How do you go from bbq to branding?
How do you go from bbq to branding? You start delivering lunches from your dining room table. You keep at it until you have two restaurants and a catering company that generate millions in revenue. Then one day you decide you don't want to play anymore and become a business coach.
That's the extremely short version.
Cooking was my husband's thing. I was just the force behind the man. I quit and fired myself many times during those foodie years because I didn't know what I wanted to do with myself. I stayed away from the smoker as much as possible, but if not for those years I wouldn't be here now.
It took blood, sweat, and bbq sauce to build that brand from the dining room table of a two bedroom apartment to a multi-million dollar brand. I knew nothing about the food industry, but I love to learn. So learn I did.
As much as I hated being in the kitchen, I Ioved being around good people. My personal brand at that time was Mrs. Mista. I was the boss mother to my staff and the manager mother to my customers. It was during my times of holding someone’s baby while they ate and checking on my folx that my mother vibe would shine.
I supported my customers in their business endeavors as much as they supported mine. This was never more evident than when Bigmista and I showed up at a head banger club to support one of our customer’s bands. We were two big old black folx in a sea of white 20-something kids with spiked hair, black clothes and loud ass punk music.
As our business grew, I grew. I was growing out of the role of Mrs. Mista. The more I educated myself the more I knew I was drowning in my husband's dream. The more I learned the more I shared what I learned until folx started coming to me for advice.
I took the time to get my certification as a life coach and was on my way to becoming a Master Business Coach. In an effort to get clients I suppressed my mother vibe. I put on some fake ass persona in order to appear more "professional."
My business sucked ass. The notoriety I gained as Mrs. Mista didn't mean shit now. I didn't have my husband to shove in front of the camera anymore. The folx who came to me for free business advice were offended that I started charging. Something got lost in translation. I went so low as to beg folx to let me coach them for free.
It wasn't until I began my 4th certification as a brand coach that a switch flipped. The information they gave me was only enough to pique my interest. I decided to go all in. I dug, and researched and educated myself on branding. I consumed classes, books and videos. I still do.
I knew this was the life for me but imposter syndrome decided to show up. I didn’t feel qualified because my new found education made me think I did it wrong the first time. Then along came brand strategy. Strategic branding is about closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be. What I had learned showed me the millions I left on the table.
Brand strategy allowed me embrace my ghetto country and find my voice. Telling folx I was raised hood adjacent by a country momma is my badge of courage. It allows me to be bold in how I speak (bad English and all) and how I represent the hood. The more I owned that part of my brand, the more I attracted the right people (leads).
Bringing back my mother vibe is at the root of how I show up effectively. And thus was born my personal brand of GCB. The Ghetto Country Brandmother® is a part of me, not all of me. She’s bold in her approach to show self-aware solopreneurs how to build a scalable brand without code-switching.
GCB is persistent where Phyllis says fuck it. She’s caring where Phyllis says fuck it. But what we share is our ability to be empathic and vulnerable. If you want to find your voice without giving up your life, click the link below and let's chat.