Branding Fairy Godmother, Jo Jo Smith, 46 from Birmingham believes that branding is more than a logo, she says “it’s your business ballgown” and like any made-to-measure item, branding should be tailored to you perfectly in appearance, style and fit.
“To build a successful business without a brand is like going to the business ball in just your undies!” says Jo Jo; “In order to stand out and project your business personality and passion – you need to dress for the occasion and this outfit needs to reflect your mission, vision and values. Your branding announces your pride and confidence and it shows that your business means business!”
Jo Jo, who built a successful career with clients in TV production, premier league football clubs and huge national retailers, learned that her own strong personality opened doors for her, building strong client relationships and boosting new business sales. “There’s no point trying to hide your own strengths,” says Jo Jo.”It’s my firm belief that the more true you are to yourself, the more you’re going to achieve, and this starts with the brand you build. There’s no point trying to be ‘Jeff the corporate accountant’ when who you really are is Cinderella!”
Now at the helm of her own business, CreativSAS, Jo Jo is a business development and branding ‘fairy godmother’, with a drive to help other female business owners find the magic of fully embracing their personalities to unleash their full potential. Passionate about being a positive force, Jo Jo has created her own personal brand that boldly represents her colourful personality and passion for helping others.
Built on her unapologetically positive attitude and desire to pay it forward, with CreativSAS she helps her clients to discover their SASSY USP, or Unique Super Power as she champions and cheerleaders the rise of other female entrepreneurs.
“I work on turning dreams and ideas into real life brands and empowering women to show the world their expertise,” says Jo. “Why shouldn’t we thrive doing something we love and being the people we are? No-one should be made to apologise for that.”
5 Top tips for made-to-measure business branding
“I like to think of branding like a made-to-measure garment. It’s going to fit like a glove, express your personality and there won’t be another one exactly like it anywhere in the world. Branding should be a celebration of you!” says Jo Jo.
- Don’t let anyone else define you. If you’ve been living up to or even confined by other people’s expectations you might need time and a little encouragement to shake off negativity and remember who you are. Don’t attempt to develop your brand before you are happy to say “this is me” and mean it!
- Be honest about your strengths and what you love. Keep a journal of ideas, or mood board or vision board of things that inspire you, anything that starts to build a picture for yourself of who you are; think colours, photos, words, movie characters, stars of stage and screen that best describe you. These will feed into your brand, and just like that made to measure ballgown dress, you should love it.
- Don’t settle on your branding too quickly. These things take time to work up and there will probably be lots of evolutions on the way to your final creatives and styling. The more you explore, the bolder you will become.
- Find your cheer squad. The brand is you! You must be 100% authentic and unapologetically you and having people you love, championing your new-found confidence enables you to stand front and centre on the stage of your own life.
- Believe it! Don’t ever look at your business and your brand and apologise for it. You’re working hard, you’ve overcome challenge, you’ve had to fight to get here and quite possibly, there’s a new and glorious version of you looking back in the mirror. This is the brand you can step out and work with.
