The Importance of Brand Identity with Vanessa Eves

Summary
In this conversation, Krista and Vanessa Eves explore Vanessa's journey from New Zealand to the UK, her experiences in the fashion industry, and her transition into brand strategy and coaching. 

They discuss the challenges of navigating career changes, the impact of redundancies, and the importance of finding meaning and purpose in one's work. Vanessa shares insights on building a personal brand, the significance of mindset, and the necessity of taking action to achieve one's dreams. 

In this conversation, Vanessa Jennings discusses the critical role of mindset in business ownership, emphasizing that it is an ongoing journey rather than a one-time achievement. She highlights the importance of celebrating small victories to build confidence and the need for a strong brand identity that resonates with the target audience. Vanessa also addresses common challenges like overwhelm and the necessity of having systems in place to streamline processes. 

The discussion touches on the significance of networking, finding inspiration from other entrepreneurs, and the launch of her new initiative, Chef's Table, aimed at fostering meaningful connections among business owners. Finally, she stresses the importance of authenticity in branding and social media presence.

Connect with Vanessa on Linkedin 

Follow on Instagram @Vanessaeves

Keywords
fashion, brand identity, career change, personal branding, baked brands, mindset, coaching, entrepreneurship, luxury fashion, online presence mindset, business growth, brand identity, networking, overwhelm, ideal client, social media, authenticity, entrepreneurship, marketing

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Hello, welcome to Monte Carlo Tomalo. Welcome Vanessa to Monte Carlo Tomalo. Thanks for joining us today.

SPEAKER_01 0:13

Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to chat with you.

SPEAKER_00 0:17

I'm really looking forward to actually because we met at an event in Maidenhead. Yep. And you are are you still in Windsor? Yes, I am, Windsor based. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Been here 13 years now, I think.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

That Windsor accent.

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Hang on. So uh where are you from originally? So I'm originally from New Zealand and I moved to the UK when I was 22, which scarily is now 22 years ago. So I'm now in a half and half situation. Um but people always ask me, why did you leave New Zealand? You know, it's so beautiful. But when you're in your early 20s and you want to get into the fashion industry and you know you see the bright lights of London and Paris, you know, New Zealand isn't quite cutting it anyway.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

It's quite far away. Yeah, I I actually interviewed um a perfumier who was living in New Zealand and he was a young teenager who was working on a counter in a department store because he felt like that was the only way he could work with perfumes, and now he's in Paris and you know it just had to come to Europe.

SPEAKER_01 1:19

This is it. And when you're in New Zealand, we were holiday in places like Fiji or New Caledonia, but Paris, Spain, you know, Italy sounds so exotic.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

Far away. So you knew from an early age that you wanted to work in fashion?

SPEAKER_01 1:34

Absolutely. So I originally wanted to be a footwear designer, actually. So I applied for the London College of Fashion, which is quite hard actually when you're an international student and you're not from the UK. Um and I got in, but then when I arrived in London, I very quickly realized that I wouldn't be able to study full-time and live. Um, I think I was quite shocked by the cost of living. And um I was living with my sisters at the time, but I think everything happens for a reason, doesn't it? And that's how I kind of fell into working my way from the shop flora.

SPEAKER_00 2:09

Was it a shop? Were you a shop assistant in shoes? That's how you were shoe selling shoes?

SPEAKER_01 2:14

Well, my first job, so fresh off the boat from New Zealand, where we wear shorts and t-shirt and bare feet. Um, I went to an open day at Salfridge's and they must have seen something in me because they put me on Balenciaga, which is obviously luxury fashion. And this was the days when Balenciaga was high fashion, it wasn't streetwear. Um, and we had the super brands room. So you had Marnie, Dolce Gabbana, Burberry, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, um, Alexander McQueen, and we were all in this room where we sort of looked into this restaurant in the middle. And I was there for two years, and we just had the best time. It was it was brilliant. A crash course in luxury retail, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 2:57

Yeah. And so did that then change what your ideal was about working in the fashion industry?

SPEAKER_01 3:05

So I think when you are that young, and I didn't go to university, I just went straight into working. So I was actually a florist before I moved to the UK, and I didn't really know what kind of jobs there were. I think we all know about being a buyer. So when I was on the shop floor in Southwesters, I really wanted to get into the buying department, and I used to go on the buying trips with them to Paris, to you know, the headquarters of the Lance Yaga, and it was an absolute dream come true. An amazing opportunity. Um yeah, it was fantastic, but I I think I underestimated what it takes to get into buying, and it was very clicky. So if you uh if you didn't fit the mould, which obviously I come from the other side of the world, yeah, no chance. So I was there for two years, I've moved up to head of department, but then it wasn't really going anywhere. So I moved and sort of worked my way up to store manager and other places.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

During that time, when you look back now, is there anything from that kind of luxury brand experience that you feel really has influenced the way that you coach people now and give them brand identity? Does that was that really kind of like wow, as in terms of brand presence?

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Yeah, I think these days you if you go into a shop, I mean customer service has just deteriorated, unless you're in a gorgeous little independent where they really care. It's deteriorated so badly. Um, and I think also, you know, people who work in shops are really looked down upon um sometimes, which you know, it's horrible because you know, you've got to start somewhere. And it is such a good lesson in the emotional intelligence and understanding people and the psychology of buying and understanding the triggers and winter, you know, we used to keep this is awful. These were the days before GDPR, just FYI. But I used to have a little black book at Valenciaga, and I'd have the customer's name, address, phone number, I'd write where they went on holiday, what their favorite colours were, their children's names, so that every time they came in, you know, I knew them and I could give them that really personal service.

SPEAKER_00 5:12

I mean, GDPR PR rules did not exist, but I'm sure people must do that now in like boutiques, and you know, that's I'm sure how people keep uh customers systems now, but they're all digital, and I think people have to have that, you know, they have to say yes basically to be on the system. Yes, of course. Yeah, but that was really smart of you at such a young age to be thinking, okay, I need to build these relationships with customers.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

Yeah, yeah. Um it it was just it was just brilliant. You got to know people so well, and we always had celebrities coming through, which was just when you look back on it, it was work hard, play hard though, as well. You know, we would we were out and then you'd be when we came back in.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

You've got that energy, you've got that energy when you're young, are you, haven't you?

SPEAKER_01 5:54

Exactly, exactly. We were just having a great time.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

Yeah, brilliant. So you were working very much with sort of luxury brands in fashion. Tell me how, because obviously we're gonna get to talk about how now you are a brand identity. How would you describe strategist strategist, yeah? Okay. And so what led you from that to where you are now? Besides, okay, I've got this knowledge, I've built up a lot of experience, I'm gonna help share that with other people.

SPEAKER_01 6:23

Yeah, so from the shop floor, I kind of made my way into wholesale. Um, and I worked with uh jewellery brand, you know, footwear brand, women's wear, and men's wear on the wholesale side. And I was always kind of interested in progressing my career. So I then had quite a few redundancies in my career, which we can talk about, and I'm more than happy to do that. It's actually five, and I have never met anyone who has had more than redundancies.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

I was just saying, and they had four, but actually they they didn't mind. It all happened at the right time that them pushed them on to be doing something else. So you can kind of look at it as uh one door closed, another one opens experience, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 7:06

Absolutely. I think when you're in the middle of it, it is devastating and it can be really painful. I you know, I always say I give myself a day to wallow in it, and then you just got to get back on that horse. And every single time I actually managed to get myself into a better position, you know, a better pay bracket, and kind of jump my way up the ladder that way. It was always in it, as you you're right, it was always at the right place at the right time. So I kind of got myself to, I was running sales for the UK for a Swedish footwear brand. And then I was due back off Mat Leave in April 2020 with my son, so my second child. Um, and I knew that was going to be our last, so I was ready to get back into my career, and you can imagine what happened next.

SPEAKER_00 7:51

Yeah, redundant. I've had, yeah, a real well, it's why I started the podcast, really, Monte Carlo Tomalo, because I did my wellness festival 2019 in Monte Carlo. I had two more planned for 2020, and you know, we know what happened after that. So, what could you do in April 2020 when you were ready? Because were you able to set up anything online? How did you find that you then pivoted?

SPEAKER_01 8:17

So the next four years was really me trying to get my career back, and I worked for a few different startups, which was actually a blessing in disguise. Um, one of them was a wax melt company, which was a bit left field. Um that was the that was the I just need to get a job now situation. They were based in Bristol and I was traveling back and forth, and it was it was yeah, it was not ideal. Um, but you know, I I helped them achieve that a lot. I actually set up their whole wholesale business because they were only direct to consumer before that. Then I worked for a luxury footwear brand. Kind of was just trying to find where I fit again. And the thing with fashion, and especially if you're in sales and marketing, you travel a lot because you're going to see clients, you're going to um fairs and things. So um I love travel and I loved it in my job. But when you have two small kids um and your husband's at home and he's trying to work full-time, and you know, it put a lot of pressure on us as a family. And I think it just took me a long time to to realise that I wasn't actually the same person because you feel like you know you are, and you are definitely, but you've had this massively life-changing experience. So you are slightly different, and I think you know, the catalyst for me was my fifth and final redundancy. I was working for a Belgian clothing manufacturer who um were at the top of their game, but it was a very, very um commercial, it was very um, you know, masculine environment, and they wanted to change my role. So I I was brought on as a brand specialist to look after the brands that bought directly from them. And the head of department actually had a breakdown, which shows you just how much pressure there was in the company. So, because of that, they decided to close the business unit that we were, and they said, Okay, we now you're gonna do this job. And at the time I went, Okay, yeah, great, I'll do that. And then I went to a head office meeting, and there was my counterparts from Spain, Italy, Switzerland. We we caught up and I said, Are you gonna do this new role? And they said, Absolutely not. I was hired as a brand specialist, I'm not doing that, I'm not, you know, dealing with the commercial clients. Um and I thought to myself, why didn't I back myself like that? I just went, okay, people pleaser. Um, and it was a real moment, and I thought, you know what, I I need to back myself now. So I said no, and by the end of the week that said, Well, that's voluntary redundancy then. Um, and I think I needed that like massive breakdown to then have the breakthrough because I think alongside becoming a mother, and I think this happens for a lot of people in midlife, I just wanted to do something with more meaning and have a bit more impact because you get to the stage in life and you're like, Oh, okay, here I am now. But what what's next? And what have I achieved? And who am I really helping? I'm just a cog and in the wheel doing this, you know.

SPEAKER_00 11:22

Yeah, it's such a common kind of like slap in the face moment um for so many people that especially if you've been working for other people, I find that as you say, you're just sort of yeah, what's next? What's next? You don't even have the time and the headspace to think, do I even like doing this? And where do I see myself in five to ten years' time? Because you never have the chance to think.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

And it's that mortality thing when you you I mean, I'm I'm only 44, I'm still young, but you think, God, you know, how am I actually going to spend the second part of my life? I want to really help people. I want to actually feel that I want to make a difference. I don't want to get to my death bed and it's be like, oh, she just worked for someone else her whole life and then she died.

SPEAKER_00 12:06

Yeah, no, exactly. It is, it's definitely, I can, you know, I'm I'm a bit older than you, but I definitely feel like I'm speaking to people that are around that age group where it's it was the second part of your life that is maybe the more meaningful part and that you put a bit more thought into because the first half you're just you know making money, buying a house, having kids, finding a relationship, or whatever you're doing, traveling, and you don't you don't think what's next. So, what when you were thinking, okay, I want some meaning, I want to help people, what were the first ideas that came into your into your mind?

SPEAKER_01 12:44

So I I think when you start a business, you go through many iterations of it and it morphs and it changes, and you you need to start with your existing network, you know, you have to start with um you know tapping into the people that you know. So I just kind of started doing what I was doing before. So I was kind of just consulting for fashion and retail brands. Um, and having worked in sales and I'd kind of moved into more sales and marketing positions, but they were very broad. And I I never went to university. I didn't train in marketing. So you know, I'm a lifelong student of self-development. I've got all the books, you can see.

SPEAKER_00 13:26

Yeah, I never did anything uni. I just learnt on the job. I do, I still think it's the best way to learn.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

Yeah, absolutely. But I think I always had a bit of a limiting belief inside that um I'm not a markier, but I I wanted to get more into marketing because I I personally think that sales and marketing is so interlinked. I'd work in these companies and they'd be completely different departments, and we wouldn't speak to each other, and the marketing team would present us these campaigns and we'd say, Well, this is what the buyers are actually saying. And it was I always found it very strange that there was no combination there.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

When I was early sort of doing social media and digital, and I wasn't trained in social media, I just started it very early on, so kind of learnt on the job, and I'd go into these corporate companies like a L'Oreal or a PG, and social media, marketing, and PR never had conversations with people with each other. You're like, how are you not communicating?

SPEAKER_01 14:22

So bizarre, so bizarre. And you'd need the feedback from the sales team to plan the marketing campaigns to then plan the PR. It doesn't yeah, very strange. Um, but I think for me also, I I my life is kind of like sliding doors a little bit because in 2019 I had started building my profile online as a fashion creator, and it was just a creative outlet for me. So sharing my outfits and my passion for fashion online on Instagram. And I I built it up to I had about 14,000 followers.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

You're so brilliant. Thank you. What's the videos? It's very stylish, but there's always a little message there, but it's with a bit of fun, which I think makes it really relatable and easy to kind of like think, oh, actually, yeah, I could do that. You know, whereas I hate doing anything on video. I tell everyone else things on video, but I don't do it myself. But I always look at you and think, good for you, Vanessa. You really do get out there and do it.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

Thank you. I think I almost cheated a little bit by having that fashion creator experience because I mean I still remember when we moved from images to video, and it's hilarious because I was always doing the mirror selfies of my outfit, and it was so easy in those days. I'd just get dressed, take a picture, and whack it online, and you were done. And then video came in, and I saw all these people adopting video, and I thought, God, I'm gonna have to start doing this. So my first reel was me in front of the mirror with my camera moving forward and then moving back. It's like three seconds we laugh. I'm like, I literally just did the same thing, but I moved forwards and backwards. So fun. So we all start somewhere, but I think exactly everything's a learning curve. Yeah, and I think for me it's been a bit easier to to pivot my content and figure out what my style was because I had this fashion experience, but with that as a creator, I'd gotten to the point where it felt a bit empty just talking about t-shirts and clothing. I wasn't fulfilled by any more because at the same time I was like, I really want to help people properly and have deeper conversations and you know, not none of the surface level stuff. So I think I found kind of the perfect juxtaposition of all of these things. But it's taken me a long time to get there, if I'm honest.

SPEAKER_00 16:35

Yeah, I think you know, it's that cliche of fail and fail, not saying that you're failing it, but fail and fail again. I've done a lot of that. It's how you evolve, isn't it? It's how you learn. And the most important thing is to not, like you say, you spent your one day wallowing, is not to spend loads of time thinking, oh god, that didn't work. That just think, okay, let's try something else now. What other ideas have I got?

SPEAKER_01 17:00

Yeah, and mindset is such an important piece of the puzzle. And I think, you know, no one's coming to save us. And I always say, we've got what life is too short not to run headfirst in the direction of your dreams. We've got to take life by the balls and just go for it for want of a better phone.

SPEAKER_00 17:19

But you've got to be in it to win it. You know, don't think that it's gonna come to you. You're the one that has to generate the interesting thing. Absolutely. You might have a great network, but they're all busy working on their own thing. No, they're not being selfish, no, they're not, but but their head is down trying to be their own social media person, their admin, their marketing. We're all, if we're working for yourself, you've got so many roles to fulfill that you really do learn that yes, it's nice to rely on people, but you can't rely on other people. You can only rely on being the one that pushes your business forward.

SPEAKER_01 17:50

A hundred percent. And I think it's actually underestimated by people, by everyone, because there's no rule book for this, just how important mindset is, but how it's a constant when you're a business owner. It's not something that you go, oh, I've mastered that, and then you know, you feel relaxed for the rest of your life. It's an emotional roller coaster. And you also, if we want to really grow our businesses, we have to put ourselves in bigger rooms, we have to be more expensive, we have to ask for the work. And to be that bigger version of yourself takes a lot of just mindset, working through your own limiting beliefs, catching yourself when you're having those thoughts and kind of working through it. And it is a it's a constant thing. I still I still work on it every single day.

SPEAKER_00 18:34

I think the thing that I don't think people do enough of, A because you probably don't have the time, but is actually rewarding yourself and giving yourself a bit of a pat on the back for what you have achieved. I think we're all very guilty of thinking, okay, I've done that, what can I do next? Without actually thinking that went really well. I'm really pleased because that again would shift your mindset into a slightly more elevated and more confident place.

SPEAKER_01 18:59

100%. I actually had a client yesterday, it was our first session together, and before I work with someone, I spend hours deep diving into their business. So we hit the ground running with that first call. It's not like, oh, okay, tell me about your business. You know, we I'm already in there. She has built this business that is competing against, she's two years in, and her business is competing against competitors who have 15, 20, 50 years of heritage in the same game. And I'm like, I just want to start this call by saying, well done. Like you need to be so proud of what you've achieved. You are competing with the big boys and you're doing you're doing this all on your own. And I messaged her again afterwards, and she was like, Do you know what? You're right. I don't actually stop to think about that.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

We just don't, do we? So now you're working with individuals. You do say that you work with established brands. Do you find that that is where your kind of key knowledge is sort of is really going to help them rather than startups? Is that where you're going now?

SPEAKER_01 20:00

So I have traditionally always worked with product and retail brands. And then last year I started working a lot more with solo founders, and it's the brand work is very different because for a product brand, for example, we're looking at their full marketing strategy, we're developing campaigns. Um, you know, there's a lot of work that goes on that side, whereas with a solopreneur, if they're running their own business, their personal brand and their business brand are very interlinked, so that work is quite different. And I also work with more traditional businesses, so a chiropractor or a cafe, and again, that business is quite different in the way that you approach brand. There are it's the same across the board because it's how you make people feel. Your brand is every single business has a brand, and your brand is how you make people feel, it's how you speak to people, it's how you show up, it's what people say about you when you're not in the room. Um, and it flows through everything. If it's it it underpins all of your sales and marketing. So if you haven't done the work on your brand, to get to that next stage of growth is gonna be hard because you're gonna have gaps.

SPEAKER_00 21:08

And what do you find with whatever size business you're working for or with? What do are there kind of similar challenges that keep coming up whenever you step in and start working with people?

SPEAKER_01 21:20

Yeah, I mean, it's always overwhelm is a massive one at the moment, and especially even for businesses I'm finding who are three to five years in, I guess there's just so much information out there at the moment, and we all know the things that we should be doing, but the prioritization of that, and a lot of the stuff that I help my clients with is actually the systems and the frameworks and the processes of getting your brand in order. That's what reduces the overwhelm for you because you've got come on someone coming in saying, Do you know what? Stop. This is gold, that's gold. Let's stop doing a bit of this, let's do more of that. Because I always say to my clients, it's like you're Inside the jar, and when you're inside the jar, you can't really see what's going on. But I'm outside the jar and I can help you read what's on the outside. I can see your strengths, I could see immediately. I always say, especially with solopreneurs, I just help to extract the brilliance that's already inside of you. And again, it sometimes it comes down to mindset, especially with solopreneurs, because they already have a brilliant brand inside of them. They just need someone to bring it out, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_00 22:28

Yeah, absolutely. And it's as you say, it's the outsider looking in, but it's much easier to look at a brand and think, why are you trying to be on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn? Yes. What's working? Why are you trying to do all these different things? Focus on one thing, do that well. It's kind of like 101, isn't it, really?

SPEAKER_01 22:48

And again, things like that, it actually comes back down to brand. I was had an intro call with a brand yesterday, and they was looking at channels which aren't necessarily aligned with his ideal client, but I think he hadn't really done the full work on his who his ideal client was to then know what channels to be using for his marketing. So so I always say brand is like your ecosystem. It's your identity, your positioning, your ideal client, your messaging, your content, your visibility, and your mindset. And it all works together in an ecosystem.

SPEAKER_00 23:21

And do you find that sometimes you have to tell a brand to sort of almost go backwards and look at who their ideal client is? Because I think when you're creating your brand, you're so wrapped up in what you want your brand to be and what you think it should be, that sometimes you step over to the other side and think, well, actually, who am I trying to appeal to? Who do I want to read this or buy this? Because you're so fixed in your this is this is what Manoka looks like, this is what the brand is. And you're just missing that sort of like little bit of light that needs to come in to say, actually, you know what, you should be doing something a bit different because no one's buying love this.

SPEAKER_01 23:55

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And I think again, having that objective eye and someone who's able to come in and give you fresh ideas, you know, has a really big impact for most businesses. But the biggest mistake you can make as a new business coming in is saying, when I say, Who's your ideal client? And they go, Well, it's everyone. It's men, women aged 18 to 65. And I'm like, Oh no. Because then you're you're not gonna be obviously it's not really about niching, it's more that you're not gonna speak to a 65-year-old the same way that you're gonna speak to an 18-year-old, they're not gonna appreciate the same visuals, the same storytelling. It goes so much deeper than that. So as soon as you can really pinpoint who your market is and speak directly to them, they feel seen, they're gonna respond to your business, and then that's when the brand starts kicking in and doing its work.

SPEAKER_00 24:48

Yeah, absolutely. And do you find that um because I think we live in an age where it's so easy to create a logo on Canva and kind of to do so much of it and maybe not speak to professionals because you don't have the budget to go to a branding agency? You know, I know that I've worked myself on brands and it's been so much money, but then you get so much back in return. What do you think about kind of creating your logo and brand strategy on your own if you're limited with budget? What advice would you give people?

SPEAKER_01 25:20

So I always say to my clients that I deal with your brand and it's everything except your logos, colours, and fonts, because that's what a graphic designer helps you with. But I think it really depends on the person and on the brand. And I think some people have a good eye for these things and some people don't. And that's just that's just life. That's just some people a bit more artistic than others. Um, so if you have created it on your own, I would always get an objective eye, someone that you trust, or someone who can be completely objective just to run their eyes over it. Um, and you can always upgrade it as you go. This is the thing, nothing has to be perfect, and I think that can paralyze people sometimes in the beginning too, thinking that everything has to be perfect and they have to have this banging logo when actually something quite simple will work, move on, start selling your thing, you know.

SPEAKER_00 26:10

I think TV have changed their logo about three or four times, haven't they? And that's Apple. So you know, if they want to evolve, I think you can too. Yeah. What brands at the moment do you find are really inspiring with what they're doing in terms of their brand identity and the way they talk to their customers?

SPEAKER_01 26:27

Um, I just I get inspired by every business owner that I meet, if I'm honest. I do look at what big brands are doing, but I think for me it's more about those kind of underground ones. It's people who are doing something a little bit different. If I see something in their marketing, I'm like, oh, that's that's really cool, that's really interesting. And I think personally, I just get really inspired by being around other female business owners. And I think if you are starting your own business, that's the best thing that you can do is to network with other business owners because you know that's that's how we met. That's how, and I come away from those meetings. I came away from meeting you going, I love her, she's brilliant. And I just feel so uplifted by having these conversations with other people who are doing big things. So it's not necessarily looking at your competitors. And I do think you need to be aware of your competitors. I think you need to do an analysis at the beginning, then you need to stop watching them. You need to know where you sit, stop watching them, and then get inspiration from other areas. I think the best ideas come from idea, you know, inspiration that comes from outside your own industry.

SPEAKER_00 27:33

I think that's so important that then the networking side of things as well. And I think I now have to be more active about what networking groups I go to and trying to meet other people. And I do find that at some of these events, people are just networking. They're not even really working on their brand. They just want to go just as a social. And then you find people that really are kind of building a brand and exactly that. You kind of meet people and you say, Oh, you're brilliant. Yeah, that's so interesting. I want to find out more. It's so brilliant to bounce off each other and to find that sort of group that you can all sit around a table, maybe, and say, can we just have a brainstorm? I think that's so valuable.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

Yeah. I love it so much. I'm actually starting my own one, which I'm not sure I've told you yet.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

No, which is a bit of a you said, I'm gonna tell you something. So here we go. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

So it's called Chef's Kitchen, and it is a local networking breakfast for Berkshire business owners. And there's only 15 spaces, and what I'm trying to create is a space where it's networking at its finest. So it's it's connecting people that could have partnerships together. It's like businesses that could uh that could be interesting for each other, it's learning about each other's businesses and being able to refer. So the one thing it's not about is selling to other people in the room. That's an absolute no-no. Uh, but one of the things I'm doing in the networking practice will be doing um uh you know a workshop on marketing so that you're actually you go in there, you're networking, but you go away with actionable takeaways that you can then implement within your business. So hopefully you've you've made some new connections, you've potentially developed a partnership and you've actually got marketing insights that you can go away with. Hopefully, when's your first one? My first one is actually beginning of July. Okay. So if anyone's interested in that, it's first of July, they can contact me.

SPEAKER_00 29:23

I'm gonna leave all your details on the podcast so people can get in touch. So, and are you gonna try and plan to do them monthly or what's the plan?

SPEAKER_01 29:30

Yes. So I'll take a break over July and August, and then we'll do September, October, November, and then again break for December. I'm gonna stick to the same venue for the first few, but then I'll be interested in connecting with other businesses where they're happy to host um and getting obviously the other businesses involved. So if anyone does a catering business, you know, really kind of see, feel, and immerse yourself in these other businesses so we can recommend each other. Chef's Kitchen is actually my uh the way that I work with more established businesses, and then I have solo chefs, so for solopreneurs, but my business is called Bake Brands. In your brand, your there's so many different ingredients that go into it. So yeah, you're trying to build something and and bake something amazing, uh, but you need to have the right ingredients. So it's a bit tongue-in-cheek, but again, that's my humour.

SPEAKER_00 30:17

I'm a big one for collaborations and trying to I love sort of connecting people and not in any commercial way, but I think that again, from being in Marlowe, you're in a sort of a smaller community, and so many times get phone calls from an unknown number that I think, do I pick that up? Someone said to me, if I want to do something in Marlowe, I should bring you. And it could be anything. And I'm like, yeah, I do get that a lot. And if there's um if there's a few key takeaways you could leave somebody who is starting your brand, struggling with brand identity, or just feels like they're not standing out from other people? What's your kind of key tips on making people stand out without forcing them to go on social media and doing videos that they're uncomfortable with? Because we can't all do that. What do you think now in the world of social media that we're in, is it about trying to identify where your best platform is and trying to focus on that? How would you give somebody a little bit of a tip on like just keep moving and don't worry so much?

SPEAKER_01 31:22

Yeah, I think understanding who you're speaking to is a big one. So making sure you're on the right platforms. But my my best advice is always, um, and this sounds really simple, but it's not so easy to do, is just lean into your authentic identity, like lean into who you are and don't try and be someone else, don't copy other people. But I think that advice doesn't, it's not something you can go, oh yeah, I'll do that next Tuesday. You know, you it takes a long time to be able to do that because you need to get comfortable and you don't have to do talk-to-camera stuff, you don't have to be on every single platform. Um, you actually don't even need to do video and you can do carousels. So there's so many different ways that you can develop your own brand identity. But I think people try and rush it, and it is something that just takes time, but it's something that you have to consciously try and do and just you know think okay, well, what feels true to me in this moment? What what's really speaking to me, what feels comfortable? And when something feels uncomfortable, then you know it's not for you.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

Yeah, great advice. And and don't be scared of changing it if it if you feel like a hundred percent.

SPEAKER_01 32:36

And I think again, that's something that people they think, oh god, um, you know, I was a fashion creator and I completely pivoted my content. Um, and yeah, I had a little transition period where my audience was going, Oh, she's not talking about t-shirts anymore. Why are we talking about branding? People are attracted to you for you and for your personality.

SPEAKER_00 32:53

Or follow you. And if a few people tell off, it doesn't matter because you you're you don't have anything to give each other anymore and a new audience come along.

SPEAKER_01 33:01

Yeah, and one more tip is your social media, if you're a business owner and you use your social media to promote your business, your social media is not for your friends. And that's something that everybody needs to remember because you can open up your stories and the views. It's Sandy from Next Door and Peter who from accounts you used to work with, and knowing that those people are watching you can really limit the progress that you make and the big moves that you want to make. So you have to just remember that you're using it to promote your business and it's it's not for the mums at school.

SPEAKER_00 33:36

Yeah, separate yourself and make it really focused on what it's about and don't dilute the message. Absolutely, yeah. Vanessa, gosh, I think we could have carried on for a while, but I tried to think that we're not too long.

SPEAKER_01 33:48

I'll have to have you on one of my Friday lives as well, because I go live every Friday with an expert. So we'll have to have you on in the autumn.

SPEAKER_00 33:55

Yeah, brilliant. Brilliant. Well, thanks so much, and we'll leave everything about how you can connect with Vanessa at the end of the podcast on the notes. Fantastic. Thank you so much.