Hello, Branding and Marketing Revealers. How are you doing today?
New learnings on marketing that allow for clarity
In the beginning, I was quite far from both branding and marketing. I mention this because, at times, I feel like an underdog as I navigate these new territories. It’s uncomfortable but essential. Recently, I joined the cohort of Alt Marketing School, where we focus on marketing for impact. Fab, the founder of the program is brilliant at sharing her wisdom. She highlights areas of our businesses where we lack awareness and inspires us to see the potential for transformation within ourselves and others. Furthermore, I am surrounded by a diverse group of female founders, marketers, and creatives. It feels like going back to school in a field I have been observing from a distance.
Authors like Zig Ziglar and Seth Godin, including the guests featured in the newsletter, have enlightened my path. And my perspective expands. I see marketing as a powerful amplifier, but before that, you need that brand clarity. Marketing builds on the groundwork of branding and takes the roadmap to a new dimension.
Discover the series ‘‘Marketing Buddy’’ — a great addition to our Brand Revealers. From time to time, we will invite marketing experts to join the newsletter and share their wisdom, tips, and strategies. Marketing and branding go hand in hand. While this dynamic has a natural order, both work together to make your vision and brand shine for the right reasons. So let’s welcome these experts and grow together!
👋 Marketing Buddy of the week: Emily Lauren Dick
Emily Lauren Dick and I met thanks to a post on Threads. She was looking for female founders with a podcast and she pitched a few ideas she wanted to talk about including branding, marketing, sustainability, business, bootstrapping, and more. Her energy and overall brand were so bold, joyful, and grounded. So I invited her to the stage to share her wisdom and tips. I am sure you will enjoy this Q&A! It embodies the power of storytelling in marketing through a multi-passionate creative. Additionally, Emily throws gems of strategic moves here and there with raw humor.
Who are you? What is your profession?
My name is Emily Lauren Dick. I am a multi-passionate creative marketer, and published author.
Emily Lauren
Where are you located?
🇨🇦 Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
Emily Lauren
Where can we discover your work? (website, socials…).
What is your definition of Marketing? And what is, in your opinion, the main difference between Branding and Marketing?
• Branding is about how you want people to see and feel about your business.
• Marketing is about creating awareness and interest. Without having a clear brand strategy, you might be marketing to the wrong people.
When it comes to branding for service providers, it's critical to infuse yourself into the brand so you can attract your dream clients.
Emily Lauren
Seth Godin, the marketing expert, says, "You cannot be seen until you learn to see". What do you think about this superpower of seeing what others do not see and providing a solution to it?
I think that most entrepreneurs who start a business, do this because they see things this way—they understand that something could be better or that their personal spin on something could make a difference.
Personally, this quote makes me think of why it's important to run a business ethically. Many business owners enter entrepreneurship for the wrong reasons or use dishonest tactics. For example, some deliberately manufacture a gap—creating a problem just to sell the solution, like diet companies that sell/frame being fat as a problem.
When a business creates more problems than it solves for others, it’s not ethical. As entrepreneurs, it’s important to identify gaps and offer solutions where there is a genuine need!
Emily Lauren
Do you have any tips for creative entrepreneurs and Brand Revealers to improve their marketing skills in three steps?
Absolutely.
1. You need a brand strategy before you do anything else for your business. You have to be crystal clear on things like what your mission is, what your values are, and how you will communicate these things to your ideal audience. Without this foundation, you are throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. 🔥 The pasta is more likely to stick when your brand strategy is in alignment with who you are as a business owner.
2. It sometimes feels scary for entrepreneurs to invest in themselves, but that's exactly what you need to do to create change. We can't be experts in everything, and there comes a time where you need to focus your energy on the things you actually enjoy doing. I recommend outsourcing before you are ready. Yes, you could do your own website, and it could take months to perfect without ever looking professional or you could hire someone (like me) to do it for you and it could accelerate your growth and leave more time for the things you enjoy doing in your business!
3. You don't have to do things on your own, even if you are doing entrepreneurship on your own! There are so many great communities and coaches out there that can help you become the best version of yourself. We are so much stronger when we work together!
Emily Lauren
What are the repeated words you hear about your Branding and Marketing from your audience, teams, and people who discover you? (3 to 5 keywords)
✦ Bold ✦Brave ✦Empowering ✦Optimistic ✦Creative
Emily Lauren
Do you have any recommendations for mastering marketing, such as books, podcasts, conferences, etc.?
🔥 I would invest in working with coaches and therapists sooner!
The more you can heal your childhood wounds (ex. fears and negative thought patterns), the better off you will be when it comes to making your business successful.
Emily Lauren
Could you share the story behind your agency’s name?
The phrase, “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” used to mean doing the impossible. It meant doing everything on your own. But it doesn’t have to be impossible, and you don’t have to do it on your own!
This was why I chose to name my business, Bootstrapped Woman.
As a multi-passionate entrepreneur who has bootstrapped several businesses, I know firsthand how critical it is to invest in the right support. Many women founders start off with limited resources and are wearing many (if not ALL the) hats. They need to know that they don’t have to do it all on their own, even if they are doing it alone.
🔥 Many women feel pressured to handle every aspect of their business, believing it's the key to success. However, this mindset often leads to burnout and overwhelm which ultimately hinders their business growth.
Emily Lauren
You mention that you don’t just create standout designs—you create change. How important is it for female-led brands and companies to embrace change by seeking the right professional collaborators and partners? Especially when faced with no other option than doing something different.
Women owned businesses often face unique challenges on their path to success.
Traditional workplaces and culture were designed around the lives of men who had external support systems (a.k.a. women). Today, women still take on the majority of the domestic responsibilities at home while also balancing careers.
A lot of women entrepreneurs have created their businesses out of the need for more flexibility. Women need to work with people who understand their unique needs as they redefine the workplace and sustainable business practices. Choosing partners who embrace the importance of these things is integral to creating change.
In addition, the more women can support other women, the more wealth and power they can create together. Women with wealth are more likely to invest in solutions for world issues, especially those of which most impact women and girls.
Emily Lauren
How has your creativity in marketing helped you stand out to your audience?
My creativity in marketing has allowed me to help women-led businesses stand out by crafting unique and impactful brand identities. I work closely with clients to define their brand personality, using bold colors, strong typography, and imagery. This results in branding that is both authentic and compelling, attracting ideal clients and creating a trustworthy and unignorable online presence.
Emily Lauren
What do you see as the three core values driving marketing growth on today’s digital platforms?
I believe marketing growth is driven by the core values of authenticity, relevance, and community. Audiences are increasingly drawn to brands that are genuine and transparent, those that communicate their values honestly and embrace their imperfections.
Equally important is the ability to provide content that truly resonates with your target audience, addressing their specific needs and interests amidst the overwhelming amount of information online.
Finally, creating a sense of community and belonging around your brand is important. You need to find authentic ways to nurture relationships to establish trust and deepen connections.
Emily Lauren
Marketing involves putting yourself out there and creating opportunities. Could you share a memorable moment or anecdote about a pivotal marketing opportunity that came your way? How did it impact your business?
My first, true taste of feeling aligned in my brand happened when I was establishing my author platform for my first published book, Body Positive: A Guide to Loving Your Body. I realized that truly being myself, despite being scared to do so, made me a magnet for dream clients. I think it was also the moment I realized how important it was for purpose driven women to have a stand out online presence. It helped me on the path that I’m on today and I am forever grateful for that.
Emily Lauren
What inspires you to collaborate with female founders, and what common mindset blocks have you observed and shifted among the women you work with?
One of the most common mindset blocks I’ve observed is Imposter Syndrome. I have yet to meet a woman who did not struggle with feelings of doubt around who they are as a businessperson (despite their success). So many talented women struggle with this because we have learned, in society, to feel not good enough. You are good enough!
Emily Lauren
Female founders need to market their brands not just visually but internally. With the rise of AI, what are your thoughts on human-driven marketing versus AI-automated processes?
I’m not against using AI to help your creative process at all. I think we’re at the point where we can all tell if something is completely AI generated, so now more than ever, people want authenticity. They want realness! I think AI can be a great tool for research, brainstorming, and automating boring, time-consuming processes so that creators can focus more on the parts of business that they love. Even with the best trained AI, you have to put your own personal touch on the final “product” to make it truly speak to the humans you are serving.
Emily Lauren
If you could share one aspect, tool, project, collaboration, or design from your business as a message for future generations—like a time capsule—what would it be?
I think my favourite creation is and will always be my brand. It’s a representation of my hopes, dreams, mission and purpose. Having a bold yet feminine brand to symbolize the importance of visibility for women is powerful and I hope that it inspires other businesses to create a brand that they love just as much.
🏃🏽♀️ Building a community of marketers (Yannig Roth, founder of the HirondoNetwork, shares his journey as a marketer on the Content Marketing Commute Podcast. He discusses leading a community of freelance marketers, along with his tips and tricks along the way. It’s a mindful 360° look at a founder’s journey and how to balance the building process—set against the beautiful backdrop of Montmartre, Paris. The format is so cool—moving through the city, capturing more than just a moment.)
📣 Vusi Thembekwayo is my "coup de cœur"(a South African founder, venture capitalist, elite coach and mentor, keynote speaker, and best-selling author transforming hundreds of businesses across Africa and the world. I discovered him while researching for my book on female founders, and he stood out. He is a voice who activates your understanding of leadership.)
💎 Why talent doesn’t matter? (A powerful conversation for creatives and beyond that can inspire you to seize and tell your story. Steven Pressfield has been on my radar for years, and the first book I read from him was the wake-up call, ‘‘Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*it’’. Talent alone isn’t enough, no matter the field, today even more as shifts in AI, politics, and communities evolve. Marketing and branding with their duo leveraging matter like never before, yet it takes momentum to ‘‘get it’’. On a mindful note, he simply encourages us to "Do the work.")
Congrats, you made it to the end! Thank you for reading! Here are more ways to share the love.
I leave you with Emily’s song. Sending strenght vibes 💪 Keva.
