What I’ve learned about Branding and Marketing ✍️🤍
What I’ve learned so far about Branding and Marketing
When I think about branding, I don’t really think of it anymore as the perception of the business, but more as the authentic relationship between the owner, the business, and the public/your client base.
The American Marketing Association defines personal branding as building a distinct identity and online presence that reflects your skills, personality, and values. That’s true, but I’ve learned it’s a lot less structured than it sounds, especially when you’re figuring things out in real time. For the past two years of owning my business, I’ve been trying to build something that feels natural and organic, not forced. That process has taken time. It’s changed as I’ve changed.
There’s so much about a new business that you don’t always expect at the beginning. Learning your audience, understanding the market, adjusting your ideas, and honestly just growing as a person. All of that shows up in what you create.
Over time, your content starts to reflect not just your business, but your thinking, your habits, and what you’re drawn to. That’s what branding has started to feel like for me. Less about creating an image, and more about noticing what’s consistently showing up and refining it.
My Personal Brand:
One of the clearest examples of this shift for me has been my labels.
I originally designed them on the computer and printed them onto pre-cut sticker paper. It worked, but it was time-consuming. I was constantly adjusting layouts, doing test prints, fixing small details, and reprinting every week. Eventually I ran out of printer ink, and instead of replacing it right away, I decided to hand draw them. It was a simple, almost unplanned decision, but it ended up changing more than I expected.
Drawing the labels felt easier, but also more natural. It brought in a creative side of me that hadn’t really been part of my business before. They turned out really nice without much effort, and they made everything feel more personal and more memorable.
While I’m making them, the process feels light and intuitive. I don’t plan them out much. I just use my eye for design and build them as I go. They’re not perfect, but that doesn’t bother me anymore. If anything, that’s part of what gives them character. The label itself is simple. A white circle with the name written in the center using a calligraphy pen, and small drawings around it that reflect the ingredients in the loaf. I only use black ink, which keeps everything clean and not too crowded. It ended up representing more than I expected. Not just the product, but the care behind it. A small, physical piece of the time and attention that goes into what I’m making.
Looking back, I think this is where my mindset around branding really shifted. I used to focus more on things looking polished and “professional.” The printed labels fit that idea, but they didn’t feel as personal.
Now I see more value in the parts that feel human. Letting go of that pressure has made everything feel lighter, and more aligned with how I actually want my business to feel.
A year ago, I probably wouldn’t have chosen this direction. I would have thought I needed something more structured. Now I trust that the things that come more naturally to me are usually the things that connect the most. It made me realize that branding isn’t something you decide once and stick to. It evolves as you do. And the more you allow it to reflect who you actually are, the more natural it becomes.
These labels feel like a small example of that. Simple, a little imperfect, and made by hand. But more personal, more meaningful, and more aligned.
