Rebranding Shana Bryant

When I decided to become a full-time entrepreneur, one of the first things I wanted to improve was the company’s website and brand message. I was in the midst of a personal evolution and thinking more about aligning my work with my inner voice.  I needed to team up with a brand strategist who understood how to translate my desire for a digital space that incorporated my personality and just looked prettier.

In my head what I was doing made perfect sense; planning dope events for corporations and non-profits while also using those skills to create spaces that inspire women and girls to be the best versions of themselves. I have been doing the work necessary to become my best self over the last decade, and I want every woman and young girl to experience the kind of self-love and confidence that I have cultivated.

I had already taken part in small business programs and had many conversations that forced me to think about my target audience, my mission, and vision. These dialogues helped me to create a very specific avatar and hone in on the pain points I’m solving based on what I can do well.

I knew what my audience was looking for but I needed to find the most effective way to provide that information.  Now if you had a conversation with me I could explain exactly what I do. But I can’t be everywhere! I needed my digital footprint to be an introduction to myself and the work I do. And with so many facets to my work, I also needed to be concise. My new brand strategy had to provide an overview of my services and ventures I currently have; and plans for any future ones.

My first obstacle was finding the right person to partner with. The collective economics in the black community matters to me.  I was determined to find a Black woman because I’m committed to working with and giving as much of my money as possible to Black women.

After soliciting recommendations from friends, I found the perfect Black women tagged on a FB post.  I did some research and spent nearly two months convincing myself it was time to make this investment. When I was finally ready I hired her as my brand strategist. Why? She was timely and responsive with her communication; she understood my business and brands and had great past client testimonials and body of work.  But she wasn’t? Cheap!  It was time to invest in the development of my business and marketing is where I was going to start.

Missing the first deadline, in June, was discouraging. Once I hired a copy editor I felt better about the progress being made. Soon there was a draft of the website. The content had been submitted and then it really started to get real.  I knew within 2 weeks I would be sharing my new brand image. This was when my emotions got the best of me, I literally started second-guessing why I rebranded, why I paid this investment, was it worth the money. I also hoped the content and images would be received well and provided a clear picture of what I do. I also knew I would need to begin to speak more, show up to events and promote my business, the services I provide and why someone should pay me.

I wanted to be able to catch my customer base at every stage; from people who are just beginning to look for a solution to a problem or event planning concern to those who think they’ve got it solved but need a bit of guidance or advice.  Now that the new site is live I feel like I have welcomed each of you into my living room. The re-branding experience was a journey that started out as a way to help create a sense of community between myself and my customers; and as I see the warm wishes and comments from followers, I am humbled to know that’s exactly what we’ve done.