Golden branding resources
These are my go-to resources for brand + business development. Some of these are specific to an area of branding and some are more overarching. Being certifiably awesome is the thread that connects them all.
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Purpose
Simon Sinek
This guy is the “purpose” guru. He’s got books, workshops and loads of content on how to uncover your unique purpose. Very inspiring guy.
Find your why Book by Simon Sinek
Video on how to find your why
His dated TedTalk
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Mindset
Mindset: The new psychology of success Book by Carol S. Dweck
This is a great book about changing your perspective on failure and seeing it as a learning moment. Sounds annoyingly positive, but she backs it up with science. Good read for business, life, parenting, just about anything that involves falling flat on your face.
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Introductions
The best way to answer “So what do you do?” TedTalk by Clay Hebert
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Story development/great communication
Made to stick: Why some ideas survive and others die Book by Chip Heath, Dan Heath
If you can master this skill, I think you can sell just about anything to anyone. They teach you the fundamentals of great story telling and of course, it’s a great story to read.
Making numbers count: The art and science of communicating numbers Book by Chip Heath, Karla Starr
If you’ve got a lot of numbers in your field, this book teaches you how to translate them into a language that makes them easy to understand.
Building a story brand Book by Donald Miller
How do you even start building a story around your company? This book breaks it all down and explains why it’s important to spend the time to do it well.
Humor, seriously Book by Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas
Even if your work is very serious, this book tells us why injecting humor into our communication is advantageous. Gravity and levity are not at odds. They’ve got a TedTalk as well.
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Naming
How to create brand names that stick Book by Alexandra Watkins
How to choose a brand name in 5 steps Article by Column Five Media
How to pick the best name for your company Article by Rob Meyerson
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Customer research
Understand your customers’ “job to be done.” Article by Clayton Christensen
You aren’t selling real estate. You are helping the buyer transition into a new phase of life. This article puts a fine point on why we need to clearly understand the emotional journey our customer is on and how we can help them.
The mom test Book by Rob Fitzpatrick
Teaches you how to have casual conversations with your audience to learn what’s really happening beneath the surface.
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Positioning
Obviously awesome Book by Anna Dunford
While this book focuses on product positioning, I think the concepts easily translate to service-based businesses. How are you showing up in the market? Positioning plays a huge role in the outcome.
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Presentations
Nancy Duarte
Nancy is the top-shelf educator on all things related to presentations. How to build a compelling PPT deck, how to present virtually, how to craft a storyline that converts…she has all the answers. Books, workshops and online courses. There’s no good reason to have boring presentations now.