Branding vs. Marketing: What’s the Real Difference?

Ever wondered what truly separates branding from marketing?

In this episode of the Authentic Media Podcast, I dive deep into the differences between branding and marketing—two sides of the same coin that every entrepreneur, business owner, and organization must understand. Discover why branding is all about showcasing who you are—your values, mission, and identity—while marketing is focused on promoting what you do and driving action.

If you’re ready to transform your approach and ensure your brand truly reflects who you are, this episode is a must-watch. Drop your thoughts and key takeaways in the comments below—I'd love to hear which point resonated with you the most!

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Intro
3:05 - Word of the Day
7:09 - Branding vs. Marketing
8:53 - Branding is Your DNA
10:59 - Marketing is Promotion of Identity
14:28 - Branding is Long-Term, Marketing is Short-Term
24:46 - Personal Branding Bundle
25:59 - Branding Builds Trust, Marketing Drives Action
30:35 - Branding Influences Marketing, Marketing Can’t Build A Brand

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Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 3:05 Word of the Day
• 7:09 Branding vs. Marketing
• 8:53 Branding is Your DNA
• 10:59 Marketing is Promotion of Identity
• 14:28 Branding is Long-Term, Marketing is Short-Term
• 24:26 Personal Branding Bundle
• 25:59 Branding Builds Trust, Marketing Drives Action
• 30:35 Branding Influences Marketing, Marketing Can’t Build A Brand

Transcript

[00:00:00] This week on the authentic media podcast and everything that you do, are you doing it with excellence? And if not, what is holding you back from that? Like I have to go through the process of figuring out who I am clearly so I can show up with confidence. But if you don't have any clarity around who you are, how do you expect to show up with confidence?

The whole point of creating a brand is to be consistent. And if you're not consistent in how you show up, if you're not consistent in who you are, if you are not clear in who you are, how do you expect someone to market that?

Welcome into a new episode, you guys. It's your girl, Danielle J. Martin, here on Authentic Media Podcast. We are in a new space, as you can tell. One of my favorite spaces to [00:01:00] record in. And I'm so excited. Super excited about today's topic. But first, if you not have done all of the fundamentals that YouTube tells you to do, but I highly encourage you to do so because I love the support.

I really appreciate it. It helps people like me continue to create great content for you. So please go ahead and like subscribe to this channel. If you have not already, I will say majority of the people that watch this channel are not subscribed. Like, what's up with that? I don't, I don't really like know what that's about, but it's okay.

Like just go ahead and subscribe. And if you'd like something from this episode, go ahead and comment down below. I love to hear your feedback. I love to know what are some of the things and topics that you're interested in, but I'm sure you're tuned in based on the title of this episode. And so before we dive into that, I do want to start bringing back in the word of the day.

I know that's something we kind of like fell off a little bit. So I'm super excited to like have this moment. To have a solo podcast because [00:02:00] I kind of just want to bring a couple of things back here. Okay. Um, first and foremost, if you have not checked out the behind the scenes bloopers, please go on my social media at Danielle J Martin TV on Instagram or Facebook or Tik TOK, and you will locate all of the bloopers that we have created here on the show.

You guys, there's more bloopers that we're currently, like, curating for you, but in the meantime, enjoy the ones that's currently on my page. It is hilarious. I always love to show those moments because I think sometimes people see, like, the beautiful outcome of everything, and I appreciate that. Like, that's great.

But, like, catch the behind the scenes because it gets really real. As you can tell, like, I'm not at home. Okay, because normally, I'm at home recording these episodes, but I was like, I'm not dealing with my dog today. Like, I think I just need a moment to really have a serious conversation with you today.

And I just wanted to just [00:03:00] have this moment with no Distractions. It's just you and me. Okay, friend. So the word of the day that we're going to dive into, it's very simple. It's nothing like dramatic, but it's very powerful. Are you ready? The word of the day is strive for excellence. I've been hearing this theme about excellence and walking in your purpose.

And I think sometimes as a believer, when we hear that, we kind of just like take it in and we say like, yeah, of course I'm going to continue walking in my purpose. But I think what followed shortly after that, every time I heard it was strive for excellence in everything that you do. Are you doing it with excellence?

And if not, What is holding you back from that? I think sometimes we are questioning why our business is not growing, why our organizations are not [00:04:00] getting the exposure that they need, why our branding is not taking off in the place that we want it to. I think it's because we are not going all in, in what we truly believe.

Like, are you Are you literally doing everything that you are currently doing right now in excellence? Are you doing it to the best of your ability? And so if you can take anything away from this episode today, it is striving for excellence and everything that you do, do it in excellence. And I say that because it's really going to separate you.

From the mass, it's going to separate you from being in the pool of people who feel like they're being oversaturated in the same niche. If you do something just slightly different, and it doesn't mean that, like, you have to go get all of the expensive, like, in this scenario for a podcast. It doesn't mean you have to go get all [00:05:00] the expensive, like, cameras and lights.

Because I know people currently, right now, who are Literally doing everything in excellence, as we speak, using iPhones, using a ring light, right? But it's like how they are creating it. And so, think about your life right now. It can be something very simple, okay? Like, let's not even think about business.

What about your family? What about your marriage? What about your relationships? Are you showing up in those areas? In excellence, are you being fully present? And so I started to think about this when I was thinking about my podcast, okay? And I kept asking myself, okay, am I going full out? Like, In the best way possible, am I going full out or am I just doing just enough, right?

And so when I got convicted of this word, I said, you know what? [00:06:00] If it doesn't work, meaning like if like the schedulings are conflicting, if like I don't have a specific um, environment, and if I know like if we record in this location and it's not going to be up to my standards, It's okay to say no. It's okay to say you know what like let's reschedule If it's a virtual interview, and I know the person that i'm interviewing doesn't have the quality that i'm looking for I'm, just saying hey like thank you for your time But actually let's find another time where we can like maybe just like meet up in person, right?

So how can you stand out just slightly different from your competitor? Um, not even that but like how can you do? 10 percent better than you did last month or last week and whatever that is in your business in your relationships. How can I show up fully in present in excellence? Okay. So just something for you to think about.

[00:07:00] That's just my mini Ted talk here. Okay. Before we dive into today's episode, but I'm super excited to get into it. So. Here we go. Today's topic is all around branding versus marketing. Honey, what is the difference? Okay, so this is for all of my entrepreneurs, business owners, even organizations who are currently trying to understand what is the difference between branding And marketing, there is a complete difference.

They're on like two sides of the totem pole. Like they're completely different. Okay. And so I was talking to my client the other day, I was talking to her, the difference between marketing and branding. And I was asking her if she knew the difference and she really didn't. And so I said, Oh my gosh, I wonder how many people who have this.

Thought but don't know the difference between marketing and branding. So simply like the best way I can explain it Is I said that branding is showcasing people who you are And marketing is showing people what you do [00:08:00] And how you do it, right? And so that's very simple basic what it means, but I want to give you You already know I like to give you some, like, pointers, so get your notepads, get your pens, because we are writing down notes today.

So, like I said, very simple. Branding is about your identity, okay? It is clearly about who you are, what you stand for, your values, um, your mission, basically everything that you believe in. And it's making sure that That you are branding yourself in a way to where it's in alignment with who you are. And so I keep preaching this on here because I want you to understand that you can't get around branding without not diving into what your core values are.

Like, you can't go around it. Okay, and so think of branding like your DNA, right? Like how you were raised, how you were put together, um, [00:09:00] how your thoughts are cultivated, all of those things is your brand. Now, you have an opportunity to change your brand or realign your brand if it's not who you are today.

Think about why people rebrand all the time. Because when you start something, you are in a specific version during that time, right? Like you're, you have specific thoughts, you have specific beliefs, you think a certain way, you look a certain way, and so you are operating in that space in how you are at that time.

So sometimes people grow out of that identity, and they say, you know what, that's no longer who I am. Now, granted, I don't think that you should change your brand every time you grow every 10 years, right? Like, I think you should find something that's really pure to your heart and something that you truly believe in.

And I think that is the beauty of, like, the discovery portion, right, of life. of the process that I take my clients [00:10:00] through. Like we literally walk them through a discovery journey and making sure that, Hey, if you have a business right now, does it align with who you are? And if not, like, how do we get it there?

How do we like realign your business to who you are so you can connect with it in a whole different way? Okay, so think of it like branding is your DNA, right? It is everything you stand for, everything you believe in. And if it's currently not in alignment with your values or your thoughts or beliefs or your mission and what you believe in, how can we get you there?

Now, if you need help on how to rediscover yourself or get yourself in alignment, get your business or your organization. In alignment so you can show up fully 100 percent in present. I can help you. I can get you to that space Okay, it's a whole process. It's not something we can cover here in 30 minutes on the episode So definitely reach out to me if you have more questions on that Okay, [00:11:00] so think of marketing on the other hand as promoting that identity, right?

It's like Advertising. Think of Nike. So their identity is all about just do it, right? But marketing is obviously like, you know, um, advertisements, sponsorships, you know, airing things on TV, on social media, it's running ads. It's literally exactly what it sounds like. You're just promoting. What you believe in like you're putting it out there, right but you can't market what you don't know You can't market something that you are unclear about so that's why it's important to like get into the space and go through the process of branding and Figuring out who you are because you can't brand something that you don't know.

It doesn't make sense Right? So think of it like that, like, I have to go through the process of figuring out who I am clearly so I can show up with [00:12:00] confidence, so I can show up online, offline, in person, on video, on Zoom, giving seminars, giving presentations with clarity and confidence. But if you don't have any clarity around who you are, how do you expect to show up with confidence?

Right? So if you are unclear or if you're, if you feel like you're in a hazy space with your business, you're like, why is my business not growing? Why is our organization not taking off in the way that we thought? Why is this area of my life feel stagnant? I truly believe that it's probably time for a shift, it's a transition happening, and I think if you're feeling any friction in that space, it is honestly an opportunity for you to rediscover yourself, for you to figure out, okay, in the time that I started this organization or this business, am I [00:13:00] still that person?

Do I still align with these values and beliefs? Do I still believe in everything that I said that I created at the time? And it's okay if you did at that moment, but now you have evolved into something new and something greater? My friend, there is nothing wrong with that. It just means that it's time for rediscovery.

It's time to go back to the drawing board and write out a clear mission. It's time to Invest in yourself, in resources, in communities to get you to where you're supposed to be. Okay, so however that looks like for you, I truly believe that community is everything. Like when I thought about my rebrand and the process that took me to that space, it took community, it took friends, it took family asking me questions like, Hey!

What's going on? What is it about your life right now that is not making you happy? Honestly, it came with some hard [00:14:00] questions. And so it's so funny because I always tell like all my clients and I tell people who work with me, I said, Hey, what I do is more than just photo shoots. I know like we're promoting that right now because it's like, you know, obviously what we do, but we go beyond the photo shoot.

Like when you meet with us, we are literally diving into who you are as an individual. Like. That's why it's called personal branding. We get pretty personal over here. Okay. Moving on. Point number two, think of branding as long term and marketing as short term. So I love this point because branding is everlasting.

Right? So, like, who you are as an individual is everlasting. It's like, it's long term, but marketing is short term. And I say this because when you are putting out a product, or when you are putting out a service, right, you were advertising and promoting a specific product or a specific service that you're doing during that time [00:15:00] period.

Right. And think about like, okay, Superbowl ads, right? Like it's for a short period of time. It's literally for the one day that it's aired. Right. It's short term and marketing can change at any time. So that's the beauty of it. Marketing, like you can go back, you can put something out there. You can say, Hey, let's test, you know, this ad let's test this digital product.

Does it stick to our consumers? And if not, then like, let's go back to the drawing board. I think the beautiful thing about marketing is you have the opportunity to test, right? Like, you can see what sticks. But I think the issue with a lot of, um, business owners and organizations is that I think sometimes we are hoping that whatever we throw out there sticks the first time.

It doesn't work that way. So I'll be honest and let you know that when I created my podcast, um, digital course, you know, I was super excited. I said, you know, Oh my gosh, so many people are going to love this. Right. And it [00:16:00] got the response that I was looking for, but I knew it could have been better if I had a different strategy.

So marketing is also Strategy. So how are you strategizing your branding? How are you developing your brand and then creating a strategy behind it? So when it's time to launch it. It creates momentum. So this is why I love the process that we have at Authentic Media Company It's because we literally walk through the five step process with our clients and it's very simple It's like we help you with your foundation understanding your why We go into brand identity and then we get into your audience, right?

And then we get into your visual identity and then we also follow the strategy at the very end it's literally like A roadmap to get you there. Okay, so we're super excited about releasing it Um, we haven't fully launched it yet We're currently doing beta tests right now [00:17:00] with um with some clients, which i'm super excited about clearly you can hear my excitement But yeah, if you want to be part of this beta test reach out to me You'll definitely enjoy the process.

Okay. So one of the things I want you to truly understand about branding, it does not happen overnight, right? So think of your brand as a journey, right? Like it's literally like discovering who you are and you are figuring out, like you're picking up pieces along the way and then once you are finding like These like pieces you are eventually getting that piece and adding it to the puzzle But I think sometimes we want to like walk in an office one day and say, okay marketing company like Get my brand all together within 24 hours or within like two weeks and launch it It takes time because I always tell people like when they meet with us I say You're probably going to get really annoyed with [00:18:00] me because I'm asking you the same questions, probably consistently, because as humans, we're constantly changing our mind, and if you come back to me, let's say in our second or third session, and I hear your language changing, we may have to slow down the process, right, because the whole point of creating a brand is to be consistent, and if you're not consistent in how you show up, and if you're not consistent in who you are, If you are not clear in who you are, how do you expect someone to market that?

Just think about it. Okay. So branding is not something that you do overnight, right? It's built over time through consistency and delivery. And I think this is why I am a firm believer around when you create a personal brand, get. Personal. How do you expect people to trust you if you are not showcasing a piece of you where people can trust you at all?

Think about the [00:19:00] brands that you currently buy. Think about the products that you currently buy, the stores that you shop at, right? What part of that brand or company did they expose to you that got you trusting them to keep buying from that business or organization? Think about it in that way, right? So let's just use Target as an example, right?

Like this is probably a huge conglomerate that's like really high level, but Target is pretty consistent. Every Target that I go to, right, is consistent and the products And the brands that they have, and anything that I need from Target, like, it's pretty consistent, it's clean, um, like, everything that I need, I can find at every single Target.

It doesn't matter if I'm located here in Topeka, or if I'm traveling, um, in another state, like, all of the Targets, they brand themselves with cleanliness, with excellence, right? And so, they got me [00:20:00] trapped in, where I'm like, there every week, okay? Um, like, I'd rather go to Target than Walmart. Right? So think about what is your unique value proposition?

That's another thing that we talk about when it comes to creating a brand. What makes you unique? Okay? Because Walmart and Target obviously have like their own separate brands, but they have found something about Themselves individually to where they can showcase to the consumer saying hey, this is why you can trust us This is why you should shop at our store because we're gonna be consistent in this area I will say like one thing about Walmart This is just my opinion But one thing about Walmart is that like almost every Walmart looks a little dusty to me.

They're pretty consistent in that area Okay, so that's just me but target Walmart, which one you shopping at Like which one is more clean? Okay, so ask yourself. Where are you being [00:21:00] consistent? Okay, how are you showing up in your business in your organization again? We can even go back to being a little bit more personal In your relationships, in your family, where are you being consistent?

Why should someone trust you? Why should someone buy your service? Why should someone buy your product? Okay, like, tell me more. So, don't be afraid when it comes to creating your brand to tell your story. I encourage all of my clients. Like, hey, if you've been in business for 10 plus years and I look at your social media and I don't see your physical face on there nowadays, I don't want to buy from you because now I just think you're trying to sell me.

Now that's just my point of view. Like, that's just me. I am someone that wants to, I'm relatable. I'm like relational, right? Like I want to connect with people that I'm buying from. Like I want to know more about, you know, the buyer, what they're creating, why are they [00:22:00] creating it. Okay, so I always tell them, like, don't be afraid to get on video and tell your story.

It's never too late. Yes, you've been in business for 10 plus years, but now is a great time to say, hey, I've been in business for 10 plus years. This is what we're doing. This is why we've been doing it this way and tell your story. You would be surprised how fast your business is going to grow by you simply being personal and telling your story.

Okay, so personal branding, definitely think about those things, um, when it comes to, you know, creating and understanding that it's long term. It takes time. So this is why you have to start the process now. Okay, so we talked about this already a little bit, but this is still point number two, that marketing is short term because people create campaigns, right?

So if you think about, Um, service based businesses, they are typically running campaigns for a short period of time, two or three months, [00:23:00] maybe less than that, because they're trying to test the market to see what consumers want. So, understand that when you're doing marketing, like, I think the beauty is that, like, you can test it, right?

So, like, if you're like, I don't know if anyone's gonna like it. Test the market, like literally ask your audience. I, I didn't believe in this concept until I started doing it. And I was like, well, like it's not fully ready. Like, how do I know if people want this? You won't know until you like ask the question.

You won't know until you literally like put yourself out there. And ask your audience, what is it they're looking for? What is it that they want? And do they want it this way? Right. So one of the really coolest things that I learned recently when it comes to, okay, let's say like YouTube thumbnails and titles is that someone told me that you can test a title by first putting it out there when you first post a video and then see how many likes and engagements that you get from it.[00:24:00] 

And then change the title within, like, I think two or three days, change the title and see if the engagement grows or it stays, like, constant. And I said, wow, that's so crazy. In my mind, I'm like, I thought I could just post a video and I don't, like, change the title. No, you can test the thumbnail. You can test the title to see if people are engaging with how you're putting the title out there.

Mine was blown. Okay, so what service or products could you put out there? Test for two or three days, maybe longer than that, like a week. Um, cause you know, consumers see things at different times. But like, what can you put out there, test it for a little bit, and then change it and see what engagement that you get after that.

Okay, something to think about your brand deserves more than just a selfie. It deserves a vision captured perfectly. Hi, I'm Danielle J. Martin, and I'm here to help you create a visual identity that creates a lasting impression. [00:25:00] So whether you're launching a business or you're enhancing your presence or your rebranding, your photos are your first.

Impression. So our brand photo shoots aren't just for you to take pretty pictures, but they're for you to tell your story, build trust, and connect with your audience in a whole different way. So if you're ready to elevate your brand that creates a lasting impression, go ahead and click that link down below.

Okay, so point number three, branding builds trust while marketing drives action. So going back to why personal branding is such a journey and that it takes time is because you are literally trying to convince and really showcase who you are and why people should Should trust you. So it goes back to what I was saying earlier about telling your personal story.

And I think that you can get a different type of engagement by just being [00:26:00] honest with people and being authentic. Like nowadays, people don't want the crisp put together Um, video showcasing that like, you know, you're so perfect and you can do it all, you know, in one take, it's okay to showcase that. Like you have mistakes that you, you know, stumble a little bit that you have bloopers, right?

Like that's honestly why I show people that. And I show you behind the scenes. So you realize that. It's not just cookie cutter over here. It's not just all glitz and glam. Okay, like there was a video I also showed on this specific episode of me setting up everything. That's a one man stand over here, okay?

By the grace of God, you know, he's introduced me to an editor. So she has taken over the reins on that like Shout out to Julia. Okay. But people want to know that you're human. They don't want to know that you're perfect. Okay. And this is someone speaking from a space that was a recovering like perfectionist, right?

Like I used to be in that space. [00:27:00] Um, but literally I'm releasing that. I'm like, I don't care. Like put in the bloopers, like. No, we're not even doing that. There's like no such thing, right? So branding builds trust and understanding that you are going to create honestly a community and loyalty By showing people I would say all sides of you I like to say the best thing you can do in branding is showing people the depths of you Right, like the different versions that you have like, what do you look like when you're?

Coming to work, all dressed up, ready to go, professional, but then what does it look like when you're going home in sweatpants, no makeup on, right? Like, I am a firm believer in showing people all sorts and sides of you so they know that they can trust you and that you're human. Okay, so that is the beauty about personal branding.

When it comes to marketing, right, and getting people to take action, understand that, okay, so when you're posting a video, right, like on social media, let's. let's just say that. [00:28:00] Why are you posting that video? Like, ask yourself, like, what is it about this video that I'm trying to tell people, show people, and how can I get them to take action?

Right? So usually, like, that's essentially, like, what I'm thinking about. Like, if I'm posting our photo shoots, I'm showcasing you what we do. Right? But in the caption, I'm telling you how we do it, why we do it, and I'm also, like, towards the end, telling you to take action, that if you're looking for this type of service, book a session.

Right? So, in marketing, you're kind of, you're literally telling people what to do. Right? So, like, when you're posting a video, when you're posting a picture, I always tell people, send people somewhere. Send them to your email list. Put out a digital offer, right? Tell them to book an appointment. Tell them to give you a call.

Tell them to, if you can do like a poll, right? If you can find some way of engagement, marketing is all around engagement and figuring out what your audience likes. Okay? So I always like to tell my clients, [00:29:00] like, don't just post a picture just to get likes. Tell them to do something. Encourage them. Hey, go watch this episode.

Go click on this link and we'll send you the episode. Go ahead and click on this link and I'll send you a guide about XYZ, right? Like, find creative ways where you can take it. A step further when it comes to your marketing, always encouraging your audience to take action is going to benefit you in the end.

Okay, so understand that there's always ways to improve by telling people, Hey, you're going to benefit. From this guide, you're going to benefit from this podcast by simply putting your information in. Understand, as a consumer, as yourself, we don't like to do anything past three. Right? Like, I've always been told that like, if you tell someone to do things past three times, past three steps, you have lost the consumer.

Like, they're gone. Okay, so if you're telling me simply [00:30:00] click a link, put my name and email in, I'm done, and then it gets in my inbox. Wow, like, I'm excited, right? But if you're telling people, okay, click this link and then you have to go here and then go there and then you have to put in your information and your address.

If I get to a space where you're telling me to put my address in, I'm done. Like, I'm not interested anymore. Okay? So, understand that you have to keep it simple. Think of it in three steps. People are literally wanting to be told what to do. In three steps. And that's it. Very, very simple. Okay, point number four.

Branding influences marketing. But marketing can't build a brand. How powerful is that? Oh my gosh. Okay, let's like read that again. Branding influences marketing. Marketing, but marketing can't be a brand. So why is that? So your marketing strategy should always reflect your, um, your values in [00:31:00] your message.

Right? And so I always tell people, like, think of the core framework. I always say like the core framework, because when you think of our core framework, you get like resonated and you think like, okay, what is it in my core that I believe, right? And so your marketing strategy should literally like. B is so funny because I'm literally just giving you the cheat code.

So here you go. Here's your free consultation. Enjoy. Um, but usually like we walk people through a core framework, right? And I love the acronym CORE because it reminds you and it literally encourages you to think, Okay, what is my CORE? What do I truly believe in? And then beyond that, what are three pillars that you are currently building your brand on?

Meaning, what are three values that you are building your brand on? Okay, so if you take me for instance, I would say like my three pillars are family, faith, and community. [00:32:00] But if I wanted to make it focused around, let's say, like, my business, it would be faith, media, and community, right? And so, and then we would go, like, even deeper.

Like, we would just, like, keep breaking it down until it, like, okay, these are the core pillars that we're going to focus on for, you know, let's say, specifically business. But personally, I would say, like, faith, family, community. And so, in that. Three pillar, um, we would go even further and say, okay, like under faith, what are some things that I could showcase content wise, marketing wise around that?

And so for me, I would say like, okay, usually I'm showcasing myself dancing to gospel music. I'm writing a scripture. I'm talking about it on my podcast, right? Family, I would showcase like. Videos of, uh, my family showcase pictures of my family. Um, I would talk about them. Um, and then community [00:33:00] wise, I showcase like me in the community doing specific events and things like that.

And I would post those things. Right. And so I'm just saying there's ways to incorporate your core values and your core pillars through a marketing strategy. And so a lot of people try to keep them separate. Like this goes back to the question of, is there a difference between a business brand and a personal brand?

Okay, it depends on how you look at it, right? And it also depends on how you want to represent yourself. Okay, so one of the key questions I always ask my clients is, What do you want to be known for? What do you want to be known for? If you want to be known for your business, right? Like if you were God forbid, but if you were, you know, dying tomorrow, if it was your last couple of days, What do you want to be known for?

And if that's your business, that's okay. We would create a whole marketing strategy around that. But if you want to go even deeper and you say, you know what? I love my business, but I also want people to know this [00:34:00] about me. Right. And for me, it was my faith. It was like, you know, showcasing that on my sleeve.

Like this is who I am and incorporating that in my business. It, it had me and it pushed me and it challenged me to showcase that. Talking about it, right? And putting it out there, you know, on social media saying like, Hey, this is who I am, like in totality, right? So you have to like, continue asking yourself, am I displaying my values, you know, in my business?

Am I displaying my values, um, on social media? Am I being consistent? Right? And it goes back to, are you giving people the opportunity to trust you? Because if you're being inconsistent, then how do you expect people to buy from you? If you're showing up, um, and this is also coming from a person who used to do this, right?

Like, there was a time where I used to work in the news, and I would show up to work, literally. I kid you not. As, like, the news anchor, [00:35:00] like, ready to report, like, good girl. You don't know anything about me besides, like, I'm a reporter showing up to work like this. And then after five It was like, a whole different person, a whole different personality, right?

It was like two different identities. And so, it was because I was trying to separate the two. And so, over time, I said, I don't want to be, like, known for these, like, two different versions of me, right? Like, how do I blend them? And honestly, you guys, it started with me. Going on the journey, doing the work, the inner work, the core work.

It started with me being honest with myself. Why was I separating the two? When they were the same person, it was because I was ashamed of a specific side of me, and I was afraid of not being accepted, and I didn't want, you know, the personal side of me to show up vulnerable in this [00:36:00] space that was really like, it required you to have thick skin, it required you to You know, come to work, not really being emotional.

So I think there was a lot of challenges in that environment. And so I think, honestly, I think I understand why over time, God said, it's time to, you know, put this specific occupation to the side. It's time to. Really like graduate to a new level. Um, so you can be fully who I created you to be. And that comes with you walking into those spaces and saying, Hey, you know, like you are a beautiful person inside and out.

Even when a coworker is like getting on your nerves, even when a coworker is saying things that you don't agree with, you have to stand strong in those rooms and say, you know what? At the end of the day, I may not agree with you, but I respect your opinion, I think that's great, but this is what I believe in, I'm a firm believer that God is, you know, man [00:37:00] over all people, He is, He loves everyone, and I respect you for that, right, and continuously being a light, and so when people always ask me like, what is your mission, what is your purpose, it is truly to be a light in the darkness, like I got asked that question the other day at work, and I was like, It's literally to be a light in the darkness.

It may not make sense to you, and that's totally okay. But in all, if you got anything from this episode, I hope you got that there is a difference between marketing and branding. In order to market who you are, you have to know. Who you are. Okay. So if you got anything from this episode, I want to know what point did you resonate with?

What point where you're like, oh, that's really good. I never thought of it that way Let me know in the comments down below you guys we got some really exciting exciting people hating the podcast here pretty soon. I'm not gonna lie. I'm super excited what God is about to do with this platform. And so for you just watching and [00:38:00] supporting, I truly, truly am grateful, and I'm thankful in advance.

for just taking the opportunity to listen to share it for whoever you think is going to benefit from this episode. And if you have someone in mind that you would love to see on this platform, on this podcast, sharing their story, and also sharing some tactical strategies with you, let me know. Don't be afraid.

I respond to all comments. Okay. Like. You are gonna get a response from me, um, let me know in the comments below. But in the meantime, you guys have a blessed day. Thanks for watching the Authentic Media Podcast with YouTube at Authentic Media Company, our mission is to help you develop an authentic brand so you can make the impact that you are called.

To make, if you've got anything from today's episode, make sure you drop a comment down below. I'm interested to see what your takeaways are. And if you haven't already, make sure you're subscribed to our YouTube channel. So you can be the first to know when we drop our [00:39:00] newest episode in the meantime, have a great day.