Today I had some incredible Podcast interviews, one of them was with Alexandra Climent and it reminded me about this phenomenon I wanted to talk about and it’s related to being an entrepreneur while also being the face of your business.
Alexandra has this incredible story and she built a huge following just by sharing her journey as well insights into her life and essentially just building her brand around her authentic life. Her page is a curated collection of her time in the jungle sourcing the wood that she works with, her projects and her as a person.
Pros and Cons
This is so important, I think a lot of people try to distance themselves from their brand or stay behind the scenes but that’s a bad call in my opinion. People are wired to connect with people, we aren’t wired to connect with the abstract concept of a brand. This can be a bit of a scary concept if you’re shy or maybe you don’t like being on camera, or a dozen other reasons but hear me out on the pros and cons.
Pros:
When you’re the face of your company, people associate your company with your name and your likeness. It builds familiarity with your business which is good, and also makes you more approachable.
When people know you, like you and trust you those are the foundations of any good customer relationship, if you don’t give people a chance to know you, they can’t in turn like you or trust you.
Cons:
If you’re self conscious about being the face of your business that’s going to be a struggle you need to manage or overcome.
It may feel like it’s hard to grow when people automatically associate your name with your business.
Competitive Online Market Considerations
Ultimately, the pros here outweigh the cons, because we have seen through active case studies of other woodpreneurs that having that one on one connection usually does foster growth. It gives another facet for people to learn about and connect with when they’re deciding between you and another brand that maybe doesn’t feel like there is a person behind it.
This is why you need to turn the camera on and be the face of your business. The wood industry is getting more and more competitive and connecting with your base or relevant customers will give you a massive advantage. Especially with covid, the online space has been getting more saturated, so the best way for you to make an impact or impression on your ideal customer is to just be yourself, and don’t worry about trying to attract everybody.
Be yourself, lean into your brand, your voice, your values and your mission. The people who are meant to be your customers will find you.
Closing Thoughts
I know for me, I have definitely worked with people I shouldn’t have. Now my main focus is attracting people who get me and understand me. This is crucial because when I connect with someone we can do great work together and that should be the same thing for other woodpreneurs.
You’re woodpreneurs! Small business owners! You’re not selling a carburetor or plumbing services, you’re creating things that nobody else can create and you have your own unique voice, your own unique spin, and your own unique brand.
Don’t be afraid to showcase the person behind the brand, you don’t have to be anything but yourself.
Just some thoughts from me, Happy Holidays everyone, we’ve got some great stuff coming this year! I’m not sure if you’ve seen the Instagram stories with all the awesome merch we’re working on but I’m just so excited, it’s going to be amazing.