It’s a foundation of the human experience that as time passes, we’re constantly learning, growing, and evolving. And as service-based entrepreneurs with personal brands, we need to make sure that our brand is evolving with us so that we don’t outgrow it, wake up one day, and realize that it’s completely outdated and unaligned with who we are. It’s almost inevitable that once you’ve been in business for some time, you’ll look up one day and realize that your brand no longer feels like you, and that it’s time for a partial or even a complete rebrand. 

What Should You Do When You Realize Your Brand No Longer Reflects Who You Are?

When I realized that “Coach Jessie May” and “The Daring Divas” no longer reflected who I was or where I wanted to go, I’m not going to lie, I got nervous that I wouldn’t be able to change it without starting completely over. In fact, a lot of personal brand owners I know have felt this way at some point. 

You may fear that changing your brand will ruin everything you've worked so hard to build, that it will cause brand confusion, that people won't approve. You may be scared of showing up in a new and different way like cutting your hair, changing your style, or shifting a belief or perspective that you've held onto for years.   

Brand Archetypes

I think it’s important to bring Brand Archetypes into the conversation. I believe that every archetype lives somewhere inside all of us, that we all inherently have various facets of each of the archetypes, even if it’s not something we show to others or even see ourselves because some express themselves more than others in our daily lives. 

At different times in our lives, we may feel pulled toward a new archetype, one that more fully reflects who we are becoming and what we're stepping into. At these points in time, we need to decide whether or not the archetype that’s revealing itself to us is one that we want to incorporate not only into our own lives, but also into the life of our brand. 

I used to be a really strong Ruler archetype, and although that is definitely still a part of me, the Explorer archetype has been yearning to come out and play ... and it has! I know that the Explorer archetype has always been a part of me, and recently I’ve loved embracing it in my own life as well as incorporating parts of it into my brand more and more.

Watch the Facebook live I did in The Daring Fempreneur Facebook group where I go deep into sharing my story of how my archetypes have shifted and evolved over the years. 

When to Rebrand

Of course, it’s not practical (or necessary) to rebrand every time you find a new interest or get a glimpse of a different archetype coming out in your personal life. However, when you fully embrace elements of a new archetype in a way that impacts how you’re showing up as the face of your brand, or your values/beliefs/mission/positioning, then it’s important to consider a full or partial rebrand. 

Below are some tell-tale signs that it’s time to rebrand:

• You know that your website and social media accounts aren’t representing your personality and purpose like they could.
• You’re feeling ashamed or confused about your brand, and find yourself playing the comparison game when scrolling through social media. 
• Your brand isn’t clearly communicating who you are anymore, what you do, your beliefs, your mission or vision, and your positioning in the market. 
• You feel like your brand has gone stale or become boring.

How to Rebrand Without Losing Your Audience and Yourself

Deciding that it’s time for a rebrand can be intimidating in some ways. However, it’s important to note that it IS possible to rebrand without losing, confusing, or disappointing your audience and yourself in the process. First and foremost, you’re going to need to decide whether you’re fully or partially rebranding. 

A full rebrand is best for when you feel like your values, vision, mission, and positioning have undergone a comprehensive change. A couple years ago, I chose to fully rebrand from Coach Jessie May and The Daring Divas because I wasn’t resonating with the connotations that came with the word “Divas” anymore. I was at a point in my life where I had clearly evolved past my brand, and decided that it was crucial to bring my brand up to the same level by turning it into The Daring Fempreneur. 

Partial rebrands are great for businesses that aren’t changing the foundations of their brand, and instead want to change parts of the visual identity. This allows you to redefine your place in the market without redefining who you and your brand are. Whether your personal growth has impacted the foundations of your brand, or just the positioning and visuals is up for you to decide, but, there are a few key things to do to make the rebrand as smooth as possible. 

I believe that honesty and transparency are the best policies. So, it’s important to tell your audience what’s coming – you could do this via email, social media, your blog, or all of the above – you’re going to want to do this a few weeks before the rebrand happens in order to limit or even avoid confusion. 

It’s also important to know WHY you’re rebranding so that you can clearly communicate this with your audience. Before, during, and after the rebranding process, you’re going to want to embrace an open-door policy with your audience so that they feel comfortable coming to you with questions or concerns about the new brand, and it’s clear that you value them.

If you’re ready for a rebrand, or even just considering whether a rebrand is necessary for you or not, I'd love to invite you to join us in the Impact Tribe, where you'll get immediate access to courses, monthly meetings, and tons of resources to help you build or re-build your brand. Learn more at the link below!