I didn’t start out as a brand strategist. I started as a photographer—capturing people, stories, and moments in their rawest form. It was something I loved. Something I was good at.
But there came a moment when I hit a wall.
I had built a successful photography business and had a steady stream of clients, yet I felt stuck. I wanted to scale, to grow, to attract higher-value clients. So, like many entrepreneurs, I turned to the “experts” for help. I hired a top-tier marketing agency, believing they held the missing piece to unlock my business’s next level.
Spoiler alert: They didn’t.
For eight months, I handed over nearly $25,000—an investment that should have transformed my business. Instead, I got a cookie-cutter marketing plan, generic content, and zero real brand strategy insights tailored to who I was or the audience I was trying to reach.
It wasn’t personal. It wasn’t tailored. It wasn’t ME.
And that’s when it hit me—most businesses are trapped in the same cycle. They invest in marketing before they’ve ever truly figured out their brand. They jump into tactics before they know what they stand for.
That realization changed everything for me.
Branding isn’t just your logo, colors, or website. It’s not a tagline or an Instagram bio.
Your brand is the emotional connection people have with your business.
It’s how you make people feel before they ever buy from you.
And here’s the problem: Most businesses don’t take the time to clarify their brand before they start marketing. They run ads, push social media content, and throw money at campaigns—without ever defining:
✔ Who they are
✔ What they stand for
✔ Why their audience should care
As Marty Neumeier, author of The Brand Gap, once said:
“A brand is not what you say it is. It’s what they say it is.”
This is why branding for entrepreneurs comes before marketing. Always.
When I finally walked away from that marketing agency, I knew I needed to understand why branding matters at a deep level—not just for my business but for others like me.
So, I went all in.
I studied the psychology of branding.
I dissected the success of top brands.
I tested and refined strategies—first on myself, then on others.
And what I found was simple: The businesses that win aren’t the loudest. They’re the clearest.
They know exactly who they are.
They know exactly who they serve.
They communicate that with precision.
As Jeff Bezos puts it:
“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
I built my business to help entrepreneurs do just that.
Mistake #1: Thinking marketing is the solution when clarity is the problem.
Most entrepreneurs believe they have a marketing problem when they really have a messaging problem.
🚫 If your ads aren’t working…
🚫 If your content isn’t converting…
🚫 If your audience isn’t engaging…
It’s not because your tactics suck. It’s because your brand is unclear.
As Donald Miller, author of Building a StoryBrand, says:
“People don’t buy the best products; they buy the ones they understand the fastest.”
Solution: Before you market, clarify. Who are you? Why should people care? What makes you different?
I’ve seen it happen over and over again. One client came to me drowning in marketing confusion. They were spending thousands on ads that weren’t converting. Their website was a jumbled mess of generic messaging. They had all the moving parts of a business but lacked a clear identity.
Through my brand discovery process, we stripped everything down to the foundation:
✔ Defined their brand positioning
✔ Clarified their messaging
✔ Created a strategy that actually made sense
The result? Their marketing started working—because they finally had a message that resonated.
Brand clarity isn’t optional. It’s the prerequisite for growth.
If you’re an entrepreneur hustling but not growing…
If you’re pouring money into marketing without seeing ROI…
If your audience isn’t connecting with you the way they should…
You don’t need more marketing. You need more clarity.
Branding is what makes people choose you.
Branding is what makes your business sustainable.
Branding is the difference between being forgotten and being legendary.
As Seth Godin once said:
“People do not buy goods and services. They buy relationships, stories, and magic.”
So, are you ready to finally build a brand that people care about?
🚀 Let’s make it happen. Shoot me a DM, reply to this post, or book a call. I’d love to help you get there.
Deevo is a seasoned entrepreneur, brand strategist, and personal branding expert who has built multiple businesses from the ground up. His philosophy? Your brand isn’t what you sell—it’s what you stand for. Through strategic coaching, storytelling, and content creation, he helps entrepreneurs become the niche instead of just competing in one.
When he’s not coaching or creating, you’ll probably find him reading, coaching his daughters on the field, or hiking with his pittie, Big Sam.
Want to build a brand that stands out? Let’s talk.
Sources & References
1️⃣ Why Branding Comes Before Marketing
2️⃣ How Brand Clarity Drives Business Success
3️⃣ The Science Behind Emotional Branding
🔥 CTA: Want to get crystal clear on your brand before you spend another dime on marketing? Let’s chat. Book a strategy call at https://thebrandstoryteller.com/contact/