Funny as a yard sign. Bad as a brand.

Going on walks is one of the biggest joys of my life. (Tell me I’m not alone here.)

When I walk, I love people-watching, scoping out houses, imagining the lives on the other side of each door I pass.

And one house near me has a yard flag that says “World’s Okayest Neighbor.” (Not my vibe, but definitely a vibe…)

[This is the exact flag and I passed it probably 600 times, but the time I went to snap a photo, it was a replaced with one that said “H O M E”. 😑]

And then of course, because my brain can never not make connections between life and business, I thought about how many lukewarm, just-ok, middle-of-the-road brands there are.

Reclaiming “average” is sort of funny as a yard sign. But it’s absolutely not what you want for yourself and your brand.

✨ You want to be memorable.

✨ You want to stand for something in order to stand out.

✨ You want to connect with real people about real ideas that matter to you both.

Being known as the okayest copywriter/brand agency/business coach/nutritionist/therapist/insert-your-field-here is the same as being known for nothing by no one.

Think about it: do you want to hire or refer something or someone that’s just meh? Nope.

That’s why one of the central questions of my business and the way I interact with deep-thinking founders and conscious community leaders is: How do you want to be known?

Because if you can answer that and translate your essence into words and actions and decisions? Oof. You’re going to make a big impression and impact with all the right people. (And repel all those wrong-fit people and opportunities along the way.)

And that’s what values-aligned brand messaging does. It captures and communicates the core of who you are as a brand and what you have to offer to your perfect-fit people. Here, now, and in the future.

It’s worth reflecting on and getting out onto paper. Because you (and your people) deserve better than ok.

And remember that “better” or “the best” will inevitably change. It’s enough to be happy with where you are now knowing that it’ll change tomorrow or a month from now or 2 years from now. As long as you’re intentional in those transitions.

So, if you’ve been thinking about connecting with people who care about the same things you do, consider investing your energy toward your values-aligned brand messaging strategy.

And since you’re probably feeling just-so-dang-close-to-it, we can chat about it on a free Alignment Call.

This is an excerpt from Toward Purpose & Progress, my newsletter where I share business tips, good news, shoutouts to Founder Friends, and other juicy snippets. Subscribe here for more rants, reflections, and resources.