In this episode, Brandy and Jodi kick off the new year with new standards for your brand. Not the “pick a color palette and a cute logo” kind of brand, but the kind people actually remember, talk about, and trust with their money.

They break down what a brand really is, why personality matters, the four questions every buyer is quietly asking, and a simple exercise you can do today to tighten up your foundations. There are also bananas, orangutans, and a QR code story that was about ten years too early.

• Why “New Year, new standards” should apply to your brand, not just your resolutions

• What branding really is

  • How people experience you

  • Your website, how you answer the phone, how fast you follow up

  • How people feel after dealing with you

• The “coffee shop test” for your brand

  • If your brand was a person, would anyone choose to sit with them

  • Or would they quietly move tables

• Personality and being memorable

  • Brandy’s banana / orangutan / ridiculous voicemail example

  • Why doing something a little weird and memorable can set you apart

  • How to be authentic if you are not naturally funny or high energy

• Branding that fits who you are

  • Your brand should reflect your real personality, not a fake online version

  • Why people can feel it when you are faking it

  • Giving yourself permission to be straightforward, serious, or silly, as long as it is honest

• The four questions every buyer is quietly asking when they meet your brand:

  1. What am I spending my money on

  2. What is in it for me

  3. Will this be worth it

  4. Can I trust you

• How to run a quick self audit on your marketing

  • Look at your homepage like a buyer, not the business owner

  • Ask: does this answer those four questions

  • Ask a friend or your audience to look at your site and tell you what is missing

• Social media as proof, not promises

  • Show social proof instead of only saying what you will do

  • Use before and afters, screenshots, reviews, and real stories

  • Why reviews exploded after Covid and why that still matters for your brand

• The early QR code story

  • The free photo session QR code in the local paper that nobody scanned

  • How timing and buyer behavior matter just as much as the idea

  • Fun twist: how you could use QR codes now for little “guerrilla” freebies and surprise moments

Grab a notebook and answer these four questions:

1. Who do you serve

2. What problem do you solve

3. What result do you help them get

4. Why should they trust you

Then, look at your:

• Website homepage

• Social media profiles

• Recent posts

And ask:

• Would a stranger be able to answer those four questions in under 30 seconds

• If not, what needs to change first

After you listen:

• Take 10 minutes to do the mini exercise

• Pick one place to tighten your brand this week

  • Your voicemail

  • Your homepage headline

  • Your “about” section or bio

And if this episode got your wheels turning, subscribe to The Marketing Shakedown, share it with a fellow small business owner, and start raising the standards for your brand this year.