The Brand That Embarrassed Me at a Networking Event
Hey, confession time.
A few months ago, I attended a networking event ready to drum up some business after a slow summer. I had my pitch down, I felt good, and I was actually excited to talk about myself. There was only one itty bitty problem 👉🏽 my entire brand was in shambles. My website? Down while I was redesigning it. My business cards? Had the old branding. My socials? Abandoned AF.
So there I was, standing in a room full of potential clients, giving the most confident, aligned description of who I am and what I do while quietly praying no one would actually look me up. 🙈 Because if they did, they’d see a version of me I had completely outgrown.
At one point, someone asked for my business card and I literally said, “Oh, you know, I’m rebranding, it hasn’t been launched yet, but here’s my outdated business card.” I handed them a business card I wished I could set on fire. 🔥 To clarify, the business card was f*ing amazing. Bright red, thicky thick, chrome foil, velvet feel to the touch. The problem wasn’t the card, it just didn't represent me anymore and it definitely didn’t reflect the clients I wanted to attract.
Walking back to my car that night, I realized your brand should give you more than anything, confidence. My half-baked brand that I kept procrastinating to finish was diluting my message and dimming my marketing. That event became my final push to not just create a prettier brand, but an aligned one. Something that matched where my business was actually headed, not where it started a decade ago.
So, if you’ve ever felt that same embarrassment and given the “don’t judge my business card” disclaimer, you deserve a brand that supports the future version of you.