This might be the most important class I’ll ever teach because it dives into work that only a few people take the time to do: get to the heart of your brand, articulate your distinctive point of view, and figure out where you fit in the marketplace.
Not many people do it because it’s hard. It’s really, really hard. And often, we think we’ve gotten there, when in truth, we’ve stopped too soon. I have been guilty of this many times, but I’m over it. I’m ready to do the hard work. I have something to say, and I’m ready to say it.
You too?
One of the things that came up at the end of this class is that it takes a lot of courage to dig deep and be honest about who we really are, what we believe about our work, and what makes our perspective, and our voice, unique. It takes even more courage to lean into it. To make it exceptionally, obnoxiously clear.
To repeat it enough that we become known for it.
But that is what we need to do. The people in the food space who do this well are the ones we’ve all heard of. I’ve never seen even one episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, but I know who Guy Ferrari is and can tell you something about what he’s about. Isn’t that remarkable? He’s leaned so hard into his unique contribution to the food space that even someone who’s never watched his show knows what he’s about.
That’s what this class will help you do. It will help you uncover the things that make your work unique, impossible to emulate, and difficult to ignore. It will help you create a brand that people understand quickly and are drawn to. It will help you articulate what you want to be known for, and build a reputation around it.
It will require you to have the courage to put your core beliefs and point of view on full display. Some people won’t like it. Some people won’t like you.
But here’s the thing: some people already don’t like you. Who cares? The only thing that being vague does is make it harder to capture the attention of the people who are most likely to fall in love with you.
This class is not about inventing a brand or re-creating your business. Your brand already exists. Your unique point of view has always shown up in your work.
But it’s probably a little buried.
Learning to articulate it will make what’s already true easier for other people to see and grab onto.
Your brand is not your colors, your fonts, your logo, or the way your website looks. Those are the clothes your brand wears.
Your brand is the idea underneath the work. It’s the thing your audience connects with that keeps them coming back to you when they have nearly endless choices about where to spend their time and attention.
This class will help you see it, articulate it, own it, defend it, and know how to use it to move your business forward.
This is a workshop, not a lecture.
Throughout the class, I'll take you through the same exercises I used to uncover the heart of my own brands. You'll identify your North Star, define your Core Belief, examine how those ideas are expressed through your work, explore your place in the larger marketplace, and bring everything together into a Brand Compass that just might be the most useful thing you’ve done for your business so far.
If you are a paid subscriber, you’ll see the class recording below along with links below to download the Workbook and the Class Slideshow.
If you’re not a paid subscriber, upgrade for access to this and every class offered in The Food Writers Business Lab. Paid subscribers also have the opportunity to join a monthly business strategy meeting and to be featured in a Substack LIVE coffee break chat.
About Rebecca Blackwell
Food Writer, Recipe Developer, & Founder of Mastermind for Food Writers and The Food Writers Business Lab
Rebecca Blackwell has spent nearly 30 years cooking and baking professionally and has published thousands of recipes. She is the creator of the recipe websites Of Batter and Dough and A Little and A Lot, and the author of the Let’s Get Lost newsletter.
In addition to her work as a writer and creator, Rebecca is the founder of Mastermind for Food Writers, and an Advisor in Residence for Write Up. Through the Food Writers Business Lab, she brings together experienced industry professionals to share practical, actionable education designed specifically for food writers.
Rebecca currently travels full-time by RV and sailboat with her husband, creating recipes, telling stories, and helping other writers navigate the evolving world of food media.
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