5 Ways To Show Up When Launching A Business By Nicki James

Nicki James is the founder of Just Brand You. She is a personal brand strategist and champion for female entrepreneurs on a mission to release the magic of other women in business – by giving them permission to be themselves. She empowers her clients to show up, get visible and kick imposter syndrome into touch as they step into their true zones of genius and rightful places in the world, so that they can launch and grow successful businesses whilst still celebrating their individuality and true purpose. 

Fighting against the misconception that you need a split personality as a business owner – one person for work, one person for home, Nicki is passionate about empowering female entrepreneurs to realise that the rocket fuel that helps them fly – is them. With confidence and clarity around their marketing she shows her clients that the secret sauce they need to grow their business isn’t the latest ‘marketing magic’’ – but their own individual magic. Nicki Shares her top 5 tips on how you can show up with your unique magic when looking to launch a business.

Be brave

You are your brand! It is crucial to connect with your own story and journey when launching a start-up. We are the driving force behind it, the secret ingredient that gets people falling in love with us. People buy from people, so the more you there is in your brand, the better. That means understanding who you are as a woman, not just who you are as an entrepreneur and the right brand will showcase the real, authentic you.

Be proud

‘Embrace your face.’ Putting yourself out there is one of the hardest things you can do, but it’s also one of the most powerful. So many people struggle with it, but it’s important to fight that fear. To feel it and do it anyway because we can’t rely on fancy feeds or designed quotes alone. Showing up through things like lives, stories and strong brand photography is a great way to build connections with clients and showcase your personality. If you want to get known, get out there and stop hiding. 

Be collaborative 

Find your cheerleaders, everyone needs cheerleaders around them, supporting them. Nicki’s first one was her amazing, and fabulously forthright Gran, Betty, who challenged her to step out of her comfort zone and into her potential. She encouraged her to do more and be more, from a total place of love, and this ‘done with love’ encouragement is very much Nicki’s coaching style with clients. Encouraging everyone she works with to “be a little more you and a lot less them,” is at the heart of everything she does. She’s always put collaboration over competition. Always. And as a champion of women Nicki loves the power we can harness when we all come together. We’re unstoppable, right? And if 2020 taught us anything it’s that we need each other – raving cheerleaders who push us, support us, inspire us and are ready to fix each other’s crowns.

Be real

Show your true values and real character, it’s important from the outset of any start up to powerfully communicate through genuinely showcasing your values, qualities and real character. That will cut through so much more than showcasing some over polished, sculpted corporate version of you. And if you build your brand based around you as the woman and not the business, you’ll be able to claim your own unique part of the online space. There’s probably a lot of people who do what you do. You won’t be the first, or the last. But if you nail your brand message you will stand out. You’ll become known as THE go-to expert, and the right people will be attracted to you.

Be you

Show your Personality and make it sound like you. We’re a long way from corporate land now. It doesn’t all have to be prim and proper, 9-5 vibes. It just has to be YOU. It has to have your personality at the heart of everything. So don’t be afraid to mess up, or laugh, or joke, or even swear (shock). If it’s right for you, it’s right. Your audience need to feel like they’re dealing with a real person at every stage of the journey.

Image taken by AKP Branding Stories