Embracing multiple hats

A lot of business owners today find themselves finding multiple hats. They are running multiple operations: customer service, managing finances, leading product development, etc. Bring these skills together to create a brand. 


The Challenge of Wearing Multiple Hats


Running a business at first, demands for you to wear multiple hats. As the founder, you have to take calls, close clients, etc. This can be empowering, but also can be extremely overwhelming. You gotta manage your time and keep consistent brand identity. I interviewed Sabri Thompson of Fit & Professional and he talked to me about how he lost a client in real estate for looking like he was doing personal training only. But he was also doing real estate. This is why he created a brand to bring both the real estate and the personal training together. 


The Power of a Unified Brand


You must learn to make your message consistent while still bringing together everything you love. This is why this matters:


1. Trust and Recognition: A consistent brand helps build trust with your audience. When customers encounter a uniform message and experience across different touchpoints, they’re more likely to recognize and trust your brand. My wife had this talk with me. People must be able to go to your page and know exactly what you do. Confused minds don’t buy.


2. Efficiency: Streamlining your efforts under a single brand identity can save time and resources. Instead of constantly switching gears and adjusting your messaging for different roles, you can develop a cohesive strategy that aligns with your overall brand goals. You can find a way to mix the brands together like Sabri did with Fit & Professional. 


3. Scalability: As your business grows, a unified brand makes it easier to scale. New team members, processes, and strategies can integrate seamlessly into a well-defined brand framework. Sabri talked about how for his real estate, he created a team. And when he created this team, his life became way easier. He recommends a team. 


Steps to Integrate Multiple Hats into One Brand


1. Define Your Core Brand Identity: Start by clearly defining your brand’s mission, vision, values, and unique selling proposition (USP). This core identity should serve as the foundation for all your activities and roles. Everything you should do should come together and be for the greater good of your core brand identity. 


2. Develop a Brand Voice and Visual Style: Establish a consistent tone of voice and visual style that reflects your brand identity. This should be evident in all communications, from social media posts to customer service interactions. This is what’s gonna make you different. Be your authentic self and your voice will come across as different. 


3. Align Your Roles with Your Brand: Evaluate how each of your roles and responsibilities aligns with your brand identity. Look for ways to integrate them more closely. For example, if customer service is a significant part of your role, ensure that your interactions embody your brand values. And find others to fulfill the roles who can do it better than you. 


4. Create Unified Messaging: Develop key messages that resonate across all areas of your business. This includes marketing materials, internal communications, and customer-facing content. Consistent messaging reinforces your brand identity and ensures clarity. There should be a form of consistency. The one thing you can see about my content is I’m going to be the greatest motivational speaker ever. Everything else is going to this unified message. 


5. Leverage Technology and Tools: Utilize tools and technologies that can help streamline your efforts. Project management tools, CRM systems, and marketing automation platforms can ensure that your brand’s identity and messaging remain consistent across different functions. ChatGPT is another example. Don’t try to be the person who does everything by himself. Be the one who utilizes team members and AI to make your job easier. 


6. Foster a Brand-Centric Culture: Encourage your team to embrace and embody the brand’s identity. Regular training, clear communication, and leading by example can help instill a brand-centric culture within your organization. You gotta lead by example. They want to see you can do it as well as them. 


Case Study: Successful Integration


Consider the example of a small business owner who runs a boutique marketing agency. Initially, they handled everything from client acquisition to campaign execution and financial management. By defining a clear brand identity focused on creativity and results, they were able to streamline their efforts. Marketing materials, client communications, and even internal processes were aligned with this brand identity. Over time, this not only enhanced client trust and recognition but also allowed the business to scale efficiently, as new team members could easily integrate into the established brand framework. 


Conclusion


Wearing multiple hats is a part of the process for business leaders and entrepreneurs. But you must clearly define what your brand is. And you must help have a team to help you grow your business.