Here at Groundwork, we believe in many things, but if we had to pick one value that trumps them all… HONESTY. And not the polished instagram-worthy type of honesty, but the raw, the real, the unfiltered, no-bullshit kind. Because we truly believe that to make moves for yourself and your business, you need to be 100% honest with yourself, and 100% honest with your audience.

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Social media and online businesses have given way to a new wave of entrepreneurs. I stumbled upon Erin May Henry not too long ago, and she coined it perfectly: the #chillpreneur. She keeps it fun, natural and relatable. Doesn’t that sound good? Staying true to yourself, not fitting in, owning your inner weirdo and letting your uniqueness shine? Another person that inspires me tremendously is Pia over at Curate Well Co. She has made it her mission to go against the current, do things differently and has thrown the proverbial business book out the window. And those are the people you should look at. The brave ones, who are choosing to take the road less travelled, whatever that looks like, and commit to staying true to their values and their beliefs.

Say it with us: Honest is the new cool.

Build it and they come, they said. In an age of constant connexion, ad overload and choice paralysis, your business cannot afford to just exist, it needs to STAND OUT. And the only durable and sustainable way to do so is through strategy. But not just any strategy…

We know the word strategy gets thrown around pretty much every day about everything, but if done right, your brand strategy could save you years of hustle, doubt and possibly costly mistakes. At the Groundwork Club, our #1 goal is to help you build a business that feels aligned, soulful and sustainable so you can attract the right audience without burning out. We do so through careful market research and trend forecasting, brand analysis and development, curated content strategies and biz mapping, as well as personalized branding recommendations and content creation for your business to cut through the noise and get noticed. We take the hassle away from figuring out what your brand should look like, say, feel like, how you should say it and where it needs to live and we create systems to automate all that so you can sip your coffee, relax and watch your business grow.

Show up weird. Stay true to yourself. Be the most authentic version of yourself. We believe showing up exactly as you are is your superpower, and we preach authenticity in everything we do. No one does it like you do, and your quirkiness is what sets you apart. Let’s cut the bull**** and start rewriting the rules.

When it comes to crafting their brand strategy, people tend to seek inspiration from their industry and look at successful companies as this sort of blueprint that they should follow. Oftentimes though, the answer is found by looking inwards. Here are the 3 mistakes you should avoid when building your brand:

Fit in

Getting inspired from your industry prohibits you from creating a soulful brand, and will likely make you look like everyone else. Instead, identify your values and craft a brand that reflects them. You don’t want to blend in, you want to disrupt. Look at us for instance. Our brand codes and aesthetic is inspired by the spa and hospitality sectors, because we wanted our client experience to feel like a relaxation moment for your biz. A place of quiet and stillness. A place of calm. So you can reconnect to your values, do the deep work you need to do on yourself and your biz, and feel refreshed and relaxed in the process.

People please

Your brand shouldn’t be built around what people want, but on what you believe is the most powerful way to deliver what they need. Read that again, please. Of course, knowing what your customers want is essential in building a powerful brand and a drool-worthy offer, but the way you deliver that is entirely up to you. The more you stick to your core values, the more irresistible your brand will become.

Play it safe

You might be thinking that if your brand doesn’t follow the industry norm, people won’t resonate with it or you might not get noticed by your ideal clients who seem to gravitate towards brands that follow a certain look & feel and ethos, but truly, the opposite will happen. The more unique and aligned your brand is, the more magnetic your message will be. Trust us on that one!

Your personality and your brand values are what will set you apart. You need to infuse them in everything you do, from your branding to your tone of voice, your website, your client experience and your offer suite.

Don’t know how to stick out and where to start to craft a value-based business? That’s what we’re here for. Get in touch with us today and we’ll do the groundwork together. You can find us on instagram at @groundworkclub, or shoot us an email at info@groundworkclub.com.

‘Til next time,

Xx Giules