7 things I’d tell you if I was your brand consultant

Founders, I hate to say it, but I'm finding i'm repeating myself multiple times a week - so i'm just going to put this out here and take it as tough-love with a side of strategy.

1) You don’t have a real point of difference (yet)

What I’m seeing: 

Too many look-alike brands chasing the same buyer with the same promises. If I can swap your logo with a competitor’s and nothing breaks, there’s POD. Your “why us” reads like ingredient bingo or “clean, conscious, results-driven”—which everyone can claim. Stockists can’t repeat your advantage in one sentence, so they default to price or whoever shouts loudest that week.

Make it practical: 

Write your Onlyness Statement in one line: We are the only [category] that [distinct outcome] for [specific buyer] because [credible proof].

2) Your positioning is off

What I’m seeing: 

Price, proof and promise aren’t aligned. You’re “premium clinical” at a mid-market price with coastal-lifestyle visuals.

Your audience definition is “salons who care about results” (that’s all of them), and your promise sits smack in the most saturated lane.

The result: clinics can’t place you on their shelf or in their head.

Make it practical: 

Map a Positioning Triangle: 

Audience → Pain → Promise

3) Your messaging is missing the mark

What I’m seeing: 

Website and deck copy that sounds like a template (“by therapists for therapists”, “science-backed”, “community”). It’s safe, vague, and interchangeable. You’re describing features, not meaning; categories, not claims; and you’re borrowing language from whoever you looked at last. Invest in someone to make your works sound like magic.

Make it practical: 

Develop your tone of voice with one storyline and phrases you actually say.

4) You need to do the work before you’re on salon shelves

What I’m seeing:  Everyone wants stockists yesterday. Founders launch, fire off cold DMs with a wholesale PDF, sponsor something shiny, and expect orders to appear. But clinics back what feels familiar and low-risk: names they’ve seen repeatedly, a clear “why,” and results they can picture on their own clients.

In our industry, decisions are relationship-led and proof-led - think multiple touchpoints over a quarter: hear of you, learn your philosophy, see a credible result, then ask peers. If that awareness runway doesn’t exist, your outreach reads like a stranger asking for marriage. No awareness, no air time, no shelf space.

Make it practical: 

Block a 90-day awareness runway and do the work - no stockist outreach until day 91.

5) You’re lighting money on fire at events and sponsorships

What I’m seeing: 

Big spends on expos, awards and glossy PR with no lead capture, no qualification, no nurture, no pipeline stages, and no post-event follow-up owners. Everyone had “a great chat” and then… crickets. You call it “brand”; it’s actually waste.

Make it practical:  Draw your Sales Flow on one page (Capture → Qualify → Call → Trial → Proposal → Onboard → 30/60/90) and assign an owner + asset to each stage.

6) “We provide education” isn’t a differentiator anymore

What I’m seeing: 

Every brand “does education,” but very few operationalise it. No curriculum, no calendar, no assessment, no outcomes. It’s an afterthought PDF or a one-off webinar. Clinics value education that moves revenue and retention - not just a nice morning tea and slides.

Make it practical: 

Decide your lane: make education either a monetised program (method, levels, certification) or a tight support system - then name it and publish the calendar.

7) You (yes, you) need to get on camera

What I’m seeing: 

Founder invisibility. You want trust without showing up, hoping the product will talk for you. In professional beauty (relationship-led, referral-heavy) people buy into people. Your origin, beliefs, and standards are the shortcut to credibility, and you’re hiding them.

Make it practical: 

Record four 60–90s founder videos this month (origin, who you serve, your method, one protocol tip) using a simple Hook → Belief → Proof → Invite.

Pick the weakest link above and give it a name, an to-do point in your notebook, and a date. Clarity matters: a sharp message, aligned positioning, and a tight sales flow will outperform another “brand awareness” budget splurge every time.

If you want eyes on your triangle, messaging or sales flow, that’s where I roll up my sleeves. Reach out and book a chat.