we think they do. If it makes sense, and it feels right - use a tagline. If it doesn’t - I give you permission to move on without :)

B U S I N E S S C A R D S

Wow...this is a huge one!

Most of the clients I work for request a business card to be designed for them.

I instantly ask: “When was the last time you gave out a business card?”

Most reply that they’ve never given one out, or can’t remember the last time they did. When I ask them why they feel they need them, they don’t really have a good answer. It’s kind of.....wellll...I thought that’s what brands do?

Unless you genuinely need business cards (for things such as networking events, or because you connect with potential customers when you’re on the road) - you DON’T need to buy business cards.

Business cards are a breeding ground for procrastination. You can cross them off your list NOW.

(If you know that you genuinely do need business cards, I really recommend Moo. The quality of their work is outstanding, and they make it very easy to order through them. I always design my client’s cards through Moo - but only if we’ve established that they really need them, first :) )

The Optionals

The OptionalsP R O F E S S I O N A L L I F E S T Y L E S H O T S

Ooooohhhh...this one gets under my skin!

It makes me so sad to see many of my clients delay building a website because they don’t have ‘lifestyle shots’ (or decent photographs of themselves). Many are camera shy, so realistically - may never pluck up the courage to get behind the camera.

I am one of those people. I HATE seeing myself on camera.

I have managed to grow my business exponentially...without a single lifestyle shot in sight. If lifestyle shots are something you would love to get done, find a photographer and BOOK them. Use your creative direction (and Blend Board) to guide your decisions for what to wear, locations etc.

If, like me, you are painfully shy - just let it go. Use the best photo of you that you have on your About page, and move on.

V I D E O / Y O U T U B E C H A N N E L

“But to be successful...I need a YouTube channel”.

This is one area that I’ve really struggled with over the years.

I know that video is the PERFECT way to connect with people. When I think about brands and businesses that I follow, I do enjoy being able to ‘see’ a person’s energy on camera.

With that said: there are plenty of solopreneurs and business owners I follow / buy from who don’t appear on video.

Personally, I don’t enjoy doing videos. If I do - they’re likely to be very relaxed, and taken on the spur of the moment on my iPhone. Every time I try to set up something more professional, I freeze.

For a long time, this stopped me from moving forward. One day, though, I just accepted that - you know what? I JUST DON’T LIKE DOING VIDEOS, SO I WON’T DO THEM.

And my business definitely hasn’t suffered as a result :)

2The OptionalsA N I D E A L C U S T O M E R A V A T A R ( O R A N I C H E )

We talked about this last week, but because this is probably the most controversial of The Optionals, it’s worth mentioning again.

If you’ve read any business or branding material lately, you’ll probably have noticed that their advice is to craft an ‘ideal customer avatar’, or a ‘niche’.

While being clear on who you love to serve is important, defining ONE person (or ONE group of people) is absolutely NOT necessary. I know this, because when I relaunched my business in 2014, I didn’t have either of these things.

It was scary at first (I was going against ‘conventional wisdom’ which, in some cases, I‘d paid thousands for) but I actually found that my niche defined itself - organically, over time.

If you don’t know who you love to serve right now, relax. Do what you love to do, and keep doing it...even if no-one seems to be listening. With time (and persistence), you’ll suddenly become very clear on who you love to serve (ironically, this will take you far less time than if you wasted months and months trying to figure out an ICA or niche).

S O C I A L M E D I A

I’m not going to deny the power that social media can have for your brand and business. (I wouldn’t dare).

However - if you’re feeling overwhelmed with social media, and all that it entails, remember: it’s OPTIONAL.

Stick with the basics first. Focus on your Essentials, and then get to social media - if it’s a good fit for you and your business.

Again - I went against the grain, and don’t include social media as a huge part of my marketing efforts. I have a Facebook page, an Instagram account, and a Pinterest account. For Instagram and Pinterest - I mainly use those for fun, and not for business. I do share business-related updates on Facebook, but only as and when I feel called to (such as when I’ve published a new blog post).

One day, I intend to use social media a lot more. But right now - actually doing the work that matters is generating sufficient income. So that’s how I know it is only optional - don’t lose sleep over it!

2The OptionalsA B L O G

Like social media, a blog is a great tool to generate traffic for your business. It’s a great way to connect with people, and reach out to them when you have an important update.

However: it is NOT essential.

If blogging isn’t your thing, don’t be afraid to get creative with the way you stay connected with your community! If you really don’t want to blog - but want to do something - check out this amazing article by Alexandra Franzen for some alternatives.

(If you do want to blog, but find yourself stuck over what to write about, here’s another gem from Alex that will get you started).

A H U G E E M A I L L I S T

Quality, not quantity, is what matters here.

So many solopreneurs decide to ‘wait until I have a big list’ before promoting their work, but the truth is? You only need a small handful of people to build major forward momentum in your business.

When I relaunched my business back in 2014, my community grew quite quickly (800 in the first week), but it was relatively small to the size my community is now.

I found it easier to connect with a smaller number of people than I do a larger number of people, and in many cases - earned more income.

The larger your community grows, the more expensive it becomes to keep.

The more people fall into it that probably aren’t an ideal match for you (which costs you money in the long run).

DON’T wait until you have a huge email list before you start doing the things you would do if you had one.

You can absolutely earn a respectable living with a small list. Because remember:

It’s what you do with your list that counts, not how big it is.

E S S E N T I A L S V S . O P T I O N A L S

Your Roadmap

This class is all about clarifying WHAT your brand is, what goes into making it, and understanding what you’ll need to do in your specific circumstances to feel more of how you want to feel through your brand.

One of the biggest causes of brand failure (ie: not getting noticed) is overwhelm.

Not knowing what you need to do, or what order to do it in (or where to even start).

On the next page, you’ll find a visual roadmao of the building blocks of your brand.

It is a roadmap for avoiding procrastination and overwhelm.

It’s a visual guide to the areas of your brand and business that will have the biggest impact - and where you should focus your time, energy, money and resources.

If you’re currently in a state of overwhelm, the first four boxes are where you should begin.

Focus on getting those right first, before moving on to anything else. (We’ll be covering all of these in the next couple of weeks during Noticed).

The Essentials are your foundation.

All the other items are things you COULD try to boost your brand - but definitely not essential.

If something feels mis-aligned in your business, look carefully at your Essentials. The disconnect is likely to begin here.

H O W T O U S E T H E R O A D M A P

Start by entering your five key feelings that you identified on page 7. Remember: the way you want to feel should drive every decision you make from now on when it comes to developing your brand and business.

Below your key feelings, you’ll find your Essentials. These are all of the things we’ll be covering in this progra,

Below the Essentials, you’ll find a list of Optionals. There’s four spaces at the bottom for you to add your own if there is something specific to your business that could be classed as an optional.

You might like to print this Roadmap out for reference.

Your Roadmap

E S S E N T I A L S V S . O P T I O N A L S

A Roadmap

T H E E S S E N T I A L S

T H E F E E L I N G S B E H I N D M Y B R A N D

T H E O P T I O N A L S

BusinessName

SimpleLogo

CreativeDirection

Mobile-ReadyWebsite

Tagline BusinessCards

LifestyleShots

Video /YouTube

ICA / Niche SocialMedia

Blog Big EmailList

BrandedStationery Merchandise Editorial

CalendarEmail

Signature

E S S E N T I A L S V S . O P T I O N A L S

Your Audit

Now you have an overview of the building blocks that go into creating your brand, it’s time to take a quick audit of where you are - right now.

This audit is a simple tool for you to make a plan of what you need to pay special attention to (from the Essentials category), by rating each item as Bronze, Silver, or Gold.

We’ll be covering all of the Essentials over the next couple of weeks, but it does really help to have an idea of where you’re starting from.

You may be coming into this process with a completely fresh slate - in which case you’ll know exactly what you need to do to get started.

It’s more likely, however, that you’re coming into this process with an accumulation of ‘stuff ’ that your brand has surrounded itself with over time: outdated logos, fonts you don‘t love any more, a website that feels unprofessional and boring.

In which case, this audit is the IDEAL way to take stock, reflect on where you’re at, and understand what your priorities will be as you move through this program...and beyond.

H O W T O U S E T H I S A U D I T

Rate something Bronze if it: Doesn’t feel aligned with who you are. Isn’t working for you. Feels out-dated. Is unattractive. Feels strange. Isn’t what you wanted, but was all you could afford. Feels unprofessional. Is confusing to you. Bores you. Is completely ineffective. Makes no sense. Is difficult to use. Doesn’t exist, but needs to (or vice versa). Isn’t aligned with your five key feelings.

Rate something Silver if it: feels aligned with your key feelings, but could be better. Is nearly there. Just needs a little adjusting. Isn’t bad, but it’s not great. Has real potential to be great. With a little tweaking, could be really effective.

Rate something Gold if it: feels PERFECTLY aligned with who you are. Doesn’t need changing in any way. Makes your heart sing. Feels very professional. Is crystal clear to you. Excites you. Is effective. Makes complete sense. Is easy to use.

Your Audit

E S S E N T I A L S V S . O P T I O N A L S

An Audit

C A T E G O R I E S B R O N Z E | S I L V E R | G O L D

O Font scheme

O Business name

O Logo

O Colour palette

O Imagery

O Website (overall)

O Imagery of you

O Website look + feel

O Website flow (structure)

O Website URL

O Home page copy

O About page copy

O All other copy

Notes & Observations

Well done for completing this Playsheet!

I know this one was a long one, but getting crystal clear on what you’re dealing with will remove any feelings of overwhelm and pressure - and actually allow you to have some FUN when you start to get creative.

Identifying the five key ways you want to FEEL in your brand is beyond magical.

Now you know how you want to feel in your business, you can start to align your brand with those feelings.

Everything from your colours and images, to the words you use on your website, to the offerings you create - you can use these five key feelings as a way of making sure you’re creating a business and brand that brings you so much joy, meaning, and alignment with who you are.

I hope you enjoyed this Playsheet, and I’ll catch you in Class 2!

W�h�!