7 years of branding in 10 minutes or less

What Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know Before Settling on a Brand

If you’ve been following me for a while, you might know that I’ve done a LOT of branding work over the past few years.

What you might not know is that before I went out on my own, I actually built and ran an in-house marketing agency within a Houston brokerage — and during that time, my team and I did branding and design work for over 700 real estate agents.

Now, fast forward seven years — I’ve branded hundreds more businesses through my own agency, across all kinds of industries. And one thing I can tell you?

Good branding is not just about a pretty logo.

In fact, there are several key elements that every entrepreneur should think through when building a brand — and today I’m breaking them down for you.

1. Deeply Understand Your Target Audience

Before you even THINK about colors or fonts, you need to get crystal clear on:

• Who are you trying to reach?

• What do they value?

• What motivates them to buy?

• Where do they hang out online?

• What kind of aesthetic appeals to them?

If you skip this step, your branding might look nice — but it won’t connect. The brands that win are the ones that resonate deeply with their audience.

2. Think About Where You’ll Use Your Branding

A common mistake I see? Business owners choose a gorgeous logo… and then realize it doesn’t work well in practical applications.

Ask yourself:

• Will this logo work on social media profiles?

• Will it look good on a website header?

• Does it work on light and dark backgrounds?

• Can I use it on business cards, signs, merch, etc?

You need branding that is versatile and functional, not just beautiful.

3. Choose a Color Scheme That Supports Your Brand Message

Color is POWERFUL. Different colors evoke different emotions — and the biggest brands in the world know this.

Here are a few common color associations:

• Blue — trust, professionalism, calm (used by brands like Facebook, PayPal, American Express)

• Red — energy, urgency, passion (used by Coca-Cola, Target, YouTube)

• Green — health, growth, eco-friendly (used by Whole Foods, Starbucks, Spotify)

• Yellow — optimism, warmth, happiness (used by McDonald’s, Ikea, Snapchat)

• Black — luxury, sophistication, elegance (used by Chanel, Nike, Apple when paired with minimalist design)

Your color palette should be intentional — not just “my favorite color.” It should reinforce how you want people to FEEL when they interact with your brand.

4. Remember: Branding Is NOT Just Visual — It’s the Whole Experience

Your brand is not just your logo, fonts, and colors. It’s the entire experience someone has with your business.

Think about:

• Your tone of voice — how do you sound in emails, captions, website copy?

• Your client experience — what’s it like to work with you?

• Your messaging — what problems do you solve? How do you position yourself?

5. Clarify the Pain Points You Solve

Someone wise said, 'You're not selling a product; you're selling the problem you solve,' and that should be on a t-shirt.

Here are examples of pain points you might address:

• Confusion — “I don’t know how to market my business.”

• Overwhelm — “There are too many options. Where do I start?”

• Lack of time — “I don’t have time to do this myself.”

• Lack of expertise — “I’m not a designer / marketer / copywriter.”

• Fear of failure — “I don’t want to invest and get no results.”

When you know exactly what pain points your audience is dealing with, you can speak to them in a way that builds trust and positions YOU as the solution.

6. Define What You Want to Be Known For

Here’s a key question to ask yourself:

If you want to be seen as an influential market leader, what do you want to be known for?

Your answer to that should drive:

• Your visual branding

• Your messaging strategy

• The client experience you create

• The content you share online

When you build your brand intentionally around this idea, you’ll create a cohesive and magnetic presence — one that attracts your ideal clients and helps you stand out in your industry.

Final Thoughts

Branding is more than a logo. It’s the heart and soul of your business — the story you tell, the experience you create, and the connection you build with your audience.

After doing this work with hundreds of businesses (and seeing what works and what doesn’t), I can tell you that the most successful brands are the ones that are:

✅ Clear on who they serve

 ✅ Aligned visually and emotionally with their audience

 ✅ Consistent across every touchpoint

 ✅ Focused on solving a real problem

If you’re building your brand and want some guidance, check out my Entrepreneur’s Guide to Marketing (linked on my website) — it’s packed with practical tips and worksheets to help you get started.