How To Rebrand Yourself: Plan & Execute Your Brand Like A Rising Phoenix, Even IF Your Expertise Isn’t Branding, Storytelling, or Marketing…

So, you’re looking to rebrand yourself and you’re not sure where to begin. Or, maybe you know where to begin but you’re not sure WTF to do after! In this article, I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know to rock your own branding and rebrand yourself like a star.

Let’s first talk about what led you here in the first place…

When you know that your current brand is no longer a reflection of who you are, or the power of what you do, it can be like trying to wear pants that are two sizes too small. It just doesn’t fit or feel good! Which means you’re ready for an upgrade, but you also wanna do it right. Not take a fast and hard leap and end up flailing in the wind without a parachute.

You need the roadmap, a step-by-step process that clearly lays it all out.

Well, my sweet sweet, lovebug, your parachute is here because that’s exactly what I’m about to give you. And, in case you haven’t been following my wild journey to birthing this brand that you’re currently experiencing on this website, let me start by taking you back to where this all began….

So, my mom and dad met on an airplane. (Just kidding, we’re not going that far back.)

Back in 2013, I launched my very first brand as a coach & copywriter. 

Although, to be honest, it’s hard to say it was my “first” brand or my “first” launch, because I had already been putting myself “out there” as a profesh screenwriter, wrote and directed a feature-length romantic comedy movie (which I won a cool award for), and then released that film digitally. 

So, learning how to package things up with their own vibe, tone, and marketing plan (including myself!) was not new to me.

Still, I had to go for it in the online landscape, which meant: photos, a website, a tagline, *and all that jazz* (waves jazz hands). What I learned four years into running a business and BEing an online brand was that, well, about every four years I crave a refresh about as intensely as I crave a cold Coca Cola with my slice of pizza. (Does anyone eat pizza without soda? Be honest.)

As I grew personally, I needed my brand to grow with me. 

There was no way around it: I had to feel like the plane I was flying was big enough to hold all I wanted it to, so I could get where I wanted to go (and with all the stowage space I needed). In this case, my brand is the plane. You get it. 😂

So when I felt like burning my whole business down in late 2021, I was super scared and sad, but I was also like *checks watch* “well, that was right on time.” 😂It had been exactly another four years.

Still, it was a shocking, bold move because I didn’t just rebrand, I torched all my existing programs, fired all of my clients, and put everything on pause to go deep and discover what wanted to be born from me next.

As a highly feminine, intuitive, creative being, I have to honor those instincts over and above doing the “smart” thing. I have to listen to the quiet voice inside that says “not this.” So I did. And I took it slowly. And, little by little, this current brand came into being. 

How my latest brand came into being…

To birth this latest brand, I got support from the outside specifically as I was intuitively guided to. In late summer of 2022, I hit up my dear friend Hillary Weiss Presswood to help me uncover my refreshed positioning, and then, continued to go slow and take my sweet time as the brand slowly revealed itself to me. 

For example, my brand name (Scribe & Spirit) was actually an instagram account I created 7 years ago, but never used. My brand story (combining the intuitive with the practical to engineer brand stories that deeply influence) was a result of waiting, very patiently, to remember that I already had a brand name that spoke to precisely that story. 

The concept of the Golden Thread™ was a result of the session I did with Hillary, but that came months before my brand name revealed itself. Funny enough, at the time, I was considering using that concept in a totally different way. (We’ll get to that later.) My StoryWeb™ approach was born of the Golden Thread™ but also through a deeply life-changing moment I had with spiders (and spider magic) that had occurred months prior to us even uncovering the Golden Thread™ positioning.

All to say: this process was entirely perfect and also non-linear AF.

I offer this because I believe it’s SO important to remember that things really can and do unfold perfectly if you allow them to. Naturally, I am intuitively skilled at story, branding, and marketing – so I knew how to receive this information little by little and ultimately flip it into something. I knew how to take the Golden Thread™ concept and adapt it through evolution. 

But, if this isn’t your expertise, you can work with experts to help you position, message, and clarify your brand story.

And, if this IS your expertise, you can still work with experts! I did. And I believe, while I was PUMPED to be my own creative director and carry the vision, I also believe it’s kinda impossible to pull that first thread for yourself. 

Because you’re INSIDE it, and so close to it, you usually need an objective expert to mirror it back to you. 

Okay, now let’s pretend this process is totally linear for the sake of this article, (which, once you have all the foundational components in place, it can be).

Here’s HOW to rebrand yourself, step by step

Even though I’m about to give you the entire lay of the land, I want to underline this one important part again:

Trust your intuition. Take your time. Your rebrand journey is your own.

Okay, here are all of the things you’ll ultimately need to rebrand:

1. Foundational Brand Story, Message, Positioning, and Concept – BEFORE you go off and hire a visual branding expert, BEFORE you get your copy written and your website designed, BEFORE you get your photos taken, you need this. These foundations aim to help you create COHESION across all of your platforms. They will become a compass that directs and drives creative decisions, content decisions, and more. This is your first step. The first thread you’ll want to pull before you can start weaving it all together.

2. Visual Brand Identity. Once you have a direction for your foundational brand story and concept, you can begin to unfold the visual identity. Your brand’s visual identity includes your logo as well as a set of colors, fonts, patterns, textures, and styles that are specific to your brand and the feeling you want it to create for your audience. For example, when expressing and directing the visual identity of my brand, I knew I wanted it to feel like my website visitors were stepping into a Secret Academy, deep in the woods. One where they might find witches and fairies, and giant libraries with furry rugs and roaring fireplaces. One where they’d be served delicious herbal concoctions that activated their inner knowing and power. One where they’d be surrounded by others just like them, and they’d be celebrated for their own weird and special magic. For my logo, I knew I wanted a flower as well as a spider web. I wanted to express the energy of the cyclical nature of creativity, the soft patience of blooming, and the innate wisdom of web-weaving. And Lydia Kitts of Turnquist House took this vision of mine and ran with it. How’d we do? 😉

3. Photography. Ideally, stunning, story-centric photography that elicits an emotional response. A lot of folks want headshots that make them look friendly, approachable, neat and professional. But I’m not about that life. Remember, your photographer and creative director will bring their own style and approach to your brand. My style and approach is to create as much emotion in the viewer as possible. Emotion will trigger the release of brain chemicals, and create a felt response in the body – whether it’s adrenaline, oxytocin, or dopamine. This is how we carve memory into the mind of your audience and community. Your content (and especially your branding collateral) should be memorable. This is why we choose specific colors, shapes, textures – it’s not just about what looks pretty. It’s about finding the appropriate mood and feeling for YOUR brand that will also work to be memorable. My strategy for doing that is to be provocative by eliciting emotions in a very specific way. To prepare for your photoshoot, you want to be clear on the characters of your brand. These may be archetypes, or unique adjusted concepts that speak to your ideal audience in a very specific way. Preparing for your photoshoot will require: wardrobe, hair and makeup concepts, and of course the right talent (art direction, hair and makeup, photographer, lighting, studio space, props, etc.). You may also decide you want to shoot video as well. I developed a full storyboard and shot list for my photoshoot, and my photographer Kara Colleen nailed it.

4. Your Website & Brand Touchpoints (Copy, Structural Design, Graphic Design, & Development). Yesiree! Your website & brand requires a lot of components. While there are templates and themes that can make the website part simple, I believe if you’re planning to build something that really lasts, it’s SO worth it to hire the big guns professionals who will dot their i’s and cross their t’s to make sure it’s all handled correctly, the first time. You can begin by working with a designer to build out the website strategy and wire frames (what goes where & how the user flows through the website) OR you can hire a copywriter who does that and bring the designer in later. When you’re hiring a copywriter, ask if they’ll help you map out the site and design their copy accordingly. When it comes to your brand touchpoints, you’ll want to trace your entire customer journey to make a map of all the areas where you’ll need new graphics to update for coherence and consistency.

5. Your Backend Marketing Funnels. Well, your website’s ultimate job is to help you sell and support your business. But if you’re not capturing the folks who land on your website and moving them through a process, you are losing clients and customers every single day! You’ll want to be clear on this backend strategy and prepare to implement it – if not when your website launches, then at least shortly thereafter.

6. Your Rebrand Launch Plan. Ooooh yeah. You put all this effort into getting your brand up to par with the power & potency of your work. Now you want to capitalize on it, not only because getting website traffic makes Google like and suggest your site more, but because the purpose of your website is to greet new clients and customers and drive potential business. So, you want a plan to get eyes on your new website. Just because you built it, doesn’t mean they’ll come. But here’s what I’ll say: the more you build something WORTH looking at and scrolling – the more viewers you’ll get. The more you find ways to incentivize folks to visit the website, the more traffic you’ll attract! There are a ton of ways to do this and I’ve tried many over the years, including: a live, in-person party, branded swag gifts, a limited time offer for the first 48 hours of the launch, and a commitment to donate a certain % of sales to charity during the first few weeks of the launch. As I’m writing this, I’m still not sure what I’ll do this time around, but it will most likely be more slow and steady and less instantaneous, short-lived, scarce, and burst-y.

Now you know all the things you need to rebrand yourself like a boss!

And, at this point, you’re probably thinking “OH GAWD THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, MAYBE I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS AT ALL.”

I will acknowledge that it can be a lot – I’ll especially own that as someone who’s experienced the nervous-system-flooding challenge that can come with choosing to intentionally level up for the sake of freedom, truth, and purpose MANY-A-TIME, I get it. I really do.

But I also want to encourage you to remember that it is also very doable, especially when you take it one step at a time, patiently trust the process, and work with a trusted team of professionals to help you slay the parts that might not necessarily be in your wheelhouse of expertise.

You absolutely got this. It’s a process, but there’s nothing better than being able to market yourself in a way that feels truly aligned with who you are, and what you care about – in a way that is, really, ART. And then, to see that effectively working for your brand and business too?

 It’s 100% worth it.

Okay, let’s talk about moola. 

How much does it cost to rebrand yourself? 

Generally, anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000. 

But, honestly, it all depends.

How much you choose to invest is a personal choice that depends on your skill set, what lights you up to do on your own, who you ultimately choose to hire and how you rock it out. 

On my last rebrand, I spent about $30,000. 

This time around, I invested more like $20,000 – but – I also did a LOT myself.

• I creative directed and produced my own photoshoot 

• I wrote ALL of my own copy 

• I developed my own brand story 

So, the question of how YOU want to rebrand and what it will cost you ultimately comes down to this – 

How worth it (to you) is it to NOT have to do certain parts of it yourself?

How worth it (to you) is it to have it done right, by a professional?

How worth it (to you) is it to feel fully supported in the process?

There’s no right or wrong number, there’s just the number that’s right for you. In terms of ROI (Return on Investment), there’s a GIANT ROI when it comes to clarifying your coherent brand story and communicating it effectively. It saves you time, provides energy, and makes you more money.

Foundational Brand Story, Message, Positioning, and Concept 

• Investment: $2,500 to $10,000 – I invested $5,000 for positioning support, and I currently charge $2,500 to $10,000 for this type of support.

Visual Brand Identity

• Investment: $3,000 to $10,000 – I invested $1,000 (on a rare, limited time special I was VERY lucky to slide into) but this is usually at least $3,500.

Photography

• Investment $5,000 to $15,000 – I invested $5,000 (all-in) but with all the components needed it can add up quickly, I charge $10,000 to produce and direct your brand story photoshoot (including the shoot expenses)
  • Expenses include: photographer, studio rental, hair and makeup, lighting, food and snacks, creative director, PA
  • Other expenses include: wardrobe, props, photo editing, composite editing

Your Website & Brand Touchpoints (Copy, Structural Design, Graphic Design, & Development)

• Investment $20,000 – I invested $6,000 and I charge $6,000 to write your 3 most important website copy pages 
  • Website & Brand Touchpoint Expenses: Copy $6,000 to $12,000
  • Design & Development $6,000 to $20,000

Your Backend Marketing Funnels

• Investment: $10,000+ not including software expenses – I invested $3,000 to work with a funnel expert (Jenn Robbins) and I got lucky, because she’s probably way more expensive now. I wrote my own copy. I don’t write funnels for clients anymore, but I’d charge at least $10,000 if I did.

Your Rebrand Launch Plan

• Investment: $1,500 to $10,000 – I don’t have investment numbers for this just one yet, but I’ll tell ya, I’m probably going to invest in some kind of swag and another live event. It was 100% worth it last time and it was the most fun way to celebrate and market all at once. So, I’d guesstimate a $3,000 expense for this, more or less.

Why launching (when you rebrand yourself) matters so much

When you rebrand yourself, the launch is honestly the hardest but most important part of the process! At this point, you’re tired and ready for the thing to be BORN ALREADY. But, it’s also important that you show up and shout about your new brand from the rooftops, and give folks a reason to care (besides just liking you and being curious)…

• Free swag? 
• Cool party? 
• Opportunity to get something they need handled?
• Inspiration?
• Helpful content?

The goal of this is to get new eyeballs on your website.

Ultimately, it is these eyeballs that are going to…

• Send new prospective clients your way & refer business (woohoo)
• Become clients who book sales calls with you (yippee)
• Transform into subscribers who become new community members (the best)
• Boost your website traffic which helps SEO (hell yeah)

Remember, the goal of your new brand & website is to serve your business and the life you want to build and enjoy. 

There’s no right or wrong way to do this.
There’s not too much or too little way to do this.

There’s no perfect or imperfect way to do this.

There’s just YOUR WAY. The way that serves your vision, your desire, and your soul’s work in the world.

If you’re angling towards a rebrand, it can be a long, grueling process that tests your patience and capacity, but you don’t have to do it alone.

We can work together to help make the process easier, more enjoyable, and more effective – so it’s not just “business,” it’s art. 

That’s what branding and marketing really is after all – 

It’s art that serves your business.

I hope you found this article helpful.

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