SPEAKER_00 0:00

By walking up to two or three people, you get an opportunity to kind of like feel out everybody in the group. You have a higher chance of finding someone you actually connect with. And usually, like those that will be the person that you continue conversing with, and the others will eventually like fade away.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

All right, everybody. Welcome to another episode of Connections That Matter, where we have great conversations with Northern Colorado's best networkers and find out the tips that have made them successful. Today I have a brand expert, Amy Taylor, with OHE Amy Design Studio. Amy, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

Awesome. Well, there's a lot of branding that happens in networking, whether it's the way they're dressed, the way that they're carrying themselves, the way that they've printed their business cards. But we're going to get into that. But I want to hear, like, tell us a little bit about your background, help help our audience get to know you a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

Sure. So I'm a brand strategist and designer. I work mostly with small businesses and nonprofits to help them build a brand that customers can find, trust, and choose. And I do that by marrying strategy with the soul of your business. So I make sure that you not only look good, but that your strategy is actually, your brand is actually converting.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

And so it's not just a pretty logo is your brand.

SPEAKER_00 1:20

No, there's there's a lot more to it. I like to say branding is really about the experience that you create for a customer when you interact with them. And I look at the logo as kind of the outfit and the brand is is the personality, and they have to go hand in hand. So if you think about a first date, you might go on a date with someone because they look great, and then you get to talking to them and realize their personality is just not there. So you have to have both things in order to make a really good first impression and for them to want to come back for that second date.

SPEAKER_01 1:53

Well, it's a good analogy because I'm like, you also don't want like some people have their profile picture and then what they actually look like. So if you're putting an outward image and then when they interact with your business, it doesn't back it up. There's a breakdown of authenticity there.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

Aaron Powell Yeah, absolutely. Your brand uh needs to match the quality of the work that you produce. And unfortunately, if if it doesn't, then they're gonna assume that your work matches the quality of your brand. So you want them always to be together.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

How much from you work with people and you're obviously on the court with people who are thinking about their brands, but uh I guess explain the spectrum. There's people who just go and get a logo they and they they didn't really think about it, they just had a designer design it, versus people who have thought about every font, every color, every uh everything. Um where's the sweet spot uh I guess for different brands?

SPEAKER_00 2:49

Yeah, I think uh there's a time and a place for everything. So um when you're first getting started, if you need to throw something together quickly because you're focusing on still crafting your business and figuring out what it really is, and sometimes that takes a while to get your messaging and understand what it is you're really trying to do, um, start with something small, something easy, something DIY if you want to. But at some point, I think every brand hits hits a point of growth, um, and that's where they know like something about their messaging isn't connecting, or something about the look of their brand isn't connecting with customers, it's not converting, and you start to recognize that like your brand is not fully formed, and that's when it's time to bring somebody in who knows how to do that. Um, and what I do is really, you know, I start with the strategy piece first, and then we move into visuals. So the strategy is the foundation, and the visuals are the paint colors, and you would never choose your paint colors before you poured your foundation, right?

SPEAKER_01 3:44

So how do you know if your brand has a strong foundation?

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Good question. I would say if you can uh say who you help and uh what problem you solve for them in one breath, then you're in a pretty good spot. And if you can't, if if you can't do that clearly, then your customers can't either. And there's a real messaging issue there.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Aaron Powell Well, that's totally relatable in a networking sense because you ask like, well, tell me about what you do. And then for some people, you're like super crystal clear on what they do after the conversation. And there's other people that will talk to you straight for five minutes and you leave the conversation and be like, I have no idea what that person does.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 4:21

Um why do you think more business owners aren't as crystal clear about what they do than um you would think that the people are?

SPEAKER_00 4:29

Yeah, I um so I am a small business owner also. I started um a memory book and stationer company about 12 years ago. So in the process of building that, I learned a lot about customer psychology and building a brand. Um and I think that we start businesses, or in terms of a nonprofit, you start an organization because you're really passionate about something. Um, but you're a single person and you cannot know everything and you cannot be an expert in everything. Um, and so you start with a passion and then you need to learn from there and you need to figure out who to bring in to help fill in the holes of the things that you don't know. So I don't think everyone is expected to know um what great branding looks like or should be. And that's why you hire somebody who can help you figure that out.

SPEAKER_01 5:13

It's worth hiring and figuring it out because then it it opens up just probably easier if you know exactly what to post, what to put um together. Um what would be some tips that you would have for a business owner? Um, maybe they got a Canva account, uh, you know, they're they're putting together different things. Some people maybe uh have been relying on ChatGBT too heavily and all of a sudden they're the brand strategist. Um what advice would you have a business owner to take control of their brand at a higher level?

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Uh well, aside from hiring someone who can help walk you through the process, I would say um start with your messaging, make sure that it's clear and consistent. So uh make sure you know who your customer is, who you're selling to, who you're talking to. Um, make sure you know how you want to talk to them, your tone of voice, your personality. Um put together some consistent taglines that express what your mission is in a short sentence that makes sense, that you can repeat over and over again. And once you've got that kind of figured out and you know what your mission is and your purpose, that's kind of the soul of your business, um, then I would say go into your visuals and create something quality that kind of bakes that. This is what I do, that bakes all of that um into your visuals so that it's clear and consistent across both your messaging and what you look like. Um so I I would really say start with the foundational piece of the strategy, knowing really deeply who you are and who um you're selling to.

SPEAKER_01 6:45

Let's talk about it in a networking sense because the way your brand shows up. But for you personally, you've been networking quite a bit more recently. How has it helped your personal business?

SPEAKER_00 6:55

Um yeah, it's been amazing. I so before I started OHA AMI, I, well, I am still very introverted. I was gonna say I was introverted. I still very much am. But um, I did everything alone for my small business. I worked by myself and I didn't really interact much with people. I think I was afraid of like being um found out as an imposter of some sort, that everyone else had figured it out and I still somehow hadn't. But when I started Ohei Amy, I knew that I wanted to be a part of a community of people who were doing the same thing I was. And so I started locally networking. Um, and it's where a lot of my customers have come from. Um it's it's very powerful to be able to help out your own local community, obviously. Um, also, one thing I really love about networking is it gives you the opportunity to test out your own messaging, um, your own elevator pitch. I'll go to some of your speed networking events for NIA and um I will test out different versions of my pitch, and you can kind of see like when they're blank in the face, either because they don't understand what you just said or it didn't connect with them in some way emotionally. And so you you ditch those and you try again. And so it's a really good opportunity just for yourself to craft your messaging and how you talk about your own business.

SPEAKER_01 8:11

Well, and then as a as a business owner, you want to leave a good impression with people because of the follow-up and if you're doing one-to-ones afterwards. Talk to them in terms of a brand, though, like the way that you speak, the way that you're dressed, the way that your business card is presented, um, any marketing materials you have. How would you put it together in a networking sense that represent you when you're not on your website, not on your social media?

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Yeah, I think having a business card is very important. I just had this conversation with someone recently who was like, I thought we were still like scanning QR codes. I didn't know everybody's asking me for a business card and I didn't have any and I felt really bad. I think it's coming back around. Totally. Um we need to give out business cards, even if they get thrown away, like you need that tangible reminder of someone. I pull them out of my purse like days later, and I'm like, oh, I need to reach out to that person. Um, so definitely have a business card. But yeah, uh dress for you, dress the way that that you portray yourself. If you're um if you're outgoing, if you're colorful, if you're um loud, then dress that way. And that is part of who you are. That's that's gonna show through your brand and your business as well. Um and I also think that it's important to like talk about the why of what you do as opposed to just the what you do, because that's where the emotional connection with people happens. Um and a lot of times they can find something to relate to in the why, and regardless of if you two do two totally different things. So talk about the why. Um because a lot of the soul and purpose of your business is gonna live there.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

Well, and I'm I'm thinking of like if your brand is, hey, we're gonna show up on time and we're gonna be on budget, but you're showing up to the networking meeting five minutes late. It's like there's a lack of alignment. I mean, you could put it in your slogan, but it's like you're break you're branding yourself through your actions, um, whether you're conscious of it or not.

SPEAKER_00 10:02

Yeah, and your looks. I mean, like I said, it's a two-part you know process in in terms of dating. You gotta look good and you gotta have some sort of personality.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Awesome. Well, I want uh you network in my community, obviously, but also through the chamber. And uh how has the chamber been um as like a way to connect and grow your business?

SPEAKER_00 10:21

Yeah, that's been awesome. That was kind of where I started. It was a really low entry situation. Um, and I started going to meetings. They I guarantee if you haven't looked into your local chamber, that you have no idea how many events they put on. Um, so there's so many different small groups that you can join and get to know people really well in more of a supportive way. Um, and then there's a lot of networking opportunities beyond that. A lot of times there's cross-chamber events, so you can go even outside of your own city. Um, so there's plenty of opportunities there. And it it allows you to meet the people in the community that you live in. Um, I've found great businesses that I know go shop at that I didn't know existed, you know, and it's also helped me create a network of people that I trust in what they do that are even uh similar to what I do, but in a different area, not a direct competitor, that I can then pass my clients off to and create this like symbiotic um referral relationship. And that adds to my value as a professional, that I have all of these other people that I can say, oh, you need help with that, or you want to do this next. Let me send you to this person. So I have really been enjoying just adding to my own um portfolio of people that I know and trust and want to send my clients to as well.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

Do you do you struggle like going to these events? And there's various degrees of people with their brand strategy, right? There's people who are winging it versus people who are uh dialed in or maybe made some choices that you wouldn't have made. Um how do you how do you put that through the filter of your personal expertise just to connect?

SPEAKER_00 11:56

Um Yeah, I think you you'll get out of networking what you put in. So um if you show up and you haven't thought about how you want to present yourself, that will show. Um if you don't follow up with anyone after the fact, to me that seems like a waste of time, but that will show. Um there have been times I've reached out to people after and said, like, hey, let's get together, and then you never hear from them again. And so obviously that wasn't gonna be a meaningful connection anyway. But um show up with the the way what you want to get out of it and and act accordingly.

SPEAKER_01 12:29

Well, in a networking, it's like the the person, are they clear on their own messaging? Yeah. And some are, some aren't. Uh, but in a networking sense, like you have got to be clear of somebody else. So, like if I'm gonna generate a referral for you or be able to recommend your business, hopefully I'm talking about it in the right way. So it's like that that second level of brand clarity where you're educating uh your your team around you. Um what give me some tips about how to make it clear so that it's easy to pick up from somebody else.

SPEAKER_00 13:02

Oh, that's a good question. I think brand branding equals clarity. So um being able to talk about who you serve, what problems you solve for them, and how you do that is going to be clear to whoever it is you're talking to. So breaking it down in the simplest terms, just like that, with uh the simplest of elevator pitches that just clearly explains everything is probably the best way to start. And then you can add the fancy taglines and language after that, but like you've really got to have that core message down first.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Well, take me through a case study. Somebody you worked with, you got their messaging clear. Like, what kind of doors did that open when you did that?

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Um, yeah, there have been some great ones. I recently I worked with um a nonprofit that was referred to me because she was really overwhelmed. And so I got together with her. We talked for about an hour, and at the end of that hour, I still had no idea what her nonprofit did. And so it was very clear that her messaging needed help. Um, so I offered my services to her for free, both to help her out, but also for me to practice messaging clarity, you know, my own craft. And we spent a couple of hours really in a deep dive, and there were some major like aha moments of her being like, Oh, that's what I've been trying to say this whole time, you know. And um, she walked away from it with language that she can use for her website with an actual like one-page document she can present to her board because she felt like her board didn't even fully understand what the nonprofit did. Therefore, they weren't really very active in it, and she was doing everything by herself because they didn't know what they were fighting for. So she walked away with a really clear one pager that she could present to them and help um explain to them what the nonprofit was even doing. Um, so just that um that experience I think reminded me how essential branding clarity is for nonprofits and how much I want to be a part of giving that to them and being in that space because it's so needed.

SPEAKER_01 14:57

Is it different than the business community, the nonprofit stuff?

SPEAKER_00 15:00

A little bit.

SPEAKER_01 15:01

How would you explain the differences?

SPEAKER_00 15:02

Uh I think the foundation is most often uh lost a little bit in nonprofits because a lot of times they don't have um a business background to back it up and they really start based on passion. So they're chasing after something and trying to go straight to the emotional connection with their donors before really figuring out some of those strategic pieces underneath, um, looking at who their donors actually are and what would work for them to hear and connect with. Um so it it does work a little bit differently, and your your positioning statement is a little bit different as a nonprofit because you are speaking to donors and you're speaking to the people you serve. So a nonprofit that you know works with schools in the schools, when they try to create partnerships with the schools, that message is very different than when they try to get donors to help them support what they're doing. So it takes a little bit more work and understanding where those positions and those messages need to come out and who you need to say them to.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

Well, I'm thinking of that quote, like the best time to plant an oak tree was 20 years ago, but the second best time is today. I'm sure branding is similar. The best time to work on your brand was when you started your business, but maybe the second best time is today. So if you're 20 years in, 10 years in, three years in, and uh you actually haven't tackled the brand clarity and stuff, where do you how do you start?

SPEAKER_00 16:28

Um hire someone, I would say call o' heami. It's time, yes. Call O'Hamey.

SPEAKER_01 16:33

Yeah, but if so they call you, um, what is what is like the first steps that they're gonna do?

SPEAKER_00 16:38

Yeah, so one of the first things that I do, first of all, I should say like if you've been in business for a long time and you feel like you're ready for a solid brand, it's probably because you've lost yourself somewhere along the way. Um or you weren't entirely sure what your mission is. I I worked with a bookkeeper who had been doing it for about 15 years, and over time she like created a mission without realizing she was doing it, which was working with um churches, giving them the kind of services that they specifically need for their bookkeeping and also at an affordable rate. She didn't set out to do that, but that's what her clientele ended up being. And so when I worked with her and we created a brand strategy before we even did her visual rebranding, she was like, this gives me so much clarity. And I um I have I look at my business in a fresh new light. Like I have a new passion for it. We all get like heads down in our business as entrepreneurs, just working hard and we forget the why. We forget why we started in the first place. So rebranding is essential sometimes to remind yourself of the why. Um, and and because we change over time. Our businesses change over time, and we as people change over time. And sometimes a rebrand is essential because the message has changed or um the visuals need to change. So I walk all of my clients through a five-step process to make sure that I do the same thing with everybody, we don't miss anything, and you get the most out of working with me. So we we start by talking about your soul, the soul of your business, your mission, your purpose, your brand values. Um, then we talk about customers and competitors. So the industry, how you're different from your competitors, um, who your customers are, and then we go into the strategy piece, which is more of the messaging. We look at your brand personality, your tone of voice, how you want to show up. And then we get to the visuals and we bake all of that other stuff into it so that your logo actually portrays who you are and what you do. Um, and then finally we talk about marketing and implementation. So now that you have all of this new stuff, what's the plan? How do you use it? How do you go forward? So by following that five-step process, it just ensures that you've got all the pieces you need and you know what to do with them.

SPEAKER_01 18:43

What is the hardest part of that process for the client?

SPEAKER_00 18:47

Um, usually the visuals, um, mood boarding is like the first step in that process. And that can be a very abstract piece uh for people who are not generally creative to understand like what it is, which is really creating a feel for your brand. Um, you should be able to look at a mood board and see textures and patterns, and it should make you feel a certain way. Not necessarily, you know, these things will not necessarily be in your logo, but they're creating a feeling. And so that's so abstract sometimes, and I think that can be really hard for some customers to understand.

SPEAKER_01 19:18

Yeah. Interesting.

SPEAKER_00 19:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:20

Um but the in product, right? They get they're they're clear on their message, they have the the visuals, they have the the overall pointing in the right directions. Like that's gotta be a super fun journey to be a part of, to watch a a brand come to life or define themselves.

SPEAKER_00 19:37

Yeah, it whether it's the beginning of the process for them and they're like, I feel so confident showing up and and going forward and trying to grow, or it's a rebrand, and you know, like in the bookkeeper's case of she has a a new passion for her business 15 years later. Every entrepreneur deserves that, deserves that continued passion. Um, and sometimes it takes a little work to get it back. So I love being a part of that. And especially with nonprofits, I love helping people who are doing good things in the world and being able to be a part of, you know, fixing the back end so that they can continue spreading their message and doing good work.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

How would you v view somebody's trusted referral partners as the way that they fit into their brand? So if I'm a real estate agent, I've got connections to trades or connections to lending, and um they all reflect on how I do my job. Um so how how would you combine the referral network people make as a fit into their overall strategy?

SPEAKER_00 20:35

Yeah, I um I only add to my own referral network people that I know treat my clients with the same care that I do, um, that work in a similar way. Usually when you're networking, you can find someone that you click with and you'll know if it's gonna be a good symbiotic relationship or not. Um and I want to make sure that my customer is taken care of if I pass them off to them. So I'm looking out for the people that I know kind of think the same way that I do and afford the same empathy and understanding to the client that I do.

SPEAKER_01 21:04

Aaron Powell Yeah, as if I'm a luxury real estate agent that I would want to network with a, you know, maybe a luxury jeweler or a luxury travel agent, not somebody that's maybe advertising their products via price and and those kind of things.

SPEAKER_00 21:20

Yeah. Fit is very important.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

Aaron Powell Do you do you encourage that with networking? Find the people who are speaking to your same avatar as you are?

SPEAKER_00 21:28

Oh, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. Those are the people I've connected with the most and and kept relationships with.

SPEAKER_01 21:33

That's so good. That's so good. What other networking tips as from a brand strategist would you have overall, um, especially as you've been uh tearing up the scene?

SPEAKER_00 21:42

I have been. I'm very active out there. Um I think uh one of my tips, and this is more of like from an introvert perspective than a brand designer, maybe, but um when I first started networking and I still uh when I go into an event uh and I'm alone, I walk up to a group of like Two or three people, and I just say, Hey, I'm sorry to interrupt. Uh, I just wanted to introduce myself. And most of the time they're like so thankful that you were the one to have to interrupt and they didn't have to go reach out to somebody. Um, they'll welcome you right in. And then by walking up to two or three people, you get an opportunity to kind of like feel out everybody in the group. You have a higher chance of finding someone you actually connect with. And usually like those that will be the person that you continue conversing with and the others will eventually like fade away. So it just increases your chances, I feel like.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

Do you go full send? Do you like walk in and be like, hey, maybe oh hey, I'm or do you wait for like kind of a lull in the conversation and then you know pick it up and introduce yourself?

SPEAKER_00 22:40

Uh usually it's full send, but sometimes if they're like deep in conversation, you be respectful, obviously. But yeah, usually I'm just like, here I come.

SPEAKER_01 22:51

I haven't met you yet. Let's meet each other.

SPEAKER_00 22:52

Before you like chicken out, you know, you just gotta dive in there.

SPEAKER_01 22:55

I like that approach though. Like go to a go to a small cluster because it breaks up the awkwardness and it totally does. Um it's also that a lot of people will talk to the same person for half an hour. Uh and it's like they they want to talk to other people, but they don't either know how to get out of the conversation very well or um so you might be even doing somebody a favor for sure.

SPEAKER_00 23:14

Aaron Powell Yeah. You can lead by example when you network, not only in how you approach people, but also the kinds of questions you ask. And so asking very um personal questions and listening intently and wanting to hear about their struggles and their successes, um usually they will then give you the same opportunity after. So you can lead by example in that and it usually creates a deeper connection.

SPEAKER_01 23:36

Awesome. Well, Amy, thanks for coming on the show. This was awesome. And uh, you know, business owners are trying to grow. I think the the main message is gonna connect is like, man, I'm talking to these people and I don't know if my message is landing. Um if they have any, you know, if they're not clear on that and they're like, oh, I want to reach out to Amy, uh, I might need to go through that five-step process. What are some of the best ways to get a hold of you?

SPEAKER_00 23:58

Yeah, you can visit my website, oheyamey.com. I'm also on Instagram, oheyamey.studio. Um I do discovery calls, so you can fill out my my questionnaire on my website, let me know what you're looking for, and we can chat and see if it's a good fit. I also do one-hour clarity sessions where you bring a problem, I help you brainstorm solutions, and then we give you a roadmap to go tackle it. So if you just want a low-entry way to kind of tackle some problems, then you can start there.

SPEAKER_01 24:27

And businesses, nonprofits, uh, and also even religious institutes, you work with churches. I do.

SPEAKER_00 24:33

I work with a lot of churches, yeah. And they need a lot of branding help.

SPEAKER_01 24:36

So right on well, I think a lot of people, I mean, uh, need uh the some branding help, you know. And so uh having somebody who's an actual strategist to help them. But thanks so much for sharing and your wisdom. I think it's it's a really unique perspective about especially how are you branding yourself when you're networking. Yeah. Um, but yeah, appreciate you coming on the show and we'll see you around Northern Colorado.

SPEAKER_00 24:56

All right, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 24:57

Hey all, thanks for watching. I love networking and building relationships with other Northern Colorado business leaders. So if you want to come meet some of these podcast guests, meet me, or meet some other amazing entrepreneurs in Northern Colorado, I would love to have you attend one of our next events. Uh, go in the podcast description. There's a way so you can see our upcoming schedule. And maybe you could be a future podcast guest as well. Thanks.