Bravery is doing something worth doing in spite of the fact that it scares you. Having courage. Feeling the fear and doing it anyway.
A couple of years back I did the Via Ferrata Extreme in Honister. This involved climbing up and down the side of a mountain on metal rungs and a Burma bridge.
I have a memory of being on Guide Camp and going wall climbing. I remember going up probably no higher than my head and being absolutely terrified. I had to come down. I hadn’t climbed anything since other than the odd bit of kids playground equipment, so this was a big deal. I was nervous.
It was all great – the views were fantastic – apart from the Burma bridge which was the bit I was really dreading.. however this is not the kind of thing that Amy even the year before would have willingly done! (I did choose to do this.) I want to go back and climb inside the mine next.
The Burma bridge was a single rope to walk on and then a rope each side for your hands to hold and one above for your safety stuff to be attached to. It was very high up. It was very long. And it was a bit windy. I really hadn’t been looking forward to it, but there wasn’t anywhere else to go so on it I went and I wasn’t a fan. My legs were shaking so much by the time I got to the other side.
But I was brave.
I wouldn’t let it put me off future adventures with one of these things now I’ve done it once, and I know I’m happy to climb around a mountain.
Being brave extends to all sorts of areas of your life and business.
I also remember the first time I made a video. I was so so nervous. No one else was in. I was sick immediately afterwards!
But creating video transformed my business as people got to know me faster. It fast tracked blogging. It fast tracked social posting. Video made a huge difference and now it’s really easy to pop the camera on and start talking.
This is building your business. It’s also building your brand.
Brand bravery is having the courage to be visible. To be intentional about showing up as you. Connecting with your ideal customers and not-connecting with those people who aren’t the right fit (because you only want to work with the right people, yeah? Honestly, it’s so much easier when you do.)
It’s not just about pretty pictures and perfect logos (although those things are reeeeaaaallly helpful) it’s about knowing what it is that matters, what you care about, what bothers you, what you want to share with people – and focussing on being and doing more of THAT.
This takes bravery.
Brand Bravery means doing the things you need to do despite the things that hold you back.
Getting your point across. Sharing more of who you are. Being more purposeful in the content you create so that it speaks to your audience. Making it clear the kind of person you are, helping people to connect with you, to know you, to remember you.
Bravery to make the video. To write the blog. To post on social. To create that podcast. To hop onto clubhouse. To pick up the phone. To call that person. To attend that event.
Working on your brand helps you to achieve brand bravery because you have a strategy. It makes sense. It gives you focus. It helps you understand what’s what.
If you don’t get brave then you risk becoming invisible.
Brand Bravery gets you noticed.
Bravery benefits your business.
Brand Bravery gets you known.