back to the drawing board

A while back I published a post about the importance of branding and mentioned some resources for accomplishing this daunting task.

Being vaguely unsatisfied with my own branding and wanting to create a more cohesive presence both online and in "the real world," I finally took the plunge and took a hard look at what I was doing. For example, I'm sure that many recognize my avatar from many sites, but in the back of my mind I've always been concerned that the public might think that I create and sell cowboy hats. Or western wear. (Actually the image is my illustration of a Caribbean mermaid called Lasiren.) As much as I liked the red-haired mermaid cowgirl, she really needed to be replaced with a more relevant image. So it's back to the drawing board at Lonesome Road Studio.

The graphic design process in branding is much like getting a tattoo. So many intriguing images and ideas but with the nagging question "Will I want to live with this for the rest of my life?" After much consideration and research, I have decided on a new image, one that best reflects my goals and... what I actually do. In addition to creating a more distinctive and focused image, I wanted it to be unique (of course) and not over-used or trendy. Hopefully I've achieved all of these things and even more hopefully (LOL) I will unveil the new Lonesome Road Studio soon. Keep watching for more news!

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gettin' out the branding iron

As part of my ongoing efforts to streamline my business strategies and to find what works most effectively, I've decided to jump headfirst into "branding" Lonesome Road Studio. For, as I read on garrreynolds.com, "If you don't brand yourself, you can rest assured that others are branding you."

As I research the topic, I do find that I've already taken some of the many but fairly simple steps to branding myself, such as purchasing my own .com domain name, participating in social networking (not just tweeting haphazardly, but really trying to participate in a helpful, interactive way) and blogging. But I do find that I have a long path ahead of me, and the path can be daunting and a bit overwhelming if not navigated in an orderly fashion. Fortunately, I discovered this helpful Personal Branding Worksheet of steps to be taken in the process of branding yourself.

Not only is branding a type of "tooting your own horn," it's also about discovering the music you enjoy and play best on that horn. I'm positive that I'm going to enjoy following this worksheet each step of the way; I'm certain that I will learn new things about myself and I know that this can only help in my aspirations to become the best business owner that I can be.

It is my hope that others will reap the benefits of this course as well.