October 9, 2025 • 34 mins
In this episode we talk about what it really means to build a brand people believe in. Purpose, conviction, and consistency replace shortcuts and pressure, creating loyalty, word of mouth, and peace in leadership.
Episode Highlights
- Defining a brand people believe in beyond logos and taglines
- Clarifying purpose, impact and the kind of workplace you build
- Hiring and leading so employees experience values first
- Alignment between words, actions and decisions
- How inside-out belief shapes consistent customer experience
- The compounding effect of word of mouth and loyalty
- Choosing conviction over compromise in business
- Rejecting manipulative tactics for open, honest invitations
- Planting before harvest and leading through lean seasons
Scripture References:
- 2 Corinthians 9:6–8 — “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly…”
- Psalm 126:5–6 — “Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.”
- Romans 12:2 — “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
- Matthew 11:28–30 — “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Resources & Links
- Start With Why by Simon Sinek
- The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
- Learn more at ClearAuthenticBrands.com
Related episodes
- Episode 07- What Meaningful Work Really Is and Why it Matters
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:15):
And in today's episode, we are talking about
what it takes to build a brandthat people actually believe in
and what that means.
And I don't just mean that abrand people buy from, I don't
mean a logo or a tagline.
I mean a brand that stands forsomething, a brand that inspires
(00:36):
trust and loyalty, a brandthat's led based off of belief
and conviction, a brand that isbuilt on purpose and for a
purpose.
Because if we want our businessto make an impact, the impact
that we're called to make, andbusiness gets to be this vehicle
that we do it through, then ithas to be built on something
(01:01):
deeper than just profit or justsurface level metrics.
It has to be built on belief, onpurpose.
So saying building a brandpeople believe in, I think that
can sound inspiring, but at thesame time, it can also sound
cliche.
It can sound vague.
It's like, well, what does thatreally mean?
(01:22):
And yeah, Amy, sure that soundsgreat, but we live in the real
world.
But this is something that Itruly believe has a tangible
definition.
And it's not just somethingvague that we aspire to.
I really believe it is somethingthat is possible and it's lived
(01:45):
out because I've seen it exist.
I've seen brands do it.
I've had to learn what thatlooks like in my own business.
And as an individual, as aperson, as an entrepreneur, as
an owner, what it looks like togo to bed at night feeling at
(02:05):
peace with what I'm doing,feeling like I am doing what I'm
called to do, and I'm doing itin a way that honors God and it
honors the calling that's on mylife.
And there have absolutely beenseasons where I have known I was
doing something that was notauthentic.
(02:27):
I have known I was makingdecisions that I was wrestling
with and that were stealing mypeace instead of providing it.
So when I talk about building abrand that people believe in,
the first thing that is requiredis that we are part of building
(02:50):
something that is workingtowards a cause that is greater
than ourself.
So this is having this clarity,this clarity of vision, this
clarity of impact, this clarityof purpose, knowing that one,
there is something that guidesus.
There is something that we aretrying to achieve.
There is a purpose, there's acause, there's a passion that we
(03:13):
are working towards that goesbeyond just, well, I can pay my
bills and I can pay myemployees, and there's we're
still in the black and we're notin the red.
I mean, beyond that, it'sknowing that every single moment
of our day matters.
We are impacting people, we arerelating to people, we are
(03:36):
talking to people, we get theopportunity to be a light and to
share and to make decisions thatare going to determine the
course of our life and alsoaffect the lives of others,
especially as a leader, you haveemployees, you have customers,
you have your family and all ofthose people you influence.
(04:00):
And so knowing that when you'rerunning your business outside of
the operational part of it,operational structure, that this
business is serving thispurpose.
God gave you these gifts, thiscalling, this personality, these
experiences that we talked aboutin the episode six of build like
(04:22):
meaningful work and beingauthentic to who it is that you
know God created you to be.
So the other part of being clearon that is being able to attract
people who also believe in this.
It's being able to share withothers what it is that you're
(04:44):
trying to do and affecting thelives of your employees of your
team because we're what we do,our own mission that we go
after, is not for everybody.
There will be people where it'snot gonna matter.
Just if you look around theworld today, there's people who
care about, you know, helpingchildren, and there's people who
care about clean water, andthere's people who care about
(05:06):
mission trips, and everybody hastheir own unique things that
they are drawn to.
And when we are able toincorporate that into our
business, not even like what arewe trying to accomplish as a
brand, but what is the at abasic level, what is the impact
(05:29):
that we want to have on thelives that we touch?
What is the kind of workenvironment?
What kind of contribution do Iwant to give to my employees so
that at the end of the day, atthe end of their time working
for me, they can look back andthey can say, my life was made
(05:50):
better because of that.
Because I work for them, becauseI have these experiences, there
was value added.
I got to develop in these way, Igot to contribute in these way,
I got to enjoy going to work andgo home to my family and be able
to focus on them.
I didn't bring my work home.
(06:11):
It can be even very tangible andpractical things like that.
Let's say outside of just makingmoney, we believe in having this
impact on the lives of thepeople around us.
And you have to determine thatfirst so that you can attract
(06:31):
people who are inspired by that.
And that comes into play in theemployees who come to work for
you.
And so you end up havingemployees who believe in your
brand.
They believe in this mission,they believe that what you say
and what you do align.
(06:52):
And so building this brand thatother people believe in very
much starts from the inside out.
It very much starts with thepeople who work for you, who get
to see how you make yourdecisions, who get to see how
you run your operations, who getto see what you wrestle with and
what you don't.
(07:13):
And they see someone who standsby their word.
And when you say you care aboutthese things, when you say that
you care about integrity ortrust or doing the right thing,
that they see that because youtreat them that way first.
It's not one message that goesout to your customers and your
(07:36):
marketing saying, oh, we careabout quality in our work and we
care about treating the customerright and we care about going
above and beyond, but you're notactually modeling that first and
foremost for your employees orlooking for people who
inherently have those traits.
(07:57):
And so your employees will bethe very first inner circle that
you affect, who are going to seewhat does this person, what is
this leader, what are they allabout?
And when they say that they'regoing to do something or they
say that they care aboutsomething, do I believe them?
(08:18):
Do they mean it?
Do their actions reflect whatthey say?
Because when it does, that isgoing to drive your company
culture.
It's going to drive the morale.
It's going to drive how peopleshow up.
And when they believe in you andin your message and in what you
(08:40):
stand for, they're going to showup differently because they know
that they're a part of somethingthat matters.
They know that they are valued.
They know that when you setdirection, you will follow
through on it.
And that changes how they followthrough because they're like
they're watching you lead byexample.
(09:04):
And they are going to then showup and be your customer service.
They're going to become youroperations, your people, what
they believe about you, whatthey believe about your brand
determines and dictates thereality of your brand.
(09:24):
And that is the most powerfulconcept we can possibly wrap our
head around is that your firstand foremost focus is on the
people who work for you.
And when they believe in thatand they see authenticity and
(09:45):
they see alignment and they'reclear on what the boundaries
are, what the standards are, howwe operate, what we value, what
we believe, how we act withincircumstances, how we make
decisions, when they're clear onthat and they know how to model
after you, they know how toduplicate how you would behave
(10:07):
in a situation.
That is when you start to getthis consistency.
That's when you start to getthis like brand being lived out
because your people believed itfirst.
And then they are the ones, itis their belief that then
determines the experience andthe reputation of your brand
(10:28):
with your customers.
So that then flows into thisbelief from the inside is what
extends outward and is going toaffect your customers.
So then your customers are goingto end up believing in your
brand because of how they'reserved, because of the
experience that they have eachand every time they interact
(10:54):
with any part of your business,whether it's the sales team or
the operations team or the adminteam or someone within the
community, they are seeing thisconsistency throughout every
interaction, throughout everyperson.
And it's positive.
(11:15):
It's good.
And they're like, wow, like Isee it at every level.
It's not just in their marketingmessaging, it's not just in what
the salesperson says whenthey're trying to get my
business, but it's in thelaborers who show up to, you
know, do the landscape projector to build the house.
(11:36):
It's in the customer rep whofollows up afterward to get
their feedback and make surethat they had a good experience.
And it's not coming from a placeof just, well, this is what we
do.
It's come like you can heargenuine, like, hey, we really
hope that you had a greatexperience with us.
(11:58):
And you can tell that they're,they genuinely care and they're
genuinely like having a goodday.
And there's authenticity in thatbecause they first feel that
within their workplace.
They feel that from their boss,they feel that from their
coworkers, and it carries overinto the customer's experience.
And the customer experience,they see that, they feel it,
(12:18):
they recognize it, and then theypromote it.
They they it becomes this rippleeffect.
And when customers believe inyour brand, they end up
spreading that belief becausenothing beats marketing like
word of mouth, right?
Everybody knows, like word ofmouth is king because it's
(12:40):
somebody else who had a goodexperience with your business
saying to their friends, sayingto their acquaintances, saying,
Yes, this was good.
What they said they were goingto do, they followed through on.
I had this experience with them.
I recommend them.
And that is built through thisconsistency.
(13:02):
And it's not one time.
It's not like, oh, I had thisexperience one time.
Like that doesn't build loyalty,that built a good experience
that that can garner a positivereview, which is good.
But loyalty is really when theyuh see it over and over and over
again, and they recommend totheir friend, and then their
(13:25):
friend has the same experience,and then they hear about you
from somebody else, and it'sthrough vendors and it's through
employees and it's throughex-employees and it's through
people who like just work withyou or serve with you on a board
or in a community.
Like it really does have thisripple effect that starts to
(13:47):
build this brand reputation.
And at the end of that, we endup with you, like yourself as
the leader.
And you yourself believe in yourbrand because we are our own
worst critics.
Like we are the hardest personto please because we know,
(14:08):
right?
Like we know inside and outwhere we fall short and where we
struggle.
But when we're able to clearlyfollow through on our
convictions, we end up buildingup this confidence and knowing
(14:29):
that we are standing on a firmfoundation and we're clear and
we're rooted in who we are andin what God is calling us to
build.
And we're leading withconviction, not compromise.
And when we have that, when whenwe're leading with conviction,
when we're stepping into ourcalling, when all of these
(14:50):
different dynamics are cominginto play from the people we're
impacting, from the customers tothe employees to the community,
to our families, we as a leader,we experience this peace.
We experience this internalpeace that says, like, well
(15:14):
done, like you're doing well,you're following the right path.
And there's there's a freedomthere because we're not we're
not caging ourselves, we're notbeing bound by something else.
There is not these chains thatare holding us, and those chains
(15:35):
can look like greed, thosechains can look like compromise,
they can look like selfishness,they can look like avoidance,
ignorance, they can look likeknowing you should be doing
something and you're not.
And that is causing thisinternal battle within you, and
(15:55):
it's the internal struggle thatwill defeat you.
Like that, I mean, beforebecause that is going to impact
how you make decisions and it'sgonna impact how you treat
people, and it's gonna impactthe the way that you move
forward or the opportunitiesthat you take or don't take.
(16:17):
And, you know, we're transformedby the renewing of our mind, and
what we think dictates what weour actions and what we do and
our character.
And it all starts from like whatwhat wells within, like, you
know, only a good tree can beargood fruit.
And what happens, what comes outof our life is is rooted from
(16:42):
what's in the heart.
And so you being at this placewhere you have this peace about
what you're doing, and you havethis peace about what God's
calling you to, and you havethis peace about how you're
aligning all of these thingswithin your business, you know,
that's when we stop striving inour own strength.
That's when we are bringingthese things into light, into
(17:06):
the light.
You know, the truth sets usfree.
And God says, like, my yoke iseasy and my burden is light.
And so we're we're doingbusiness like partnered with
Christ.
And even when we're goingthrough hard seasons, it's this
knowing that I'm it might notlook good right now.
(17:28):
I might not be able to see thefruit of my labor, but I know
that that I'm walking the pathset before me and I'm doing it
to the best of my ability.
And I have a piece about that.
There was a time where we were,this was quite a few years ago
(17:51):
now, we were going back andforth with our business on
whether or not we wanted to dojust websites or we wanted to do
websites and marketing.
And at the time we were doingboth, but I was wrestling with
it.
We were wrestling with itbecause there was it just there
(18:13):
wasn't peace with it.
Marketing is its own beast, andwhile you can make significantly
more if you are runningmarketing campaigns for people,
I did not feel like we were ableto serve them to the best of our
(18:35):
ability.
Like I didn't feel like we hadthe structure, the processes,
the team, the capacity in placeto run it and have peace about
it.
And we had some marketingclients at the time.
And so, in order to get awayfrom marketing, we had a
(18:57):
decision to make, which wasgoing to be let our marketing
clients know that we were nolonger doing marketing and it
was going to affect asignificant portion of our
income.
Like a significant portion.
And making that decision wasincredibly difficult.
(19:20):
It was like, okay, we're reallychoosing to like make a decision
that financially is going tohurt and we're going to feel it.
But we're doing it based onconviction.
And in I would say in the worldtoday, that would be a decision
that people would be like, no,like make what can you make the
(19:43):
most money at?
Like, why would you do that toyourself?
Why would you ever put yourselfin a position where you could
risk things financially?
But the peace that we werelosing over it, the guilt that
we were wrestling with aboutthis decision, it was like I
(20:03):
could not shake it.
And it was eating at me, and itwas affecting my mindset, it was
affecting my sleep.
Oh my gosh, like I didn't sleepfor months.
It was affecting, like, I wasway more irritable, I was way
more impatient.
I was like snapping at my kidsmore.
There was more bickering likebetween me and Josh because here
(20:26):
was this thing that I knew weweren't supposed to be doing.
And even though it was gonnahurt, we needed to make this
decision.
And so we made this decision.
It did hurt, but the peace thatcame after that, this confidence
(20:47):
that it built inside afterwardsto say, okay, I did this really
hard thing.
And I did it because I Ibelieved it was the right thing
to do, because there was thisconviction in my heart.
And am I going to be a leaderwho leads on conviction, or am I
gonna be a leader who leads oncompromise?
(21:08):
Like this decision defined who Iwanted to be as an entrepreneur,
who I wanted to be as a leader.
And that's in that season, I waslike, okay, I made this decision
that hurt, but it helped set thestage and it set the foundation
for future decisions, knowingthat this is the kind of
(21:29):
entrepreneur that I will be.
I will make decisions thatpromote peace, not steal it.
I will make decisions that arebased on faith and conviction
and calling and purpose, whetheror not it always makes sense in
the tangible surface levelworld.
(21:51):
And that does not always makesense.
Very often it doesn't makesense.
But the peace that comes withthat, the faith that builds, the
endurance and the strengths andthe the purpose that builds
because of that is absolutelyworth it.
And it's like I want to go tobed every night knowing that I
(22:12):
am I'm just being the personthat I feel like God is calling
me to be, and not just addingthis weight on me over and over
and over again because I'mliving a life that doesn't align
with what I believe.
So when we believe in our brand,so much peace and light and
(22:38):
freedom.
Like freedom comes from that.
You get to live in freedom, notbound up, not caged.
And after that, you know, it'slike we we believe in our brand,
our employees believe in ourbrand, our customers and brief
uh believe in our brand.
(22:59):
And we end up building somethingthat is really focused more on
trust and loyalty versus fearand manipulation.
So long-term sustainabilitycomes from belief and loyalty.
It doesn't come from tactics.
And there are so many short-termwins that work.
(23:22):
Honestly, there's lots ofmanipulation and transactions
that are out there today.
When you think about like commonbusiness principles about like
scarcity and urgency, and oh,let's hike up our original price
and then add a sale price to it.
So then it seems like we'rehaving this sale, but we're
(23:43):
actually minimizing the marginthat we're losing.
Or we're saying that we onlyhave room for five people, but
really we have more, but we wantpeople to act fast.
Or we're saying that this saleis only good for 24 hours, but
we know that we're gonna run itagain anyway.
Like, hear all of thesedecisions that you could justify
(24:04):
in the real world and you couldlike get people in the door to
begin with, and they work, whichis why people promote them.
Or you could be like, but isthat how I want to do business?
Like, once I start to build thisrelationship and this trust with
these customers, and they findout that I do this all the time,
because I'm sending out theseemails about these amazing sales
(24:26):
and these promotions and stuff,and it's like, here, let me
force you to make this decisionnow because it works better for
me than it does because you'remaking this decision because
this is what you want and you'reready for it, and the timing
aligns and it's going to be abenefit for your business.
(24:48):
Like, we people pick up on thesethings.
It's not a secret.
Like, at first, we get theseshort-term successes and wins,
or we're constantly having tobring new people in the door so
we can continue to manipulate orcontinue to trick or or get to
them to do what we want, versusjust being like, look, this is
(25:09):
how we do business.
This is what we believe, this isour offer, and this is when
you're ready.
If this makes sense for you, ifthis will benefit you, let's
have a conversation.
And the and the invitation isopen.
And and we can believe and trustthat that's enough.
(25:31):
That that is that's how we'resupposed to do business.
And if you like even think aboutlike the way Jesus lived his
life and and did his ministry,and he walked around and he like
shared and and taught, you know,it's like it was always an open
invitation.
It was, it was never like, oh,well, if you don't commit right
(25:53):
now, you know, there was nomanipulation.
And so it's like, what can welearn from that?
Like we should be learning fromthat.
We should be using him as ourexample.
And another like book that talksabout this in a non-spiritual
sense is Simon Sinek's book,Start With Why.
And he talks about the Applebrand and this, how they started
(26:18):
with what they believed.
And he really dives into thedifference between inspiring
loyalty versus using fear andmanipulation tactics.
Does a great job talking aboutthat in his book.
But in the end, it's like wehave to be willing to do the
(26:40):
work before we see the fruit.
Because we don't harvest in thesame season that we plant.
But, you know, God gives us hispromise.
Like I mean, 2 Corinthians 9, 6through 8, he says, remember
(27:00):
this whoever sows sparingly willalso reap sparingly, and whoever
sows generously will also reapgenerously.
Each of you should give what youhave decided in your heart to
give, not reluctantly or undercompulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver.
And God is able to bless youabundantly, so that in all
(27:21):
things, at all times, having allthat you need, you will abound
in every good work.
A lot of times this verse isused talking about tithing and
giving financially, and it comesup at church a lot when they're
you know ready to get do theoffering.
But look at this verse throughthe eyes of work.
(27:43):
Like when we if we sow sparinglyinto our brand and into our
people and into our customers,we're going to reap it
sparingly.
But when we're generous withthat, we're going to reap it
generously.
And he also says that like youwill abound in every good work.
(28:07):
And it's like, think about that.
Like you will abound in everygood work and like work in our
business, work in our talents,work in our gifting, work in the
impact that we have.
I mean, there's a there's apromise in that, there's a a
blessing in that.
And it's being willing to do thework, to plant the seeds, to
(28:31):
build the systems, to treat ourpeople well, to be clear in what
we believe, to align our peopleand processes.
And we're going to do all ofthis work before we get to see
the results, before we get to toreap the harvest, before we get
(28:53):
to bear the fruit.
And there are times where we'redoing it in really difficult
seasons when we're doing it whenwe don't even know if we believe
that the harvest is coming.
Psalms 126 says, Those who plantin tears will harvest with
(29:13):
shouts of joy.
They weep as they go to planttheir seed, but they sing as
they return with the harvest.
They weep as they go to planttheir seed.
There have been seasons of mylife where I have wept through
the planting.
And it has been like planting infaith for all that it stands
(29:37):
for, just believing that goodwas gonna happen, believing that
it was going to work, believingthat it was worth it.
But if we believe in thepromise, you know, it's like do
what do we believe?
Do we believe God's word istrue?
Do we believe that He isfaithful?
(29:59):
If we do.
Then that is a promise and it'sa blessing.
And so we stand on that in ourbusiness, in the hard seasons,
in the difficult decisions,knowing that beyond believing
building a brand that otherpeople believe in, it's like how
we build our brand is a directreflection of what we believe.
(30:26):
As Christians, as people, as asindividuals, what do we believe
is true?
What do we believe matters inthis life?
And the decisions that we makewill reflect that.
So do we believe first andforemost in God and in his
(30:47):
promise and in his blessing andin his word?
And then from that, are we goingto build up a brand where you
know that gets to be an openvessel?
Like that gets to be somethingthat that that God pours in and
out of and affects the lives ofthe people that it gets to touch
(31:09):
and impact?
Are we going to allow our beliefto to come to life, to see it?
It's like, you know, it's it'sreal.
It's not just like, oh, thoseare good thoughts, but it's
like, no, I believed for this.
I planted it in faith and I sawthe harvest.
(31:32):
I I got to experience the fruitof it.
And none, no seasons are morehard than doing it where you
don't see the fruit.
And I that those seasons havetaught me.
Like I have had a season where Ilike all I did was cling to this
(31:54):
promise.
Like faith is though, is theirassurance that what we hope for
will happen, just over and overand over again, just like
reciting that in a season whereI saw nothing good in my
business.
But I was like, all I can do isjust like get out there, seek
God first, like so generously,you know, meet people and just
(32:17):
pour into it.
And and then in the end, I laterI got to see the fruit of that.
And so these seasons of that, Ican look back now and I can be
like, okay, that that built meup, that shaped me, that defined
me, that refined me.
And now now I can go deeper.
(32:40):
Now I can I can carry this outeven more.
So what season are you in?
You know, what what do youbelieve?
And does the brand that you'rebuilding, does it reflect that?
Do the people who work for you,do the people that you are
around, in in employees and yourfamily and your customers, like
(33:04):
do they do they believe in whatyou're doing?
Do they believe in this brand?
Or is are you lacking someclarity?
Are you lacking vision oralignment?
You know, what what does thatlook like for you?
So if you're in one of thoseseasons where maybe you don't
(33:26):
see the fruit yet, all I can dois just encourage you to like go
back to what you believe andreally ask yourself, and then
stand on the promise.
Stand on this promise and keepsowing and keep building and
know that if you don't give up,then at the right time you'll
you'll reap a harvest ofblessing.
(33:49):
So, as always, you can learnmore at
ClearAuthenticbrands.com.
That's all for this episode, andI will see you in the next one.
And in today's episode, we are talking about
what it takes to build a brandthat people actually believe in
and what that means.
And I don't just mean that abrand people buy from, I don't
mean a logo or a tagline.
I mean a brand that stands forsomething, a brand that inspires
(00:36):
trust and loyalty, a brandthat's led based off of belief
and conviction, a brand that isbuilt on purpose and for a
purpose.
Because if we want our businessto make an impact, the impact
that we're called to make, andbusiness gets to be this vehicle
that we do it through, then ithas to be built on something
(01:01):
deeper than just profit or justsurface level metrics.
It has to be built on belief, onpurpose.
So saying building a brandpeople believe in, I think that
can sound inspiring, but at thesame time, it can also sound
cliche.
It can sound vague.
It's like, well, what does thatreally mean?
(01:22):
And yeah, Amy, sure that soundsgreat, but we live in the real
world.
But this is something that Itruly believe has a tangible
definition.
And it's not just somethingvague that we aspire to.
I really believe it is somethingthat is possible and it's lived
(01:45):
out because I've seen it exist.
I've seen brands do it.
I've had to learn what thatlooks like in my own business.
And as an individual, as aperson, as an entrepreneur, as
an owner, what it looks like togo to bed at night feeling at
(02:05):
peace with what I'm doing,feeling like I am doing what I'm
called to do, and I'm doing itin a way that honors God and it
honors the calling that's on mylife.
And there have absolutely beenseasons where I have known I was
doing something that was notauthentic.
(02:27):
I have known I was makingdecisions that I was wrestling
with and that were stealing mypeace instead of providing it.
So when I talk about building abrand that people believe in,
the first thing that is requiredis that we are part of building
(02:50):
something that is workingtowards a cause that is greater
than ourself.
So this is having this clarity,this clarity of vision, this
clarity of impact, this clarityof purpose, knowing that one,
there is something that guidesus.
There is something that we aretrying to achieve.
There is a purpose, there's acause, there's a passion that we
(03:13):
are working towards that goesbeyond just, well, I can pay my
bills and I can pay myemployees, and there's we're
still in the black and we're notin the red.
I mean, beyond that, it'sknowing that every single moment
of our day matters.
We are impacting people, we arerelating to people, we are
(03:36):
talking to people, we get theopportunity to be a light and to
share and to make decisions thatare going to determine the
course of our life and alsoaffect the lives of others,
especially as a leader, you haveemployees, you have customers,
you have your family and all ofthose people you influence.
(04:00):
And so knowing that when you'rerunning your business outside of
the operational part of it,operational structure, that this
business is serving thispurpose.
God gave you these gifts, thiscalling, this personality, these
experiences that we talked aboutin the episode six of build like
(04:22):
meaningful work and beingauthentic to who it is that you
know God created you to be.
So the other part of being clearon that is being able to attract
people who also believe in this.
It's being able to share withothers what it is that you're
(04:44):
trying to do and affecting thelives of your employees of your
team because we're what we do,our own mission that we go
after, is not for everybody.
There will be people where it'snot gonna matter.
Just if you look around theworld today, there's people who
care about, you know, helpingchildren, and there's people who
care about clean water, andthere's people who care about
(05:06):
mission trips, and everybody hastheir own unique things that
they are drawn to.
And when we are able toincorporate that into our
business, not even like what arewe trying to accomplish as a
brand, but what is the at abasic level, what is the impact
(05:29):
that we want to have on thelives that we touch?
What is the kind of workenvironment?
What kind of contribution do Iwant to give to my employees so
that at the end of the day, atthe end of their time working
for me, they can look back andthey can say, my life was made
(05:50):
better because of that.
Because I work for them, becauseI have these experiences, there
was value added.
I got to develop in these way, Igot to contribute in these way,
I got to enjoy going to work andgo home to my family and be able
to focus on them.
I didn't bring my work home.
(06:11):
It can be even very tangible andpractical things like that.
Let's say outside of just makingmoney, we believe in having this
impact on the lives of thepeople around us.
And you have to determine thatfirst so that you can attract
(06:31):
people who are inspired by that.
And that comes into play in theemployees who come to work for
you.
And so you end up havingemployees who believe in your
brand.
They believe in this mission,they believe that what you say
and what you do align.
(06:52):
And so building this brand thatother people believe in very
much starts from the inside out.
It very much starts with thepeople who work for you, who get
to see how you make yourdecisions, who get to see how
you run your operations, who getto see what you wrestle with and
what you don't.
(07:13):
And they see someone who standsby their word.
And when you say you care aboutthese things, when you say that
you care about integrity ortrust or doing the right thing,
that they see that because youtreat them that way first.
It's not one message that goesout to your customers and your
(07:36):
marketing saying, oh, we careabout quality in our work and we
care about treating the customerright and we care about going
above and beyond, but you're notactually modeling that first and
foremost for your employees orlooking for people who
inherently have those traits.
(07:57):
And so your employees will bethe very first inner circle that
you affect, who are going to seewhat does this person, what is
this leader, what are they allabout?
And when they say that they'regoing to do something or they
say that they care aboutsomething, do I believe them?
(08:18):
Do they mean it?
Do their actions reflect whatthey say?
Because when it does, that isgoing to drive your company
culture.
It's going to drive the morale.
It's going to drive how peopleshow up.
And when they believe in you andin your message and in what you
(08:40):
stand for, they're going to showup differently because they know
that they're a part of somethingthat matters.
They know that they are valued.
They know that when you setdirection, you will follow
through on it.
And that changes how they followthrough because they're like
they're watching you lead byexample.
(09:04):
And they are going to then showup and be your customer service.
They're going to become youroperations, your people, what
they believe about you, whatthey believe about your brand
determines and dictates thereality of your brand.
(09:24):
And that is the most powerfulconcept we can possibly wrap our
head around is that your firstand foremost focus is on the
people who work for you.
And when they believe in thatand they see authenticity and
(09:45):
they see alignment and they'reclear on what the boundaries
are, what the standards are, howwe operate, what we value, what
we believe, how we act withincircumstances, how we make
decisions, when they're clear onthat and they know how to model
after you, they know how toduplicate how you would behave
(10:07):
in a situation.
That is when you start to getthis consistency.
That's when you start to getthis like brand being lived out
because your people believed itfirst.
And then they are the ones, itis their belief that then
determines the experience andthe reputation of your brand
(10:28):
with your customers.
So that then flows into thisbelief from the inside is what
extends outward and is going toaffect your customers.
So then your customers are goingto end up believing in your
brand because of how they'reserved, because of the
experience that they have eachand every time they interact
(10:54):
with any part of your business,whether it's the sales team or
the operations team or the adminteam or someone within the
community, they are seeing thisconsistency throughout every
interaction, throughout everyperson.
And it's positive.
(11:15):
It's good.
And they're like, wow, like Isee it at every level.
It's not just in their marketingmessaging, it's not just in what
the salesperson says whenthey're trying to get my
business, but it's in thelaborers who show up to, you
know, do the landscape projector to build the house.
(11:36):
It's in the customer rep whofollows up afterward to get
their feedback and make surethat they had a good experience.
And it's not coming from a placeof just, well, this is what we
do.
It's come like you can heargenuine, like, hey, we really
hope that you had a greatexperience with us.
(11:58):
And you can tell that they're,they genuinely care and they're
genuinely like having a goodday.
And there's authenticity in thatbecause they first feel that
within their workplace.
They feel that from their boss,they feel that from their
coworkers, and it carries overinto the customer's experience.
And the customer experience,they see that, they feel it,
(12:18):
they recognize it, and then theypromote it.
They they it becomes this rippleeffect.
And when customers believe inyour brand, they end up
spreading that belief becausenothing beats marketing like
word of mouth, right?
Everybody knows, like word ofmouth is king because it's
(12:40):
somebody else who had a goodexperience with your business
saying to their friends, sayingto their acquaintances, saying,
Yes, this was good.
What they said they were goingto do, they followed through on.
I had this experience with them.
I recommend them.
And that is built through thisconsistency.
(13:02):
And it's not one time.
It's not like, oh, I had thisexperience one time.
Like that doesn't build loyalty,that built a good experience
that that can garner a positivereview, which is good.
But loyalty is really when theyuh see it over and over and over
again, and they recommend totheir friend, and then their
(13:25):
friend has the same experience,and then they hear about you
from somebody else, and it'sthrough vendors and it's through
employees and it's throughex-employees and it's through
people who like just work withyou or serve with you on a board
or in a community.
Like it really does have thisripple effect that starts to
(13:47):
build this brand reputation.
And at the end of that, we endup with you, like yourself as
the leader.
And you yourself believe in yourbrand because we are our own
worst critics.
Like we are the hardest personto please because we know,
(14:08):
right?
Like we know inside and outwhere we fall short and where we
struggle.
But when we're able to clearlyfollow through on our
convictions, we end up buildingup this confidence and knowing
(14:29):
that we are standing on a firmfoundation and we're clear and
we're rooted in who we are andin what God is calling us to
build.
And we're leading withconviction, not compromise.
And when we have that, when whenwe're leading with conviction,
when we're stepping into ourcalling, when all of these
(14:50):
different dynamics are cominginto play from the people we're
impacting, from the customers tothe employees to the community,
to our families, we as a leader,we experience this peace.
We experience this internalpeace that says, like, well
(15:14):
done, like you're doing well,you're following the right path.
And there's there's a freedomthere because we're not we're
not caging ourselves, we're notbeing bound by something else.
There is not these chains thatare holding us, and those chains
(15:35):
can look like greed, thosechains can look like compromise,
they can look like selfishness,they can look like avoidance,
ignorance, they can look likeknowing you should be doing
something and you're not.
And that is causing thisinternal battle within you, and
(15:55):
it's the internal struggle thatwill defeat you.
Like that, I mean, beforebecause that is going to impact
how you make decisions and it'sgonna impact how you treat
people, and it's gonna impactthe the way that you move
forward or the opportunitiesthat you take or don't take.
(16:17):
And, you know, we're transformedby the renewing of our mind, and
what we think dictates what weour actions and what we do and
our character.
And it all starts from like whatwhat wells within, like, you
know, only a good tree can beargood fruit.
And what happens, what comes outof our life is is rooted from
(16:42):
what's in the heart.
And so you being at this placewhere you have this peace about
what you're doing, and you havethis peace about what God's
calling you to, and you havethis peace about how you're
aligning all of these thingswithin your business, you know,
that's when we stop striving inour own strength.
That's when we are bringingthese things into light, into
(17:06):
the light.
You know, the truth sets usfree.
And God says, like, my yoke iseasy and my burden is light.
And so we're we're doingbusiness like partnered with
Christ.
And even when we're goingthrough hard seasons, it's this
knowing that I'm it might notlook good right now.
(17:28):
I might not be able to see thefruit of my labor, but I know
that that I'm walking the pathset before me and I'm doing it
to the best of my ability.
And I have a piece about that.
There was a time where we were,this was quite a few years ago
(17:51):
now, we were going back andforth with our business on
whether or not we wanted to dojust websites or we wanted to do
websites and marketing.
And at the time we were doingboth, but I was wrestling with
it.
We were wrestling with itbecause there was it just there
(18:13):
wasn't peace with it.
Marketing is its own beast, andwhile you can make significantly
more if you are runningmarketing campaigns for people,
I did not feel like we were ableto serve them to the best of our
(18:35):
ability.
Like I didn't feel like we hadthe structure, the processes,
the team, the capacity in placeto run it and have peace about
it.
And we had some marketingclients at the time.
And so, in order to get awayfrom marketing, we had a
(18:57):
decision to make, which wasgoing to be let our marketing
clients know that we were nolonger doing marketing and it
was going to affect asignificant portion of our
income.
Like a significant portion.
And making that decision wasincredibly difficult.
(19:20):
It was like, okay, we're reallychoosing to like make a decision
that financially is going tohurt and we're going to feel it.
But we're doing it based onconviction.
And in I would say in the worldtoday, that would be a decision
that people would be like, no,like make what can you make the
(19:43):
most money at?
Like, why would you do that toyourself?
Why would you ever put yourselfin a position where you could
risk things financially?
But the peace that we werelosing over it, the guilt that
we were wrestling with aboutthis decision, it was like I
(20:03):
could not shake it.
And it was eating at me, and itwas affecting my mindset, it was
affecting my sleep.
Oh my gosh, like I didn't sleepfor months.
It was affecting, like, I wasway more irritable, I was way
more impatient.
I was like snapping at my kidsmore.
There was more bickering likebetween me and Josh because here
(20:26):
was this thing that I knew weweren't supposed to be doing.
And even though it was gonnahurt, we needed to make this
decision.
And so we made this decision.
It did hurt, but the peace thatcame after that, this confidence
(20:47):
that it built inside afterwardsto say, okay, I did this really
hard thing.
And I did it because I Ibelieved it was the right thing
to do, because there was thisconviction in my heart.
And am I going to be a leaderwho leads on conviction, or am I
gonna be a leader who leads oncompromise?
(21:08):
Like this decision defined who Iwanted to be as an entrepreneur,
who I wanted to be as a leader.
And that's in that season, I waslike, okay, I made this decision
that hurt, but it helped set thestage and it set the foundation
for future decisions, knowingthat this is the kind of
(21:29):
entrepreneur that I will be.
I will make decisions thatpromote peace, not steal it.
I will make decisions that arebased on faith and conviction
and calling and purpose, whetheror not it always makes sense in
the tangible surface levelworld.
(21:51):
And that does not always makesense.
Very often it doesn't makesense.
But the peace that comes withthat, the faith that builds, the
endurance and the strengths andthe the purpose that builds
because of that is absolutelyworth it.
And it's like I want to go tobed every night knowing that I
(22:12):
am I'm just being the personthat I feel like God is calling
me to be, and not just addingthis weight on me over and over
and over again because I'mliving a life that doesn't align
with what I believe.
So when we believe in our brand,so much peace and light and
(22:38):
freedom.
Like freedom comes from that.
You get to live in freedom, notbound up, not caged.
And after that, you know, it'slike we we believe in our brand,
our employees believe in ourbrand, our customers and brief
uh believe in our brand.
(22:59):
And we end up building somethingthat is really focused more on
trust and loyalty versus fearand manipulation.
So long-term sustainabilitycomes from belief and loyalty.
It doesn't come from tactics.
And there are so many short-termwins that work.
(23:22):
Honestly, there's lots ofmanipulation and transactions
that are out there today.
When you think about like commonbusiness principles about like
scarcity and urgency, and oh,let's hike up our original price
and then add a sale price to it.
So then it seems like we'rehaving this sale, but we're
(23:43):
actually minimizing the marginthat we're losing.
Or we're saying that we onlyhave room for five people, but
really we have more, but we wantpeople to act fast.
Or we're saying that this saleis only good for 24 hours, but
we know that we're gonna run itagain anyway.
Like, hear all of thesedecisions that you could justify
(24:04):
in the real world and you couldlike get people in the door to
begin with, and they work, whichis why people promote them.
Or you could be like, but isthat how I want to do business?
Like, once I start to build thisrelationship and this trust with
these customers, and they findout that I do this all the time,
because I'm sending out theseemails about these amazing sales
(24:26):
and these promotions and stuff,and it's like, here, let me
force you to make this decisionnow because it works better for
me than it does because you'remaking this decision because
this is what you want and you'reready for it, and the timing
aligns and it's going to be abenefit for your business.
(24:48):
Like, we people pick up on thesethings.
It's not a secret.
Like, at first, we get theseshort-term successes and wins,
or we're constantly having tobring new people in the door so
we can continue to manipulate orcontinue to trick or or get to
them to do what we want, versusjust being like, look, this is
(25:09):
how we do business.
This is what we believe, this isour offer, and this is when
you're ready.
If this makes sense for you, ifthis will benefit you, let's
have a conversation.
And the and the invitation isopen.
And and we can believe and trustthat that's enough.
(25:31):
That that is that's how we'resupposed to do business.
And if you like even think aboutlike the way Jesus lived his
life and and did his ministry,and he walked around and he like
shared and and taught, you know,it's like it was always an open
invitation.
It was, it was never like, oh,well, if you don't commit right
(25:53):
now, you know, there was nomanipulation.
And so it's like, what can welearn from that?
Like we should be learning fromthat.
We should be using him as ourexample.
And another like book that talksabout this in a non-spiritual
sense is Simon Sinek's book,Start With Why.
And he talks about the Applebrand and this, how they started
(26:18):
with what they believed.
And he really dives into thedifference between inspiring
loyalty versus using fear andmanipulation tactics.
Does a great job talking aboutthat in his book.
But in the end, it's like wehave to be willing to do the
(26:40):
work before we see the fruit.
Because we don't harvest in thesame season that we plant.
But, you know, God gives us hispromise.
Like I mean, 2 Corinthians 9, 6through 8, he says, remember
(27:00):
this whoever sows sparingly willalso reap sparingly, and whoever
sows generously will also reapgenerously.
Each of you should give what youhave decided in your heart to
give, not reluctantly or undercompulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver.
And God is able to bless youabundantly, so that in all
(27:21):
things, at all times, having allthat you need, you will abound
in every good work.
A lot of times this verse isused talking about tithing and
giving financially, and it comesup at church a lot when they're
you know ready to get do theoffering.
But look at this verse throughthe eyes of work.
(27:43):
Like when we if we sow sparinglyinto our brand and into our
people and into our customers,we're going to reap it
sparingly.
But when we're generous withthat, we're going to reap it
generously.
And he also says that like youwill abound in every good work.
(28:07):
And it's like, think about that.
Like you will abound in everygood work and like work in our
business, work in our talents,work in our gifting, work in the
impact that we have.
I mean, there's a there's apromise in that, there's a a
blessing in that.
And it's being willing to do thework, to plant the seeds, to
(28:31):
build the systems, to treat ourpeople well, to be clear in what
we believe, to align our peopleand processes.
And we're going to do all ofthis work before we get to see
the results, before we get to toreap the harvest, before we get
(28:53):
to bear the fruit.
And there are times where we'redoing it in really difficult
seasons when we're doing it whenwe don't even know if we believe
that the harvest is coming.
Psalms 126 says, Those who plantin tears will harvest with
(29:13):
shouts of joy.
They weep as they go to planttheir seed, but they sing as
they return with the harvest.
They weep as they go to planttheir seed.
There have been seasons of mylife where I have wept through
the planting.
And it has been like planting infaith for all that it stands
(29:37):
for, just believing that goodwas gonna happen, believing that
it was going to work, believingthat it was worth it.
But if we believe in thepromise, you know, it's like do
what do we believe?
Do we believe God's word istrue?
Do we believe that He isfaithful?
(29:59):
If we do.
Then that is a promise and it'sa blessing.
And so we stand on that in ourbusiness, in the hard seasons,
in the difficult decisions,knowing that beyond believing
building a brand that otherpeople believe in, it's like how
we build our brand is a directreflection of what we believe.
(30:26):
As Christians, as people, as asindividuals, what do we believe
is true?
What do we believe matters inthis life?
And the decisions that we makewill reflect that.
So do we believe first andforemost in God and in his
(30:47):
promise and in his blessing andin his word?
And then from that, are we goingto build up a brand where you
know that gets to be an openvessel?
Like that gets to be somethingthat that that God pours in and
out of and affects the lives ofthe people that it gets to touch
(31:09):
and impact?
Are we going to allow our beliefto to come to life, to see it?
It's like, you know, it's it'sreal.
It's not just like, oh, thoseare good thoughts, but it's
like, no, I believed for this.
I planted it in faith and I sawthe harvest.
(31:32):
I I got to experience the fruitof it.
And none, no seasons are morehard than doing it where you
don't see the fruit.
And I that those seasons havetaught me.
Like I have had a season where Ilike all I did was cling to this
(31:54):
promise.
Like faith is though, is theirassurance that what we hope for
will happen, just over and overand over again, just like
reciting that in a season whereI saw nothing good in my
business.
But I was like, all I can do isjust like get out there, seek
God first, like so generously,you know, meet people and just
(32:17):
pour into it.
And and then in the end, I laterI got to see the fruit of that.
And so these seasons of that, Ican look back now and I can be
like, okay, that that built meup, that shaped me, that defined
me, that refined me.
And now now I can go deeper.
(32:40):
Now I can I can carry this outeven more.
So what season are you in?
You know, what what do youbelieve?
And does the brand that you'rebuilding, does it reflect that?
Do the people who work for you,do the people that you are
around, in in employees and yourfamily and your customers, like
(33:04):
do they do they believe in whatyou're doing?
Do they believe in this brand?
Or is are you lacking someclarity?
Are you lacking vision oralignment?
You know, what what does thatlook like for you?
So if you're in one of thoseseasons where maybe you don't
(33:26):
see the fruit yet, all I can dois just encourage you to like go
back to what you believe andreally ask yourself, and then
stand on the promise.
Stand on this promise and keepsowing and keep building and
know that if you don't give up,then at the right time you'll
you'll reap a harvest ofblessing.
(33:49):
So, as always, you can learnmore at
ClearAuthenticbrands.com.
That's all for this episode, andI will see you in the next one.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Male Room with Dr. Jesse Mills
As Director of The Men’s Clinic at UCLA, Dr. Jesse Mills has spent his career helping men understand their bodies, their hormones, and their health. Now he’s bringing that expertise to The Male Room — a podcast where data-driven medicine meets common sense. Each episode separates fact from hype, science from snake oil, and gives men the tools to live longer, stronger, and happier lives. With candor, humor, and real-world experience from the exam room and the operating room, Dr. Mills breaks down the latest health headlines, dissects trends, and explains what actually works — and what doesn’t. Smart, straightforward, and entertaining, The Male Room is the show that helps men take charge of their health without the jargon.