If you look closely, you’ll notice that my last blog entry was about one year ago to the date. You might be asking, what happened during the gap? Here’s the scoop: in August of 2014, I wrote about focus and then I spent the next 11 months gaining that needed focus so I could refine my brand and practice what I preach.
Initial Exploration
This phase took about three months and started at the prompting of some close, trusted associates. They believed my website and brand were too confusing. Who was JSA/Jane Schuette and Associates? Who was Clarity Learning? Why brand two separate businesses? Who was Jane and what does she do? By the end of this phase, I had perspective. I would focus and consolidate my brand and all of its related tools and activities under the Jane Schuette umbrella.
Beginning Implementation
Armed with perspective and an openness to change, I spent the next three months challenging all of the notions my brand(s) were built upon. To kick off this phase, in October of 2014,
I was presented with an idea: If the knowledge and expertise that I love to focus on were to be put into a book, how would it be structured? What value would it bring to readers?
Now these were tantalizing thoughts for someone like me who loves theoretical inquiry. The questions continued: What would my book be about? What would the title be? How about the chapter headings? What genre would the book be categorized under?
To answer these pressing questions, I cleaned my office so I could clear my head.
Next, I gathered all of my tried and true creativity tools: colored markers, chart paper and sticky notes. Equipped with the best yet simplest tools, I sat on the floor of my office and mind-mapped (this is a favorite process of mine that brings non-linear paths and realizations to the forefront as guiding forces for decision-making….). I scoured my Lumina Spark portrait for strengths and weaknesses. I future-mapped (which is essentially the same process as mind-mapping, but with a more forward-looking intent). I went for a walk in the woods. And the big aha, just like the creativity process promises, popped into my head.
The Big Idea and Its Implementation:
By following my own process and landing on my big idea, I was ready to move into implementing it. I realized that my entire life has been spent helping others uncover their brilliance. It is what I love to do! It was time to uncover my own brilliance, thus my focused idea for my brand became: Uncovering Brilliance!
By circling back to the book concept and structure throughout this process over the last five months, I’ve reformatted my content and refreshed my brand and business. I just launched a new website, social media and marketing efforts to reach previous, established connections and branch out to find new ones.
The Launch
As I determined through the brand discovery process, having two businesses is overly complicated for consumers and clients. So to simplify, Clarity Learning and Jane Schuette and Associates will merge into one brand: Jane Schuette. I will always value and work with my associates, however, for ease of understanding the associates term has been dropped. I believe this will help me achieve my goal of clear branding as I work to touch as many people in leadership and on teams as possible through speaking engagements, coaching and process-oriented work and accountability.
Taking a close and critical look at one’s brand requires the right mindset and is often driven by a shift in priorities or focus. I am pleased to report, as messy and unchartered as the territory may be, I emerged with a new brand and unified vision. I sleep better at night.
If your brand conundrums keep you awake at night, you’re not alone. I thrive by helping others uncover their brilliance and ultimately focus their brand and pursuits. Sound intriguing? Well, stay tuned! I look forward to sharing more with you in upcoming blog posts about the four areas of uncovering brilliance.
— Jane