July 8, 2025 • 33 mins
Today’s episode is packed with insight and heart—and it’s one I think you’ll really connect with. I sat down with Amber Duffney, a brand designer and strategis. She helps her clients create brands that don’t just look good—they feel aligned, stand out, and position them as the only choice for their dream clients.
Amber brings a unique blend of creativity, strategy, and lived experience as a homeschooling mom and business owner with ADHD. We dive into what authentic marketing really means, how to avoid common branding mistakes, and why copying what others are doing just doesn’t cut it.
If you’ve ever wondered how to build a brand that’s a true reflection of you—not a carbon copy—this episode is for you.
Mentioned Resources:
Amber's Quick Mini Brand Audit
A quick Mini Brand Audit to help find out if your brand is making the right impression, and pinpoint areas that are working and ones that aren’t.
Connect with Amber
Facebook - Facebook.com/aduffney23
Instagram - Instagram.com/empowerher_designs
Website - empowerherdesigns.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Carrie Saunders (00:00):
Today's episode is packed with insight and
heart, and it's one I thinkyou're really going to connect
with.
I sat down with Amber Duffney,a brand designer and strategist.
She helps her clients createbrands that don't just look good
, but they also feel aligned,stand out and position them as
the only choice for their dreamclients.
Amber brings a unique blend ofcreativity, strategy and lived
(00:25):
experience.
As a homeschooling mom andbusiness owner with ADHD, we
dive into what authenticmarketing really means, how to
avoid common branding mistakesand why copying what others are
doing just doesn't cut it.
If you've ever wondered how tobuild a brand that truly
reflects you, not a copy ofsomeone else, then this episode
(00:45):
is for you.
Welcome to the e-commerce madeeasy podcast.
I'm your host, k Saunders.
When we started this business,all I had was a couch, a laptop
and a nine month old.
My main goal to help others.
Now, with over 20 years in thee-commerce building industry,
and even more than that in webdevelopment, I have seen a lot.
I love breaking down the hardtech into easily understandable
(01:06):
bits to help others besuccessful in their online
business.
Whether you're a seasonede-commerce veteran or just
starting out, you've come to theright place, so sit back, relax
and let's dive into the worldof e-commerce together.
Welcome back to the E-CommerceMade Easy podcast.
Today we have a special guestwith us and her name is Amber
Duffney.
She is a brand designer andstrategist who helps female
(01:29):
coaches who are leading amovement to build brands and
position them as the only choicefor their dream clients.
And she's also a homeschoolerand business owner with ADHD, so
I can totally relate to being amom and just being totally like
scattered and distracted andeverything.
So welcome to the show, amber.
Amber Dufney (01:48):
Thanks for having me.
Keri, Happy to be here.
Carrie Saunders (01:51):
You're welcome.
So is there anything that Imissed that you'd like to tell
us more about?
You know who is Amber, and howdid she come to be doing what
you're doing now?
Amber Dufney (02:03):
Oh my gosh, how much time you have now.
Well, I, you know my journey inin in life and business has
been, you know, very different.
Like I come from a bankingbackground, I I did that for
lots, lots of years and then Igot into finance through a car
dealership and you know therewas parts that I loved but it
(02:25):
was a very toxic environment.
So when COVID came and I gotlaid finance through a car
dealership and you know therewas parts that I loved but it
was a very toxic environment.
So when COVID came and I gotlaid off from that, it was kind
of a blessing in disguise.
I had actually been trying tobuild a coaching business on the
side when I was working fulltime to try and move away from
that job anyway.
So I kind of went in thatdirection for a while and I love
coaching.
(02:45):
I went and got a certificationto become a certified life coach
when I was still working and Ilove coaching.
But they don't teach you how torun a business and the business
model of coaching for my ADHDbrain and my my you know
capacity for energy, it justwasn't the right fit.
So I kept trying to pivot and,you know, go to this niche and
(03:10):
that niche and I could neverreally get traction.
And so about a year and a halfago, maybe two years ago, now a
year and a half, I don't know, Ilose track of time, I have no
concept of time.
It's terrible, it's an ADHDthing, but we'll say a year and
a half I had a conversation witha friend because I was feeling
(03:31):
very defeated about my coachingbusinesses, you know, kind of
flopping and not being able tomake money, and I know that I'd
made a difference though.
So when I look at, I had aperspective shift and realized
that you know, yes, it wasn't afailure, it was just I needed to
pivot.
So I found a coach who helpswomen who, like, are looking to
(03:53):
use skills that they alreadyhave to be freelancers.
So I talked to her and then werealized that I'd been doing
graphic design for my owncoaching businesses for years.
Plus, I'd also opened an Etsyshop, so doing, like designs for
t-shirts and mugs and stufflike that since 2020 as well.
(04:15):
So you know, sometimes we don'trealize skills that we have
until someone else points it outand you're like, oh wait, yeah,
I am fairly decent at that.
So then I kind of pivoted andnow I get to.
Still, it was really importantto me, empowering women and
girls.
I actually the last niche thatI did was actually doing
(04:35):
workshops for young girls, liketeen and tween girls, helping
them with self-confidence andstuff.
Because there's actually astatistic which is kind of scary
, um, that girls self-confidencepeaks at age nine and then
pivot and then and then justdrops like plummets.
It's actually terrifying.
So I wanted to help.
But it's hard sometimes to getfolks parents to see, um, a
(04:58):
problem before it exists, so itwas very hard to market.
But I did definitely get to dosome amazing workout workshops
with some amazing girls and I'mjust like so.
But I did definitely get to dosome amazing workout workshops
with some amazing girls and I'mjust like so happy to have been
able to do that.
So now I've been able to stillstay in that realm and help,
help coaches and you know, womenwho are, who are, you know,
just doing these amazing thingsand helping women and, and you
(05:21):
know, making the world a betterplace.
I just get to help from adifferent perspective, but I'm
still in that realm.
So it's kind of an awesomepivot.
It's been pretty cool.
Carrie Saunders (05:31):
That actually sounds like a wonderful marriage
of passion and skill rightthere.
I just love it because you cannow affect those women even
though they're older and they'repast that age nine, obviously
but you can still affect theirself-esteem and their confidence
boost through your skills.
I just I love how you do that.
That's really awesome.
Amber Dufney (05:53):
Yeah, it's pretty great.
I'm really happy doing what I'mdoing and I feel very honored.
You know, I feel very honoredto be able to be a part of such
an important part, of afoundational part, right, if
someone's business is theirbrand or if they're rebranding,
um, then you know it's stillit's.
I'm helping them blossomsomething new, right, it just
(06:15):
it's.
It's really rewarding, for sure, and I love designing.
It's just fun.
Carrie Saunders (06:20):
So along those lines, I know you talk about
that you do authentic marketing,but I know that there's a lot
of people who don't reallyunderstand what that means.
So what does that actually mean, and how can business owners
really ensure that their brandfeels genuine rather than a copy
of others?
How do you get to that deepcore of what is the market for
(06:41):
this particular person?
Amber Dufney (06:43):
That's a really great question.
Yeah, to me, authenticity meansstepping into and embody who
you really really are, you knowwith, without apology and
without you know worrying aboutthe comparisonitis which, to be
fair, we all do sometimes.
I mean, I do it like I catchmyself and I'm like hang on, you
(07:05):
know, I know to rein myselfback in, but like we do, right,
we see someone else who'ssuccessful and we're like, well,
maybe we should do what they'redoing or whatever, and it's
there's temptation there.
However, authentic marketing isto me is making sure that your
voice is truly you, right.
So a brand I call it a brandecosystem I help women build
(07:28):
like a magnetic brand ecosystem.
So a brand ecosystem isn't justvisuals, right.
Like that's a big part of it,for sure, because when someone
comes to your website, the firstthing the brain sees is the
visuals, right.
So you have to have that.
You know, aestheticallypleasing, obviously, but there's
(07:48):
more than that, right.
It has to align with the brandvoice, it has to align with the
brand personality and it has toevoke the right emotions, right.
So when I'm doing a brand withsomeone, we dig deep into who
they are, what their values areand how they want to show up in
(08:11):
the world as far as the changethat they want to make, the
difference that they want tomake.
Why are you doing what you'redoing?
Why is it important?
Why does it matter?
These things are foundational,right, like they're just.
These things are foundational,right, like they're just.
It's the brand framework, brandidentity framework, right.
So we do that, and when we dothat, I'm making sure that that
(08:36):
were answering, that they'reanswering questions you know
from their heart, right, and Iknow that might sound, you know,
cheesy or whatever, but I dobelieve that if you're, if
you're truly coming from a placeof love and wanting to make a
positive change in the world, ifyou're being true to yourself,
that will shine through as longas you don't try to hide, long
(09:04):
as you don't try to hide or tryto be something different.
So, when it comes to branding,to me it's so important to have
that foundational, real, goodunderstanding of who you are in
the world and how you want toshow up and and how you want to
position yourself, but in agenuine, authentic way, like you
can't, you just can't besomeone else.
The beauty of your branding andhow you affect the world is
(09:28):
your unique twist to it.
There's millions of coaches outthere, right, but there's only
one coach who does the thingthat you do in the very specific
way that you do it, and that'swhat it is.
It's beautifully finding that,that spark, whatever that is,
and and and making the messagingand, you know, the personality
all coincide with the visualsand there's psychology that goes
(09:50):
into that.
There's color and shapepsychology and all of that.
You know stuff.
It all goes together.
So that's kind of hopefullythat answers your question.
It all goes together, so that'skind of.
Carrie Saunders (10:00):
Hopefully that answers your question.
No, I think that does, and it'ssomething we talk about.
A decent amount on the podcastis, you know, people buy from
other people and you're makingthe brand human so that it's
more relatable to the potentialclients, so they can, you know,
get a good vibe for who thiscompany is and what they stand
for, so that they can make thathuman decision.
(10:21):
Because that's what we reallyultimately do.
If we're given, you know,several different websites that
sell the same things, we buyfrom the one we connect with the
most.
And having an authentic brandbehind it is key.
Amber Dufney (10:34):
It's key to conversions.
Carrie Saunders (10:35):
And that's what we talk about a lot on the
podcast.
It's key to conversion.
Amber Dufney (10:39):
Yeah, yeah.
So I love that.
If you don't, if you don'tconnect with your audience,
you're, you know, you're justyou're you're missing
opportunities and I mean youhave what?
I think it's five seconds toget someone's attention.
So your, your branding has tobe on point, like and and I know
it sounds superficial, I getthat Like, but branding isn't
(11:00):
just visuals, like I said, butthe visual aspect really does
need to be on point, because Imean, how many times have you
gone to a website and it's justlike, all over the place and
you're like, and you don't evenread the copy, because you're
just like, this hurts myeyeballs, you know, and and it's
, it's just human nature, right?
Like, if you're scrolling onFacebook and you see, or
Instagram, and you see, like abeautiful graphic, or or you
(11:23):
know, a really nicely done photowith some beautiful fonts that
that actually evoke a certainthing in you, you're going to
stop and read it.
If you see stuff that's justlooks like, you know, I don't
know, I was made a joke about itLike, if you're, if you're, if
you're making all kinds ofdifferent fonts and just picking
and choosing that willy nillyand just throwing them together,
it can look like a, you know, achaotic ransom note Like if
(11:45):
people don't want to read that,it's just human nature, right?
Carrie Saunders (11:49):
Yeah, totally is, and there's been some
websites.
We've worked on that.
I just the client sent us thelink to the website and my first
reaction is oh my goodness,this thing hurts my eyes and you
want to make sure you're notinvoking that emotion.
Amber Dufney (12:05):
That is what you don't want.
Carrie Saunders (12:13):
Exactly yeah, yeah, so you specialize in
working with visionary femalecoaches, and we've touched on
this, I feel like, already alittle bit as why this is
important to you.
But how does it really shapeyour approach to branding, and
how do you, how do you reallydig, how do you dig in to get
these information out, so youcan get it out onto a computer
screen, on a website too?
Amber Dufney (12:32):
Right.
Well, I mean, I guess probablymy coaching skills have have
really come in handy with that,because I know the questions to
ask, to get to that deep root ofof what the what the person is
all about, like.
I think that's probably one ofthe things that sets me apart
potentially in in in thebranding world, because I do
(12:56):
have a coaching background and Iam a certified coach.
I know how to coach.
Because I do have a coachingbackground and I am a certified
coach, I know how to coach,which coaching is about, like
actual coaching, not mentoringand not, you know, strategizing
and consulting, because thoseare absolutely valuable too, but
they are different.
Coaching asks questions to, tohelp the person answer the
(13:18):
question themselves.
Right, the answers are within.
Right, that's the modality ofcoaching.
The answers are within.
We just have to find how touncover them right.
And obviously I'm not justcoaching, because you know I'm a
provider of a service that I'mactually doing with them, like
when it comes to the voice andall that stuff, like I'm helping
them uncover that, but thenwe're, you know, moving and
(13:41):
putting it into implementation.
But I guess being able to dothat definitely is important,
because that's the only way youcan get to those levels is
asking those important, deepquestions like, and really
getting your customer, my client, to think about, about these
(14:02):
questions, because sometimesthey're questions that people
don't think about.
When they go to do a logo, likesomeone who's new, let's just
say they're like, oh okay, so Ineed a logo and that's just what
they think.
They just think it's a logo andthat's it.
But it's so much deeper thanthat, right, like a logo created
without strategy is just, youknow, a pretty stamp.
You know so, and also I thinkthat, because I understand the
(14:27):
coaching world and I understandthat business modality, I
understand the type of messagingthat works, I understand the
type of voices that are going tomake sense, you know, and I'll
question someone, you know, ifsomeone says something and I go,
but you know, are you sure thatthat's?
You know that's what this is,that is saying?
(14:49):
You know, is that what you'reactually saying?
Carrie Saunders (14:51):
And so really making sure that it is true to
them and that they're not justsaying what they think that
other people want to hear, right, so yeah, I love that you
really pull that out of them,because it kind of is a similar
parallel to how we work with ourclients is many times they'll
come to us with the problem theywant, you know they want us to
(15:12):
solve, and I will come back tothem with questions.
Are you sure this is the wayyou want to do it, you know?
So you're kind of doing thesame thing with the branding and
making sure that what's trulyinside them is where you know
they're landing with theirbranding and their answers to
you or the graphics that they'reapproving and things like that,
and you're comfortable withquestioning them in a gentle way
(15:35):
to get that right informationout of them.
So I love your approach on that.
Amber Dufney (15:40):
Thanks.
I think it's important becauseI don't want to just create
things that are pretty.
While I love creating thingsthat are pretty, it's.
I would be doing my clients adisservice if I just did that.
You know, there's a differencebetween making something pretty
and making something that'spretty and is connecting people
right, like there's.
(16:00):
There's just it's a differencebetween making something pretty
and making something that'spretty and is connecting people
right, like there's.
There's just, it's a different,it's there's a different thing,
and I think that you need both.
And I would not feel good about, you know, putting my head on
the pillow and going to bed atnight if I was not doing that.
You know, I think it's thatimportant and I think I owe that
to my clients, and I think it'sthe only way to really make
(16:24):
sure that it is all going towork in the long run right, and
not just for tomorrow, not goingwith trends just for you know
what's cool right now and that'snot going to be a brand that's
going to get you longevity.
Carrie Saunders (16:38):
Yeah, and I'm actually thinking back a little
bit to some of the journeys thatmy business have had the past
few years, because we've beenworking on rebranding and
refocusing, just because youknow, things have changed in the
world and we've been doing thisfor over 23 years and I want
the listeners who are listeningin to really think about some of
these words that you're saying.
You know we'll we'll give anopportunity to how you can reach
(17:02):
Amber if you think she's a goodfit, but I want you to be
thinking about, too, what aresome of these things she's
saying right now to us on ourpodcast here?
Because there's been mistakesI've made in the past with
rebranding, people that I'veused and things like that, and
they aren't doing this righthere, which is pulling out the
heart of you and you are thebusiness and you need to
(17:24):
remember that.
You know there's, even thoughwe I feel like we discount and
you've even touched on thisdiscount ourselves our own self
worth so much and it's so easyto do.
We need to realize, you know weare the reason the business
exists.
We're the reason.
You know we're here for areason.
There's a special gift that weeach have to give to others and
(17:44):
you know we're not a perfect fitfor everybody out there and
Amber's not a perfect fit foreverybody out there and Amber is
not a perfect fit for everybodyout there.
But you know, be asking thesequestions of yourself when you
want to do rebranding Does thiscoach get me?
Does this branding person getme?
You know whether it's a coachor branding person or whatnot,
you know are they asking theright questions.
So I think you've hit on somereally good points on how to
(18:05):
help people pick that rightbranding expert too, when it's
time as well.
Amber Dufney (18:10):
Yeah, you have to connect with the person.
I mean, when it comes toanything probably to do with
your business, it's.
It's so important to have acollaborative.
You know environment, you knowwhen you're hiring a coach, you
know that person is there tosupport you and to and often
(18:31):
most coaches these days are alsomentors right, like they're not
just doing coaching, they'redoing both.
So making sure that you knowthat the things that they say
and the value that they, thevalues that come through in
their branding, make sure thatthat resonates with you and be
okay with saying no, what thatdoesn't.
You know she seems to be reallysuccessful, but something about
(18:53):
this just doesn't feel right.
And and trust yourself, right,because if you sign up with
somebody who whether it'ssomeone like me, who's doing
branding, or whether it's acoach or a mentor, if you end up
not listening to to thatintuition on on who feels like
the right fit, energeticallyagain kind of sounds woo.
(19:16):
But I truly believe that we'regoing to connect more and with
certain people than others.
And when you have thatconnection, that's what's
actually going to be able toallow you to feel safe enough to
go to those deep levels and toreally make that progress
because they're on your side.
(19:37):
You know that you trust themand they're really there to be
your cheerleader and do thething in the way that makes
sense for you.
So I think that's superimportant to make sure that the
person you're hiring for,whatever it happens to be, is a
good fit and don't be afraid tosay you know no.
And and sometimes there'll befolks in the in the business
(19:58):
world who will and I hate this,but you know make someone
potentially feel bad becausethey're not you know spending
the money.
It's like you know potentiallysomeone I mean it's happened to
me, you know shamed that youknow spending the money.
It's like you know potentiallysomeone I mean, it's happened to
me you know shamed that youknow, oh, maybe you know you're,
you're afraid of spending thismoney.
No, I just don't feel like thisis a good fit and I feel good
(20:19):
about that.
Right, be okay with making thatdecision.
And I think women, we also wantto please, right, so we feel
bad saying no.
Um, it's okay to say, say no ifit's not the right fit, but if
it is the right fit, don't letfear stop you.
Right, there's a differencebetween fear and unalignment.
So trusting yourself there isimportant.
Carrie Saunders (20:41):
Yes, I completely agree with that and I
feel like, also as women, weneed to recognize that many of
the things you just said, but Ialso want to add to it that many
times when we get something forfree from somebody, we feel
obligated to buy from thatsomebody.
So don't let that also make yougo for that person.
(21:01):
Make sure you're aligned, justlike you were talking about.
I think that's one mistake wecan easily make, especially as
women.
Amber Dufney (21:09):
Yeah, yeah, we have that people pleasing gene a
lot of us.
And you know, we, I think as asociety we've been taught that
right, it's been beaten into ourbrains for for generations.
So it's something that we allpotentially struggle with at
times.
Right, I shouldn't say all,because I hate generalizations,
(21:30):
but I think a good deal of thefemale population does struggle
with that, even if it's just,you know, intermittently, here
and there.
So I think it's important tohit that point just to say trust
yourself.
You know it's okay to say no.
Carrie Saunders (21:46):
Yes, for sure.
So, then, we've talked aboutsome of the ways to be
successful with branding, andwhat are some of the biggest
mistakes you see, though, inbranding, and how can business
owners avoid making thosemistakes?
And we talked about a few ofthe mistakes you can make by
picking the wrong.
You know personal peoplejumping ahead too many steps
right.
Amber Dufney (22:16):
I think I mentioned.
You know someone gets startedand they're like, oh okay, well,
I'm starting a business, I needa logo.
Sure, you need a logo, but holdup back up.
There's things that you need inplace first, you need to fully
understand why you're doing whatyou're doing.
You need to fully understandand dig into the values that you
(22:36):
have and why they're importantto you.
You need to understand how youwant people to perceive you on
an not perceive you, becausethat sounds like you're not
being yourself, but how you wantthem to fully see you.
Let's say it that way, right.
And if that strategy and how youwant to be able to show
(23:02):
yourself in the most genuine andhonest way, if you don't figure
out what that's supposed tolook like, based on your, your
values and stuff like that, andyou just go create a logo, you
could be picking a logo thatjust it clashes with that, right
(23:23):
.
You could be picking colorsthat clash with that.
You know that's a big thing Isee is people picking colors
because they like them, withoutany thought to you know the
color psychology that goesbehind it.
I would never say again, Iwould never say pick colors
specifically because you knowyou think that they're pretty
(23:45):
like, that's just not, that'snot gonna.
I mean, you might, you mightget lucky, right, but I think
it's really important to to takethat seriously.
And I think a lot of peoplejust don't know what they don't
know right, they're just gettingpotentially just getting
started and they're like, okay,let me get a logo, you know
whatever.
And so, and the other thing toois, if you don't know what
(24:08):
you're doing, don't be afraid tohire someone to help you.
Nobody expects you to knoweverything.
As a solopreneur, we wear a lotof hats, but don't be afraid to
outsource to somebody who knowsthat thing better than you do.
Because for women that I'mworking with, I don't expect my
coach or my mentor to know howto do graphic design.
(24:29):
That's not her zone of genius.
Her zone of genius is pullingthat, that beautiful energy and
the beautiful knowing out ofthat person, their client to to,
to get to the next level thatthey're getting to.
I don't, I'm not going to go toyou know a shoemaker to to you
know, I don't know.
Buy my groceries Like you knowa shoemaker to to you know I
don't know.
Buy my groceries Like.
(24:50):
Do you know what I mean?
It's okay to not be awesome ateverything, right?
Um?
So don't be afraid to hiresomeone.
Make sure that you're takingthose steps.
Um, and don't crowdsource.
For the love of God, don't trycrowdsource.
Um, that's so much.
Um, it's so tempting, right?
(25:11):
Doing market research?
I get that.
I absolutely get that.
I do market research.
I think it's really important.
But when you ask someone, whatdo you think of these colors,
what do you think of this logo,if they don't understand what
you're going for, it doesn'tmatter if they like it or not,
not to mention if you post thatin a group.
I see this a lot.
I'm in a lot of business groupson Facebook and I see that a
(25:33):
lot and it's.
You get a million differentanswers and what ends up
happening is you end up moreconfused than you did when you
went in.
Right, and you know, stickingconsistently to to your brand
across platforms, stickingconsistently to your brand when
you're doing content, because ifyou are all over the place,
(25:54):
people will get confused, andconfused people don't buy.
Those are the biggest things,the biggest things that I see.
Carrie Saunders (26:02):
Yeah, and I love that you pointed out.
Don't ask about opinions on twologos, because I know I've done
that before and honestly, it'sgreat for engagement, but that's
about it.
Amber Dufney (26:12):
That's about it.
Carrie Saunders (26:13):
They'll go with what everybody else likes the
best, and that's why I love thatyou give permission to ignore
those results Because, again,they don't know the backstory.
You're totally right, theydon't know the backstory, you
(26:34):
know.
It's just like somebody askingus a technical question If I
don't ask them the backstorybehind their question, I can't
give them a very good answer.
Amber Dufney (26:43):
There's context.
There's context that you need.
Context matters, yeah, contextmatters.
Yeah, context matters.
Carrie Saunders (26:48):
It matters a lot, and it matters more in
branding than people think.
I think a lot of people don'trealize it means a lot in
branding.
Amber Dufney (26:55):
It does.
I mean, I've commented on somany people's posts like I love
the direction.
You know it's aestheticallynice.
You know this one's moreaesthetically pleasing than this
one.
However, I'm a brand designer.
If you want actual, likefeedback that you know is going
to be actually helpful, I needto know these things first and I
(27:16):
don't think I stuff.
They're like she doesn't,whatever, right, but those,
those folks aren't going to bethe folks that that are at a
level that understand, um,potentially, what branding, how
important that is.
Those are folks who are justlooking to DIY and that's fine.
But if I can plant a seed rightby asking those questions, then
(27:38):
they're going to maybe,hopefully, um ask those
questions to themselves, um,before they go further.
Hopefully, that's my goal andeducating people right, like
anybody else who's who's readingthrough those comments.
Maybe they'll see that questionbe asked and go oh, okay, well,
she's a brand designer thatthat's asking this question.
Maybe I should ask myself thosequestions, right, like planting
(28:01):
seeds.
Carrie Saunders (28:02):
Yes, no, I love that.
I love that and I feel like Iplant plant tech seeds too.
When people ask you know whichemail service provider is better
, which you know, of course youknow course, hosting things
provider, it depends.
It depends on your goals and itso depends, yeah, and I've done
that too.
Amber Dufney (28:18):
I've definitely done that and when I ask those
questions like I've asked thatspecific question email provider
I always give the contextbecause, like, what is the best,
Well, what's the best for oneperson is not going to be the
best for another.
Like, someone who's willing tospend, you know, hundreds of
dollars a month is differentthan someone who wants something
for you know, for free or verylow cost, Like.
(28:38):
And someone who wants landingpages built in is different than
somebody who doesn't care aboutthat and just wants to send it
like it's.
There's so much nuance and somuch context.
It's important, right?
Yeah?
Carrie Saunders (28:49):
yes, totally, totally all right.
So we got some really greatinformation from amber today and
she's actually offering ouraudience a quick mini brand
audit.
So if amber resonates with youand you want her to help you
find out if your brand's makingthe right impression in pinpoint
areas that might be working andones that aren't working, amber
(29:10):
has a great resource for us andwe're going to put that in the
podcast description and in theshow notes too, but the link is
bitly forward.
Slash your dash mini dash branddash audit.
Amber Dufney (29:25):
Again, that's bitly.
Carrie Saunders (29:27):
I'll read it again Forward slash your dash
mini, dash brand, dash audit.
So if you can't remember that,don't worry, it's going to be in
the podcast description andshow notes.
I know it's a little bit of amouthful, but I want to make
sure that I mentioned thatbefore I forget.
So, amber, what are some of the?
If people want to reach out toyou, what are some of the best
places they can find you, causeI I think we're going to have
(29:49):
some people listening to theshow.
They're going to be like, ooh,I kind of like her vibe and I
might want to get a little moreinformation from her.
Amber Dufney (29:55):
Yeah, sure, yeah, well, I have a website
empowerherdesignscom.
Sorry, I have cat hair floatingaround my face.
Empowerherdesignscom is mywebsite.
There's a contact page in there.
You can also get my freebie onmy website as well.
(30:18):
My portfolio is there.
So if you want to kind of havea peek of some of my work,
that's there too.
I'm also on Instagram,empowerherdesigns.
Sorry, empowerherdesigns.
No, I had to change.
I had to find one that wasn'tempower her underscore designs,
I think, because what I wantedwas taken.
Um, I'll, I'll send it to you.
If I got that wrong, I'll, I'llsend it to you so you can put
(30:39):
it in the description.
But, um, I'm also on Facebook,just Amber Duffney.
Um, I do have a Facebook page,but I have.
I post a lot more on mypersonal page just because I
have a fairly large audiencethere and I love the engagement
that I get there, so I hang outthere a lot, yeah.
Carrie Saunders (30:58):
Well, it's been great to have you on our show,
amber, and to learn more aboutyou, because I only vaguely knew
what you did and I just loveyour soul and how you know.
Your marketing is is within youand your branding is within you
and you'd love to share thatwith others.
So I just I love the vibe youget and I just love learning
from you today.
So thank you so much for beingon the show.
Amber Dufney (31:20):
Well, thanks for having me.
It was a great conversation andhopefully folks will find it
helpful.
Carrie Saunders (31:26):
Wasn't that such a refreshing take on
branding?
I loved how Amber reminded usthat authentic branding isn't
about doing what everyone elseis doing.
It's about digging into yourvalues, your strengths and your
story.
To create a brand that feelslike you Because we all buy from
humans we don't generally buyfrom brands is when we connect.
(31:47):
The human aspect of the brandis why we buy for them.
So if you want to connect withAmber and learn more about her
branding magic, or just followalong her journey as a
multi-passionate business owner,be sure to check out our links
in our show notes and in ourpodcast description, and if
you're loving the e-commercemade easy podcast, I'd be
thrilled if you followed theshow and leave a review or share
(32:09):
this episode as a fellow coachor business owner who you think
needs it.
Thanks so much and we will seeyou next week.
Today's episode is packed with insight and
heart, and it's one I thinkyou're really going to connect
with.
I sat down with Amber Duffney,a brand designer and strategist.
She helps her clients createbrands that don't just look good
, but they also feel aligned,stand out and position them as
the only choice for their dreamclients.
Amber brings a unique blend ofcreativity, strategy and lived
(00:25):
experience.
As a homeschooling mom andbusiness owner with ADHD, we
dive into what authenticmarketing really means, how to
avoid common branding mistakesand why copying what others are
doing just doesn't cut it.
If you've ever wondered how tobuild a brand that truly
reflects you, not a copy ofsomeone else, then this episode
(00:45):
is for you.
Welcome to the e-commerce madeeasy podcast.
I'm your host, k Saunders.
When we started this business,all I had was a couch, a laptop
and a nine month old.
My main goal to help others.
Now, with over 20 years in thee-commerce building industry,
and even more than that in webdevelopment, I have seen a lot.
I love breaking down the hardtech into easily understandable
(01:06):
bits to help others besuccessful in their online
business.
Whether you're a seasonede-commerce veteran or just
starting out, you've come to theright place, so sit back, relax
and let's dive into the worldof e-commerce together.
Welcome back to the E-CommerceMade Easy podcast.
Today we have a special guestwith us and her name is Amber
Duffney.
She is a brand designer andstrategist who helps female
(01:29):
coaches who are leading amovement to build brands and
position them as the only choicefor their dream clients.
And she's also a homeschoolerand business owner with ADHD, so
I can totally relate to being amom and just being totally like
scattered and distracted andeverything.
So welcome to the show, amber.
Amber Dufney (01:48):
Thanks for having me.
Keri, Happy to be here.
Carrie Saunders (01:51):
You're welcome.
So is there anything that Imissed that you'd like to tell
us more about?
You know who is Amber, and howdid she come to be doing what
you're doing now?
Amber Dufney (02:03):
Oh my gosh, how much time you have now.
Well, I, you know my journey inin in life and business has
been, you know, very different.
Like I come from a bankingbackground, I I did that for
lots, lots of years and then Igot into finance through a car
dealership and you know therewas parts that I loved but it
(02:25):
was a very toxic environment.
So when COVID came and I gotlaid finance through a car
dealership and you know therewas parts that I loved but it
was a very toxic environment.
So when COVID came and I gotlaid off from that, it was kind
of a blessing in disguise.
I had actually been trying tobuild a coaching business on the
side when I was working fulltime to try and move away from
that job anyway.
So I kind of went in thatdirection for a while and I love
coaching.
(02:45):
I went and got a certificationto become a certified life coach
when I was still working and Ilove coaching.
But they don't teach you how torun a business and the business
model of coaching for my ADHDbrain and my my you know
capacity for energy, it justwasn't the right fit.
So I kept trying to pivot and,you know, go to this niche and
(03:10):
that niche and I could neverreally get traction.
And so about a year and a halfago, maybe two years ago, now a
year and a half, I don't know, Ilose track of time, I have no
concept of time.
It's terrible, it's an ADHDthing, but we'll say a year and
a half I had a conversation witha friend because I was feeling
(03:31):
very defeated about my coachingbusinesses, you know, kind of
flopping and not being able tomake money, and I know that I'd
made a difference though.
So when I look at, I had aperspective shift and realized
that you know, yes, it wasn't afailure, it was just I needed to
pivot.
So I found a coach who helpswomen who, like, are looking to
(03:53):
use skills that they alreadyhave to be freelancers.
So I talked to her and then werealized that I'd been doing
graphic design for my owncoaching businesses for years.
Plus, I'd also opened an Etsyshop, so doing, like designs for
t-shirts and mugs and stufflike that since 2020 as well.
(04:15):
So you know, sometimes we don'trealize skills that we have
until someone else points it outand you're like, oh wait, yeah,
I am fairly decent at that.
So then I kind of pivoted andnow I get to.
Still, it was really importantto me, empowering women and
girls.
I actually the last niche thatI did was actually doing
(04:35):
workshops for young girls, liketeen and tween girls, helping
them with self-confidence andstuff.
Because there's actually astatistic which is kind of scary
, um, that girls self-confidencepeaks at age nine and then
pivot and then and then justdrops like plummets.
It's actually terrifying.
So I wanted to help.
But it's hard sometimes to getfolks parents to see, um, a
(04:58):
problem before it exists, so itwas very hard to market.
But I did definitely get to dosome amazing workout workshops
with some amazing girls and I'mjust like so.
But I did definitely get to dosome amazing workout workshops
with some amazing girls and I'mjust like so happy to have been
able to do that.
So now I've been able to stillstay in that realm and help,
help coaches and you know, womenwho are, who are, you know,
just doing these amazing thingsand helping women and, and you
(05:21):
know, making the world a betterplace.
I just get to help from adifferent perspective, but I'm
still in that realm.
So it's kind of an awesomepivot.
It's been pretty cool.
Carrie Saunders (05:31):
That actually sounds like a wonderful marriage
of passion and skill rightthere.
I just love it because you cannow affect those women even
though they're older and they'repast that age nine, obviously
but you can still affect theirself-esteem and their confidence
boost through your skills.
I just I love how you do that.
That's really awesome.
Amber Dufney (05:53):
Yeah, it's pretty great.
I'm really happy doing what I'mdoing and I feel very honored.
You know, I feel very honoredto be able to be a part of such
an important part, of afoundational part, right, if
someone's business is theirbrand or if they're rebranding,
um, then you know it's stillit's.
I'm helping them blossomsomething new, right, it just
(06:15):
it's.
It's really rewarding, for sure, and I love designing.
It's just fun.
Carrie Saunders (06:20):
So along those lines, I know you talk about
that you do authentic marketing,but I know that there's a lot
of people who don't reallyunderstand what that means.
So what does that actually mean, and how can business owners
really ensure that their brandfeels genuine rather than a copy
of others?
How do you get to that deepcore of what is the market for
(06:41):
this particular person?
Amber Dufney (06:43):
That's a really great question.
Yeah, to me, authenticity meansstepping into and embody who
you really really are, you knowwith, without apology and
without you know worrying aboutthe comparisonitis which, to be
fair, we all do sometimes.
I mean, I do it like I catchmyself and I'm like hang on, you
(07:05):
know, I know to rein myselfback in, but like we do, right,
we see someone else who'ssuccessful and we're like, well,
maybe we should do what they'redoing or whatever, and it's
there's temptation there.
However, authentic marketing isto me is making sure that your
voice is truly you, right.
So a brand I call it a brandecosystem I help women build
(07:28):
like a magnetic brand ecosystem.
So a brand ecosystem isn't justvisuals, right.
Like that's a big part of it,for sure, because when someone
comes to your website, the firstthing the brain sees is the
visuals, right.
So you have to have that.
You know, aestheticallypleasing, obviously, but there's
(07:48):
more than that, right.
It has to align with the brandvoice, it has to align with the
brand personality and it has toevoke the right emotions, right.
So when I'm doing a brand withsomeone, we dig deep into who
they are, what their values areand how they want to show up in
(08:11):
the world as far as the changethat they want to make, the
difference that they want tomake.
Why are you doing what you'redoing?
Why is it important?
Why does it matter?
These things are foundational,right, like they're just.
These things are foundational,right, like they're just.
It's the brand framework, brandidentity framework, right.
So we do that, and when we dothat, I'm making sure that that
(08:36):
were answering, that they'reanswering questions you know
from their heart, right, and Iknow that might sound, you know,
cheesy or whatever, but I dobelieve that if you're, if
you're truly coming from a placeof love and wanting to make a
positive change in the world, ifyou're being true to yourself,
that will shine through as longas you don't try to hide, long
(09:04):
as you don't try to hide or tryto be something different.
So, when it comes to branding,to me it's so important to have
that foundational, real, goodunderstanding of who you are in
the world and how you want toshow up and and how you want to
position yourself, but in agenuine, authentic way, like you
can't, you just can't besomeone else.
The beauty of your branding andhow you affect the world is
(09:28):
your unique twist to it.
There's millions of coaches outthere, right, but there's only
one coach who does the thingthat you do in the very specific
way that you do it, and that'swhat it is.
It's beautifully finding that,that spark, whatever that is,
and and and making the messagingand, you know, the personality
all coincide with the visualsand there's psychology that goes
(09:50):
into that.
There's color and shapepsychology and all of that.
You know stuff.
It all goes together.
So that's kind of hopefullythat answers your question.
It all goes together, so that'skind of.
Carrie Saunders (10:00):
Hopefully that answers your question.
No, I think that does, and it'ssomething we talk about.
A decent amount on the podcastis, you know, people buy from
other people and you're makingthe brand human so that it's
more relatable to the potentialclients, so they can, you know,
get a good vibe for who thiscompany is and what they stand
for, so that they can make thathuman decision.
(10:21):
Because that's what we reallyultimately do.
If we're given, you know,several different websites that
sell the same things, we buyfrom the one we connect with the
most.
And having an authentic brandbehind it is key.
Amber Dufney (10:34):
It's key to conversions.
Carrie Saunders (10:35):
And that's what we talk about a lot on the
podcast.
It's key to conversion.
Amber Dufney (10:39):
Yeah, yeah.
So I love that.
If you don't, if you don'tconnect with your audience,
you're, you know, you're justyou're you're missing
opportunities and I mean youhave what?
I think it's five seconds toget someone's attention.
So your, your branding has tobe on point, like and and I know
it sounds superficial, I getthat Like, but branding isn't
(11:00):
just visuals, like I said, butthe visual aspect really does
need to be on point, because Imean, how many times have you
gone to a website and it's justlike, all over the place and
you're like, and you don't evenread the copy, because you're
just like, this hurts myeyeballs, you know, and and it's
, it's just human nature, right?
Like, if you're scrolling onFacebook and you see, or
Instagram, and you see, like abeautiful graphic, or or you
(11:23):
know, a really nicely done photowith some beautiful fonts that
that actually evoke a certainthing in you, you're going to
stop and read it.
If you see stuff that's justlooks like, you know, I don't
know, I was made a joke about itLike, if you're, if you're, if
you're making all kinds ofdifferent fonts and just picking
and choosing that willy nillyand just throwing them together,
it can look like a, you know, achaotic ransom note Like if
(11:45):
people don't want to read that,it's just human nature, right?
Carrie Saunders (11:49):
Yeah, totally is, and there's been some
websites.
We've worked on that.
I just the client sent us thelink to the website and my first
reaction is oh my goodness,this thing hurts my eyes and you
want to make sure you're notinvoking that emotion.
Amber Dufney (12:05):
That is what you don't want.
Carrie Saunders (12:13):
Exactly yeah, yeah, so you specialize in
working with visionary femalecoaches, and we've touched on
this, I feel like, already alittle bit as why this is
important to you.
But how does it really shapeyour approach to branding, and
how do you, how do you reallydig, how do you dig in to get
these information out, so youcan get it out onto a computer
screen, on a website too?
Amber Dufney (12:32):
Right.
Well, I mean, I guess probablymy coaching skills have have
really come in handy with that,because I know the questions to
ask, to get to that deep root ofof what the what the person is
all about, like.
I think that's probably one ofthe things that sets me apart
potentially in in in thebranding world, because I do
(12:56):
have a coaching background and Iam a certified coach.
I know how to coach.
Because I do have a coachingbackground and I am a certified
coach, I know how to coach,which coaching is about, like
actual coaching, not mentoringand not, you know, strategizing
and consulting, because thoseare absolutely valuable too, but
they are different.
Coaching asks questions to, tohelp the person answer the
(13:18):
question themselves.
Right, the answers are within.
Right, that's the modality ofcoaching.
The answers are within.
We just have to find how touncover them right.
And obviously I'm not justcoaching, because you know I'm a
provider of a service that I'mactually doing with them, like
when it comes to the voice andall that stuff, like I'm helping
them uncover that, but thenwe're, you know, moving and
(13:41):
putting it into implementation.
But I guess being able to dothat definitely is important,
because that's the only way youcan get to those levels is
asking those important, deepquestions like, and really
getting your customer, my client, to think about, about these
(14:02):
questions, because sometimesthey're questions that people
don't think about.
When they go to do a logo, likesomeone who's new, let's just
say they're like, oh okay, so Ineed a logo and that's just what
they think.
They just think it's a logo andthat's it.
But it's so much deeper thanthat, right, like a logo created
without strategy is just, youknow, a pretty stamp.
You know so, and also I thinkthat, because I understand the
(14:27):
coaching world and I understandthat business modality, I
understand the type of messagingthat works, I understand the
type of voices that are going tomake sense, you know, and I'll
question someone, you know, ifsomeone says something and I go,
but you know, are you sure thatthat's?
You know that's what this is,that is saying?
(14:49):
You know, is that what you'reactually saying?
Carrie Saunders (14:51):
And so really making sure that it is true to
them and that they're not justsaying what they think that
other people want to hear, right, so yeah, I love that you
really pull that out of them,because it kind of is a similar
parallel to how we work with ourclients is many times they'll
come to us with the problem theywant, you know they want us to
(15:12):
solve, and I will come back tothem with questions.
Are you sure this is the wayyou want to do it, you know?
So you're kind of doing thesame thing with the branding and
making sure that what's trulyinside them is where you know
they're landing with theirbranding and their answers to
you or the graphics that they'reapproving and things like that,
and you're comfortable withquestioning them in a gentle way
(15:35):
to get that right informationout of them.
So I love your approach on that.
Amber Dufney (15:40):
Thanks.
I think it's important becauseI don't want to just create
things that are pretty.
While I love creating thingsthat are pretty, it's.
I would be doing my clients adisservice if I just did that.
You know, there's a differencebetween making something pretty
and making something that'spretty and is connecting people
right, like there's.
(16:00):
There's just it's a differencebetween making something pretty
and making something that'spretty and is connecting people
right, like there's.
There's just, it's a different,it's there's a different thing,
and I think that you need both.
And I would not feel good about, you know, putting my head on
the pillow and going to bed atnight if I was not doing that.
You know, I think it's thatimportant and I think I owe that
to my clients, and I think it'sthe only way to really make
(16:24):
sure that it is all going towork in the long run right, and
not just for tomorrow, not goingwith trends just for you know
what's cool right now and that'snot going to be a brand that's
going to get you longevity.
Carrie Saunders (16:38):
Yeah, and I'm actually thinking back a little
bit to some of the journeys thatmy business have had the past
few years, because we've beenworking on rebranding and
refocusing, just because youknow, things have changed in the
world and we've been doing thisfor over 23 years and I want
the listeners who are listeningin to really think about some of
these words that you're saying.
You know we'll we'll give anopportunity to how you can reach
(17:02):
Amber if you think she's a goodfit, but I want you to be
thinking about, too, what aresome of these things she's
saying right now to us on ourpodcast here?
Because there's been mistakesI've made in the past with
rebranding, people that I'veused and things like that, and
they aren't doing this righthere, which is pulling out the
heart of you and you are thebusiness and you need to
(17:24):
remember that.
You know there's, even thoughwe I feel like we discount and
you've even touched on thisdiscount ourselves our own self
worth so much and it's so easyto do.
We need to realize, you know weare the reason the business
exists.
We're the reason.
You know we're here for areason.
There's a special gift that weeach have to give to others and
(17:44):
you know we're not a perfect fitfor everybody out there and
Amber's not a perfect fit foreverybody out there and Amber is
not a perfect fit for everybodyout there.
But you know, be asking thesequestions of yourself when you
want to do rebranding Does thiscoach get me?
Does this branding person getme?
You know whether it's a coachor branding person or whatnot,
you know are they asking theright questions.
So I think you've hit on somereally good points on how to
(18:05):
help people pick that rightbranding expert too, when it's
time as well.
Amber Dufney (18:10):
Yeah, you have to connect with the person.
I mean, when it comes toanything probably to do with
your business, it's.
It's so important to have acollaborative.
You know environment, you knowwhen you're hiring a coach, you
know that person is there tosupport you and to and often
(18:31):
most coaches these days are alsomentors right, like they're not
just doing coaching, they'redoing both.
So making sure that you knowthat the things that they say
and the value that they, thevalues that come through in
their branding, make sure thatthat resonates with you and be
okay with saying no, what thatdoesn't.
You know she seems to be reallysuccessful, but something about
(18:53):
this just doesn't feel right.
And and trust yourself, right,because if you sign up with
somebody who whether it'ssomeone like me, who's doing
branding, or whether it's acoach or a mentor, if you end up
not listening to to thatintuition on on who feels like
the right fit, energeticallyagain kind of sounds woo.
(19:16):
But I truly believe that we'regoing to connect more and with
certain people than others.
And when you have thatconnection, that's what's
actually going to be able toallow you to feel safe enough to
go to those deep levels and toreally make that progress
because they're on your side.
(19:37):
You know that you trust themand they're really there to be
your cheerleader and do thething in the way that makes
sense for you.
So I think that's superimportant to make sure that the
person you're hiring for,whatever it happens to be, is a
good fit and don't be afraid tosay you know no.
And and sometimes there'll befolks in the in the business
(19:58):
world who will and I hate this,but you know make someone
potentially feel bad becausethey're not you know spending
the money.
It's like you know potentiallysomeone I mean it's happened to
me, you know shamed that youknow spending the money.
It's like you know potentiallysomeone I mean, it's happened to
me you know shamed that youknow, oh, maybe you know you're,
you're afraid of spending thismoney.
No, I just don't feel like thisis a good fit and I feel good
(20:19):
about that.
Right, be okay with making thatdecision.
And I think women, we also wantto please, right, so we feel
bad saying no.
Um, it's okay to say, say no ifit's not the right fit, but if
it is the right fit, don't letfear stop you.
Right, there's a differencebetween fear and unalignment.
So trusting yourself there isimportant.
Carrie Saunders (20:41):
Yes, I completely agree with that and I
feel like, also as women, weneed to recognize that many of
the things you just said, but Ialso want to add to it that many
times when we get something forfree from somebody, we feel
obligated to buy from thatsomebody.
So don't let that also make yougo for that person.
(21:01):
Make sure you're aligned, justlike you were talking about.
I think that's one mistake wecan easily make, especially as
women.
Amber Dufney (21:09):
Yeah, yeah, we have that people pleasing gene a
lot of us.
And you know, we, I think as asociety we've been taught that
right, it's been beaten into ourbrains for for generations.
So it's something that we allpotentially struggle with at
times.
Right, I shouldn't say all,because I hate generalizations,
(21:30):
but I think a good deal of thefemale population does struggle
with that, even if it's just,you know, intermittently, here
and there.
So I think it's important tohit that point just to say trust
yourself.
You know it's okay to say no.
Carrie Saunders (21:46):
Yes, for sure.
So, then, we've talked aboutsome of the ways to be
successful with branding, andwhat are some of the biggest
mistakes you see, though, inbranding, and how can business
owners avoid making thosemistakes?
And we talked about a few ofthe mistakes you can make by
picking the wrong.
You know personal peoplejumping ahead too many steps
right.
Amber Dufney (22:16):
I think I mentioned.
You know someone gets startedand they're like, oh okay, well,
I'm starting a business, I needa logo.
Sure, you need a logo, but holdup back up.
There's things that you need inplace first, you need to fully
understand why you're doing whatyou're doing.
You need to fully understandand dig into the values that you
(22:36):
have and why they're importantto you.
You need to understand how youwant people to perceive you on
an not perceive you, becausethat sounds like you're not
being yourself, but how you wantthem to fully see you.
Let's say it that way, right.
And if that strategy and how youwant to be able to show
(23:02):
yourself in the most genuine andhonest way, if you don't figure
out what that's supposed tolook like, based on your, your
values and stuff like that, andyou just go create a logo, you
could be picking a logo thatjust it clashes with that, right
(23:23):
.
You could be picking colorsthat clash with that.
You know that's a big thing Isee is people picking colors
because they like them, withoutany thought to you know the
color psychology that goesbehind it.
I would never say again, Iwould never say pick colors
specifically because you knowyou think that they're pretty
(23:45):
like, that's just not, that'snot gonna.
I mean, you might, you mightget lucky, right, but I think
it's really important to to takethat seriously.
And I think a lot of peoplejust don't know what they don't
know right, they're just gettingpotentially just getting
started and they're like, okay,let me get a logo, you know
whatever.
And so, and the other thing toois, if you don't know what
(24:08):
you're doing, don't be afraid tohire someone to help you.
Nobody expects you to knoweverything.
As a solopreneur, we wear a lotof hats, but don't be afraid to
outsource to somebody who knowsthat thing better than you do.
Because for women that I'mworking with, I don't expect my
coach or my mentor to know howto do graphic design.
(24:29):
That's not her zone of genius.
Her zone of genius is pullingthat, that beautiful energy and
the beautiful knowing out ofthat person, their client to to,
to get to the next level thatthey're getting to.
I don't, I'm not going to go toyou know a shoemaker to to you
know, I don't know.
Buy my groceries Like you knowa shoemaker to to you know I
don't know.
Buy my groceries Like.
(24:50):
Do you know what I mean?
It's okay to not be awesome ateverything, right?
Um?
So don't be afraid to hiresomeone.
Make sure that you're takingthose steps.
Um, and don't crowdsource.
For the love of God, don't trycrowdsource.
Um, that's so much.
Um, it's so tempting, right?
(25:11):
Doing market research?
I get that.
I absolutely get that.
I do market research.
I think it's really important.
But when you ask someone, whatdo you think of these colors,
what do you think of this logo,if they don't understand what
you're going for, it doesn'tmatter if they like it or not,
not to mention if you post thatin a group.
I see this a lot.
I'm in a lot of business groupson Facebook and I see that a
(25:33):
lot and it's.
You get a million differentanswers and what ends up
happening is you end up moreconfused than you did when you
went in.
Right, and you know, stickingconsistently to to your brand
across platforms, stickingconsistently to your brand when
you're doing content, because ifyou are all over the place,
(25:54):
people will get confused, andconfused people don't buy.
Those are the biggest things,the biggest things that I see.
Carrie Saunders (26:02):
Yeah, and I love that you pointed out.
Don't ask about opinions on twologos, because I know I've done
that before and honestly, it'sgreat for engagement, but that's
about it.
Amber Dufney (26:12):
That's about it.
Carrie Saunders (26:13):
They'll go with what everybody else likes the
best, and that's why I love thatyou give permission to ignore
those results Because, again,they don't know the backstory.
You're totally right, theydon't know the backstory, you
(26:34):
know.
It's just like somebody askingus a technical question If I
don't ask them the backstorybehind their question, I can't
give them a very good answer.
Amber Dufney (26:43):
There's context.
There's context that you need.
Context matters, yeah, contextmatters.
Yeah, context matters.
Carrie Saunders (26:48):
It matters a lot, and it matters more in
branding than people think.
I think a lot of people don'trealize it means a lot in
branding.
Amber Dufney (26:55):
It does.
I mean, I've commented on somany people's posts like I love
the direction.
You know it's aestheticallynice.
You know this one's moreaesthetically pleasing than this
one.
However, I'm a brand designer.
If you want actual, likefeedback that you know is going
to be actually helpful, I needto know these things first and I
(27:16):
don't think I stuff.
They're like she doesn't,whatever, right, but those,
those folks aren't going to bethe folks that that are at a
level that understand, um,potentially, what branding, how
important that is.
Those are folks who are justlooking to DIY and that's fine.
But if I can plant a seed rightby asking those questions, then
(27:38):
they're going to maybe,hopefully, um ask those
questions to themselves, um,before they go further.
Hopefully, that's my goal andeducating people right, like
anybody else who's who's readingthrough those comments.
Maybe they'll see that questionbe asked and go oh, okay, well,
she's a brand designer thatthat's asking this question.
Maybe I should ask myself thosequestions, right, like planting
(28:01):
seeds.
Carrie Saunders (28:02):
Yes, no, I love that.
I love that and I feel like Iplant plant tech seeds too.
When people ask you know whichemail service provider is better
, which you know, of course youknow course, hosting things
provider, it depends.
It depends on your goals and itso depends, yeah, and I've done
that too.
Amber Dufney (28:18):
I've definitely done that and when I ask those
questions like I've asked thatspecific question email provider
I always give the contextbecause, like, what is the best,
Well, what's the best for oneperson is not going to be the
best for another.
Like, someone who's willing tospend, you know, hundreds of
dollars a month is differentthan someone who wants something
for you know, for free or verylow cost, Like.
(28:38):
And someone who wants landingpages built in is different than
somebody who doesn't care aboutthat and just wants to send it
like it's.
There's so much nuance and somuch context.
It's important, right?
Yeah?
Carrie Saunders (28:49):
yes, totally, totally all right.
So we got some really greatinformation from amber today and
she's actually offering ouraudience a quick mini brand
audit.
So if amber resonates with youand you want her to help you
find out if your brand's makingthe right impression in pinpoint
areas that might be working andones that aren't working, amber
(29:10):
has a great resource for us andwe're going to put that in the
podcast description and in theshow notes too, but the link is
bitly forward.
Slash your dash mini dash branddash audit.
Amber Dufney (29:25):
Again, that's bitly.
Carrie Saunders (29:27):
I'll read it again Forward slash your dash
mini, dash brand, dash audit.
So if you can't remember that,don't worry, it's going to be in
the podcast description andshow notes.
I know it's a little bit of amouthful, but I want to make
sure that I mentioned thatbefore I forget.
So, amber, what are some of the?
If people want to reach out toyou, what are some of the best
places they can find you, causeI I think we're going to have
(29:49):
some people listening to theshow.
They're going to be like, ooh,I kind of like her vibe and I
might want to get a little moreinformation from her.
Amber Dufney (29:55):
Yeah, sure, yeah, well, I have a website
empowerherdesignscom.
Sorry, I have cat hair floatingaround my face.
Empowerherdesignscom is mywebsite.
There's a contact page in there.
You can also get my freebie onmy website as well.
(30:18):
My portfolio is there.
So if you want to kind of havea peek of some of my work,
that's there too.
I'm also on Instagram,empowerherdesigns.
Sorry, empowerherdesigns.
No, I had to change.
I had to find one that wasn'tempower her underscore designs,
I think, because what I wantedwas taken.
Um, I'll, I'll send it to you.
If I got that wrong, I'll, I'llsend it to you so you can put
(30:39):
it in the description.
But, um, I'm also on Facebook,just Amber Duffney.
Um, I do have a Facebook page,but I have.
I post a lot more on mypersonal page just because I
have a fairly large audiencethere and I love the engagement
that I get there, so I hang outthere a lot, yeah.
Carrie Saunders (30:58):
Well, it's been great to have you on our show,
amber, and to learn more aboutyou, because I only vaguely knew
what you did and I just loveyour soul and how you know.
Your marketing is is within youand your branding is within you
and you'd love to share thatwith others.
So I just I love the vibe youget and I just love learning
from you today.
So thank you so much for beingon the show.
Amber Dufney (31:20):
Well, thanks for having me.
It was a great conversation andhopefully folks will find it
helpful.
Carrie Saunders (31:26):
Wasn't that such a refreshing take on
branding?
I loved how Amber reminded usthat authentic branding isn't
about doing what everyone elseis doing.
It's about digging into yourvalues, your strengths and your
story.
To create a brand that feelslike you Because we all buy from
humans we don't generally buyfrom brands is when we connect.
(31:47):
The human aspect of the brandis why we buy for them.
So if you want to connect withAmber and learn more about her
branding magic, or just followalong her journey as a
multi-passionate business owner,be sure to check out our links
in our show notes and in ourpodcast description, and if
you're loving the e-commercemade easy podcast, I'd be
thrilled if you followed theshow and leave a review or share
(32:09):
this episode as a fellow coachor business owner who you think
needs it.
Thanks so much and we will seeyou next week.
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