(photo by David Garvin)

Helping Your Brand Come To Life

Years ago, as a young entrepreneur, I found myself at a place where many young entrepreneurs find themselves. I was at a large conference, I knew almost no one there, and I was hoping to evangelize about my amazing business and how it was lifting people out of poverty. I was in uncharted territory, but I was up for the challenge.

At one point, I finagled my way backstage and was talking to the assistant of one of the speakers I really wanted to meet. I was telling him all about Krochet Kids intl., our product and the impact we were creating. I thought our conversation was going well until he asked, “So, where’s your product?” Upon realizing that I didn’t have anything to show him, he proceeded to lecture me on the value of actually seeing a physical product if I wanted people to believe in what we were doing. I walked away feeling dejected and belittled, but I learned an important lesson that day.

I decided from that day forward that I would wear one of our hats every day, so as to never be caught in this same scenario.

Stepping into that conference, I wanted to dress the part. That is to say, I wanted to dress as others would expect me to dress in an attempt for people to take me seriously. A button down shirt, leather shoes, pants that weren’t jeans, and no beanie. This was one of the first mistakes I made. I had created a fashion conscious lifestyle brand and I was hardly embodying what our brand stood for in an attempt to fit in. Subsequently, I accomplished what I had subconsciously planned, I completely fit in with the crowd. Wrong choice.

If you make something (a physical product per se) you need to embody that brand in as many ways as you can. No one knows your work, they have no reference point to understand the tone, style, and demeanor of what your brand is about. In many instances, they only have YOU to get a pulse on what your work is all about. After all, brands are simply extensions of who we are. They are dynamic organisms. They possess unique characteristics that set them a part and those are driven by people. Those are driven by you.

After I made the decision to wear a beanie every single day, and especially after I committed to a specific style and color (‘the Brady’ in Red), I discovered a whole set of unforeseen benefits. Having a red hat limits the amount of other items you can wear — (i.e.) no green or red shirts. In a very Steve Jobs-ian way I had created my uniform, which allowed me to spend far less time contemplating wardrobe choices. It also helped me to establish an identifiable look. “Oh yeah, how does that dude wear a beanie even when it’s hot out?!” (I’ll never tell you BTW)

Over eight years into being the “red beanie guy”, I’ll tell you this. Be you. Wear the damn hat.

You may not have a product you can wear that helps showcase your work in the same way it has for me, but the truth stands that you should dress to embody the brand and the person you are, not what others expect you to be. Beyond that, look for ways to create easy inroads for others to learn about your work in casual conversation. It’s not about forcing your ideas awkwardly into conversation, but as you genuinely connect with other human beings they will be curious to learn more about what you are up to. Have your app ready, or an beautifully curated instagram feed they can check out and follow on the spot.

Because you never know who you are going to run into at the next conference, or who you will sit next to on the plane…

P.S. Other benefits of wearing a red beanie every day:

• They work great as pillows when you travel
• They double as an eye mask when sleeping in public places
• You receive a lot of love from fans of the movie “The Life Aquatic” by Wes Anderson
• You get more respect from teenagers
• You literally never have to worry about your hair