A few years ago, I wrote a post called Stop Calling Yourself a Life Coach, Start Doing More Good Shit that (to my surprise) ranked among the top results on the first page of Google when searching for “another word for life coach” or something of the like.
I originated the post on a whim because I was fed up with the dubious practitioners out there selling pipe dreams to naive customers. And I could no longer keep quiet about what I was witnessing—not only in the life coaching world, but also in the world of internet marketing in general. The online landscape was becoming infested with unethical and dishonest business owners, and I remember thinking to myself, You can either be a part of the problem or a part of the solution!
So I decided to speak up as one solution.
Little did I know that my message would strike a chord with so many other life coaches. Since it published, that post has been shared organically thousands of times. And, to this day, I continue to receive an alarming number of emails and comments from life coaches who’ve given me something else to chew on:
Now that I’m doing good work in the world, how do I come up with another name or title for what I do, wise guy?
Okay, I may have embellished the “wise guy” remark, but you get the point.
Though I rarely offer a singular answer—because embarking on the journey of self-discovery is the goal—I urge people to ask themselves better questions so they can cut through the BS and right to the heart of the matter. So, for the first time publicly, I’m sharing my favorite branding framework that I developed incidentally for community members and clients who were asking me to help them speak up and stand out in their corner of the world.
1. ESTABLISH YOUR ETHOS
The first step in understanding what makes you awesome is to establish your ethos. Your ethos is your brand’s character and fundamental values. Establishing an ethos helps your audience understand what you stand for, which ultimately helps them connect to the mission you represent. As John Wooden says, “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
What do you want your audience to know about you, what you stand for, and why you represent your mission?
2. FLAUNT WHAT MAKES YOU AWESOME
After you establish your ethos, the second step of the framework is to flaunt what makes you awesome. If someone was to land on your brand new web site and click on your “About” page, how would you want the reader to remember you? What kind of impression would you want to make?
Unlike creating a list of your strengths, skills or achievements (which only stroke your ego), the what makes you f’ing awesome is your unique story—the reason you’re not like anyone else in your field or industry—that compels people to keep reading and consider engaging you.
What’s that thing you’re scared to share with the world, but you know (if you did) that it could change someone’s life for the better? How is your story or message unique to the people you want to help?
Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you’ve compiled a full page of words, phrases, and sentences that express who you are, what you stand for, and how you want to show up in the world. Pay attention to any themes—some may jump out at you, while others may require you to dig a little deeper before you can draw any conclusions.
If you’re still struggling with this exercise, ask for help. When you’re too close to a project, it can be difficult to realize how awesome you are. Share this exercise with a coach, mentor, client or community member and ask them to provide responses about your brand in their words. This feedback can be invaluable because being aware of the language that people (who want what you’re offering) are already using to search for products and services like yours makes it easier to tell your story or write marketing copy that aligns with your message and resonates with the goals of your intended audience.
What you end up calling yourself may evolve over time as you continue to change and grow. So don’t get hung up on forcing a match to happen; it’s about finding a good fit right now.
Berni Xiong is The Shin Kicking Life Spark. Through her work as an author, intuitive branding coach, and Reiki Master/Teacher, she helps emerging intuitives speak up, stand out, and change their world. When she’s not kicking shins, she runs an online school offering free business education and spiritual development at bravebearuniversity.com.