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Your Favorite Brands

Lesson 1 from: Make Your Creative Business Uniquely Irresistible

April Bowles-Olin

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Lesson Info

1. Your Favorite Brands

Next Lesson: What You Stand For

Lesson Info

Your Favorite Brands

First, I'll tell you a little bit about me and my brand and why I'm really excited about teaching this particular course. I went into detail about my business in one of my both of my previous courses, but especially in create digital products that cell while you sleep, so I'm going to keep this a little bit shorter, but I want to talk especially about personality and uniqueness, and one of the things that I've done to try to set my business apart is just pull more of me into it and things that I don't necessarily know are gonna become part of my brand just end up becoming part of it because it's something that I think is really cool and I try it out and I bring it into whatever it is and people end up loving it, and then it becomes part of my branding and an example. The reason I pulled this particular photo is because this big red balloon has become part of my branding, and it all started when I decided I wanted new pictures for my website. I was bored with the ones that I had and I w...

anted to update them, so I asked my husband, we go find me the biggest balloon you possibly can and being a really good husband, he said, yeah, I'll do that for you, so he went out, he found me this gigantic red balloon that he had to hang outside of the window to drive home because it wouldn't fit inside of our jetta and I took a ton of pictures and I put them up on my website and my readers loved them. I didn't realize that it was going to be this big of the thing they just ended up loving them, so I use them over and over and over again, and I mentioned my and previous courses my carly's from heart made blogged dot com she is launching a cookbook, life is messy kitchen and there is a whole team that has worked on this cookbook. There are people that have submitted recipes and I submitted some recipes that are in it she has a videographer, she has all kinds of people working on it, and so she did an illustration of everyone together and just the pencil illustration she posted on instagram and the part with me, I have a fish tale braid at it and I'm holding a big balloon it's not even red in the picture yet and people on instagram were saying I saw april immediately in this picture because of the big balloon and they recognized it and so that is something that has just become part of my brand just because that I took those pictures, I didn't realize I just thought this is going to be a really cool idea and yeah, I'm the type of person that would take pictures with a really big balloon so that's just a example of how I try to pull more of me into my business and then I do the stuff that people really like and I keep at the stuff that people really are saying yes, that's that's really awesome. So let's, talk a little bit about what we're going to cover what makes a creative business unique? What your favorite brand say about you? Because I think that our favorite brand say a lot about us you're one sentence message you're branding trifecta what sets you apart from the rest and I actually think that this is one of the coolest things I think you guys are going to see that this could make a huge difference when we get to it it's a really fun so this technique is gonna be coming at the end of the segment and it's going to be fun, how to become the alternative based on your personality, strength and brand obviously that's what we want to do right, how to pull together the pieces of your personality to create a unique brand because we have a lot of different pieces of art cels and instead of trying to be this person here and this person here, what if we pulled it all together? That's actually what makes something unique how to and why you should jump into your customer shoes for the day you can figure out so much about what your customer experience is by trying to jump into their shoes the importance of customer service and developing a customer service plan. How many of you guys have a customer service plan in place like you know exactly what you're doing for your customers so maybe about a fourth fourth of us all right? So we're going to do that and for those of you who already have them amazing, I'm gonna want to hear about it. I wouldn't want to hear about what you're playing is it'll probably get everybody else thinking the reasons potential customers don't buy and how to fix it, so they're five big objections to why people don't buy we're going to go over each one and how to kind of counter that how to change your customer story so that your brand becomes a part of it and when your brand becomes a part of your customer story, they tend to talk about it a lot more. And I know that chris talked a little bit about how this course is going to be broken down, but I'm gonna give you guys a little bit of an overview it's split up into twenty one modules and each module ranges from about ten to twenty minutes and I suggest when you're going back through this material that you watch one module a day and do the activity for that module so it doesn't feel so overwhelming like you have so many things to dio and it feels as if you don't know where to start and what you can do is started one and work all the way through twenty one because they do build on each other. However, if you already have some stuff in place, you can kind of skip around and to what you feel like doing you couldn't do the work for four to six weeks and break it up into three to five module's a week that seems pretty doable, right? Or even if that sounds overwhelming one module week for twenty one weeks and then you're gonna have this amazingly unique brand, it is worth it to do the work now so you might be thinking so what's the benefit of watching it now. One of the reasons I would say to watch it now is that you get an overview of everything and then it really helps when you're doing the individual pieces whenever I take. Of course, even if it's like I'm learning illustrator or something like that, I tend to watch the entire thing and then I go back through the pieces of it and it helps so much moritz that reinforcement and you get to ask questions and I think that that's the fun part something that I really want, teo reinforce before we dive into this is that there is no formula. I can't tell you do this, do this, do this, do this, do this and then that and you're going to reach success because every business and every brand is different. But there are pieces to the puzzle that when you put them together in the way that works for your business, it's going to start to create this kind of magical effect, and I challenge you when you're going through this course, that if something comes up and you're thinking that doesn't work for me, change that into how can that work for me? Because that's, when you come up with your most creative ideas, whenever you're thinking that doesn't work for me or my business or my brand instead, think about how can I make that work for my business or my brand? And when you do that that's, when you come up with those ideas that nobody else is doing and it seems really new for your specific now asian audience, so don't automatically shut out any ideas, and I would love to know what you want to get out of this course, I would love to know what some of your goals are. Anybody want to share what they would look really like this morning in the car we were actually talking about the different parts of self and I feel like I'm coming from that place where I've been this part of myself or this part of myself or this part of myself and just coming to the place where I can put them all together and try to be a fully me and not hide things and you know and that's my big that was my goal we were talking about this morning so I'm really excited that you brought that up and where can we find you online? Sarah shots dot com okay, perfect yes I think it's natural for us to have kind of like a work self in a home self and uh this is how I act around my spouse self and and all of those different pieces but especially when it comes to your personality pulling all of those things together that's what's going to make your business more unique than anything else and it's going teo attract you're right people. So some people are gonna look at my pictures with the big red balloons and be like, who is this girl doling out business advice with his big red balloon? And so I would I would say you're not my right person right? And I am attracting the people who look at those pictures and think like that that's fun! They think that that's fun and they want more and they think that person probably makes business fund anybody else want to share their goals for the course? Yes, um, I would like to get in, sir bernanke at sir bernacchi dot com I'd like to get to the place where I have tto personally so strong and so vibrant that I don't have to track down clients so much, but clients start coming to me because they're attracted my brand, they're attracted my personality and I'm not so much competing but just constand on my own great that's exactly what you figure that out is anybody sharing online any goals? So they have? Yeah, the goals are starting to come in and people are joining us now from all around the world, so people are are sharing what they had not creative associate coach says that I have a good brand. I just want to know how to take that and run with it. So that's what they're looking to get out of this course. So please, all of you can share in here. Five angels says, looking forward to finding my tribe in the session today. Well, I like that. Yes, yes, and if you have a great base for your brand that's amazing elevating that it's just going to do even more the first module is your favorite brands and two guys like this font I love this font it's called briar rose and you can find it on creative market it's just a really fun one so if you guys want to check it out that's where you find it if you turn to your workbook page for which you can also get for free if you ve r s v p for the course we're going to dissect some of your favorite brands and this is going to help you understand why uniqueness matters it's gonna help you figure that out and also give you ideas of things that you can pull into your business. So what are three of your favorite brands? Yes. Do you have a question? Kate spade? Kate spade is one of your favorite brands are a perfect and for each one named three to five things you love about that particular brand, why do you choose that one over the competition? So, chris, why do you choose that planner over another one that's something that I would I want you to think about. Why do you choose it over the competition? Why is it a favorite try to get as specific as possible and you guys in the chat room share this stuff? We want to know what your favorite brands are. We want to know why you love them if it's hard to put into words why you love a brand so much it's because it is often based on emotion there are those feelings they make us feel like we belong I know for me whenever I get I see that I have my sephora package that it's come in the mail I get this like giddy feeling because I always get these free samples and so I'm excited about trying out new things that's one of the reasons that I love so for so much so it's often based on emotion when I walk into anthropology I get this it's a feeling that it's hard to describe its not the same feeling I get when I walk into forever twenty one or ann taylor or any other clothing store for that matter when I walk in anthropology it's a very specific feeling that I get to some of my other favorite brands one is apple and the reasons that I love apple or that I love the sleek and beautiful packaging and products I like that you're given just what what's needed and not anymore I like how committed they are to quality over quantity so they'd rather put out quality products than more and more and more and more and I really loved the intuitiveness of the products those were some things that I really love about apple and then also it's also a feeling that when I get my new iphone I am just there's this excitement level and I want to use it, and I want to be I'm like looking at him saying, oh, my husband, this is so pretty my hot pink iphone it's like this feeling that you get another favorite brand is molly makes, and one of the reasons is I love the color palettes that they use it's just one of those things that separates their magazines from other magazines. I love the d I a wise, they have a very spit specific field to them, there is a there's, a very specific style. I like that its maker driven it makes me feel more creative when I read it, even if I don't do anything from the magazine, I feel more creative just because I've read it and I really love the high quality photos. So those are some of the reasons that I love molly makes, and when I get one of the magazine's I'm so excited just to flip through, I have to do a flip through and see every page first, and then I go back through and actually read it and it's about that feeling of creativity and being inspired and being motivated that I get from not specific product. So I want to know what are your favorite brands and why he wants to share yes, where can we find you online? High and fanny of living, which he on a budget you confine me at living richly on a budget dot com one of my favorite brands is whole foods like were right across your from it and then what I get like the feeling when you talk about feeling I think of, like, when I walk into whole foods versus walking into safeway or now I go she sure when you go into another grocery store it's cold and it's impersonal, but when I go into whole foods, I know there's going to be artists and food's there I'm going to find my favorite gluten free pizza there. Um, it's nourishing like I feel like if they're there to take care of me like the hot food section l'm like there's always like, um gluten free or jeffy selection, and they're just, um smaller brands are represented there versus like larger company brands there impersonal um and there's just more choices and I feel like that's why, when I go win there's a different experience, like I just feel like I'm being hugged like just being taken care of when I walk in yes and that's why we will go to whole foods and spend one hundred dollars as opposed to going to another grocery store and only spending thirty dollars or forty dollars, right? That's why we spend more money with them because of all of those res since how anybody else favorite brands for shop, where can we find you online? Well, you can find me at the red scorpio, dot com and also re shell marie dot com it's, my new website and my favorite brand is vans because they make shoes in all kinds of colors. They make a lot of black and red, so that's perfect for mi hee can't tell I, um, so you can buy shoes that fit your personality, like when I've got my star wars, the bomb bands I like practically cried tears of joy on I know they're going to fit like when you order shoes in the mail, you know you're kind of taking a chance, but vance fit. Yeah, I know my size. I know they're going to fit all right I love when they last wherever these air probably twenty years old really that's a good plug for anybody else, sage hi and sage grayson and you can find me at sage grayson, dot com and by far my favorite brand israel simple magazine lovett what I love most about it is the beautiful photography I love the cover so much that my favorite covers I carefully cut out and I framed them on the walls of my office um the tips are organized and doable like thiss isn't something crazy that you have to I don't know b a scientist to do it's for everyone they use a clean sand sarah fund all of their articles about our about ese an openness and everything's ok and they sprinkle inspirational quotes throughout the magazine I see so much of what you just described in your brand because I know your brand and I know your business and so many of the things that you just said are things that are that represent your website thinking here in your business so that's a great example of how you can use some of the stuff that you love about other businesses in yours do we have anybody sharing online about who their favorite brands people the chatter very passionate about their brands time capsule says hallmark because they make their story so emotional and they connect to everyday people and their families. Teresa says I love starbucks because it makes me feel like I'm part of a whole culture and cabin says brands like saint laurent perry ellis kate spade clean design we also have my car lace joining in the chat room says she loves trader joe's those guys with the hawaiian shirts they're so friendly and it make you feel good so often what we would love, what we love and other businesses is what we would love for own businesses. So look at the list and look at the things that overlap that you've written multiple times, those were the things that because they're probably in a different niche, you pull them into your own business it's going to be more unique, for instance, I pay attention, I pay close attention to color palettes I probably spent I was starting my husband insane because I was like, can you look at this color palette from my workbook? He's? Like, I don't know a thing about color pellets, but this one looks good to me, and he said that about every single one he didn't say one one looks bad should have been asking somebody else, but I spent about ten hours on color palettes for the slides in the workbooks, because that's important to me that something that I love about molly makes, and so I pull that into my own business. So how can you pull some of those pieces into your business and make it more unique? Do you guys have any ideas for that? How you can pull it in anybody want to share? I think I just love like, the thing that I like about the kate spade products is that they're, um, really easily I don't if iab a ll too and I like that there's kind of a mix of, like sassy, silly and kind of elegant, sophisticated and bright colors that make me happy and so that's kind of what I want my brand to be about kind of pretty funny, sophisticated but still fun, you know I like it and you can point out what makes this bread unique and then pull that into okay, I need to pay attention to that when I'm doing things for my business, all of these pieces come together and they make things work, they make you stand out and where can we find you online? Oh, at jen and company dot com I right? Anybody else how they're going to pull those pieces in? Hi, I'm kris with a k and you can find me at with a k writing dot com and I say my favorite brand is chapters into go on when we're talking about it last night, jen and sarah didn't know what it wasn't I didn't know you guys didn't have this, I'm from canada and I thought the chapters was everywhere but it's this enormous bookstore on and it's so wonderful and it like you walk in and the shelves are made of wood, you know and it feels like there's a wall that goes on for miles that's just filled with beautiful colorful, amazing notebooks and journals and stuff to write in and there's a section in the middle of their little home and gift area that's full of kate spade stuff, and one of the reasons that I love kate spade is because it's positioned in the middle of my happy place, like I walk into chapters and there's a starbucks over in the corner and there's a kid's section with all the educational stuff. So my teacher, momma self feels real good about being there and there's, a canadian literature section and like, oh, it's, all of my things are there and kate spades hanging out in the middle, so that makes me feel like I really need to understand what the happy place where where my people love to be, and then I should just be there and be, like, in the middle of their happy world and just be another sort of polka dotted, recognizable, a piece of the place they want to be, you know? And what do you think that that could look like? Okay, well, that's, a good question, what do you think that could look like a pro know? Well, I guess I'm kind of doing maybe I'm kind of doing it a little bit right now because a lot of people that I identify with really feel that way, but creative, live. And so I'm hanging out here, and I'm sort of being like the little table of kate spade in the middle of chapters like hope, I don't know. What do you think? Yeah, yeah, I have. I have had people tweet me asking for your website. Hi, guys. Yeah, yeah, so you are here being that person. Absolutely, yes, I just wanted to say one thing that chris did was she, like, gave her kay to me and let me take a picture with her kay, and that made me feel a part of her brand, and I thought that was awesome, just to be able to be a part of her brand.

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Ratings and Reviews

Christine Aseka
 

Thanks for this awesome course with all these useful tips, a great workbook and an amazing April Bowles Olin. I simply love the way she shares her experiences in a natural, lovely and authentic way. I'm absolutely connecting with heart and mind.

user 1398898075234654
 

This week I watched April's course and was riveted by her presentation and the volume of content she provided. She is a true professional in terms of her knowledge and experience and yet her presentation skills are fun and enjoyable to watch. This course is chock full of valuable and much needed information, and it is well worth your time and money to watch and invest. April does an outstanding job in all of the courses she offers, and once you become a fan of hers you will be a fan for life.

KarenHarveyCox
 

April, I purchased your class and I love what you have created. The workbook helped me to identify key points that I needed to think about. I have had a business for a while now, and I wanted to give my shop and blog a fresh look. I certainly got exactly what I was looking for in your videos and most of all with your fabulous hand-outs and workbook. Your style is A-dorable and although I am 66 years old, I am never too old to learn something new. April, you will always be successful in everything that you do because your passion is contagious. Thank you. I am sitting here this morning with a notebook and your workbook. You have helped me identify points about my business that I was overlooking. By going through the process, I feel wonderful about my products and have a new outlook. You are amazing! Karen

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