The 100 Years Club Installment #113: Getting the B(r)and Together

I grew up learning how to build and manage brands (e.g., Mastercard’s Priceless campaign, launching countless new products/services, and securing major media mentions for clients by establishing them as thought leaders). But…

Doing it for my own brand was a whole different game.

My work brand (theONswitch) has been around for 21 years and is known for being creative, innovative, ahead of the curve, a little quirky, and client-focused.

No BS. No rip-off pricing. No selling marketing sh*t to people if they don’t really need it. The perfect blend of humanity and technology. (I’ve been using social media since 2005 and AI since 2017. The assumption that only young people are “good at it” is total nonsense.)

In fact, I realized this week that my mantra of IMAGINE. FOCUS. BUZZ. PROFIT has withstood 21+ years.

But what about ME? I deliberately chose not to name my company after myself, but I realized I needed an outlet to express more personal stuff (which my clients don’t need to know).

That’s how NANCYAF.com was born. Click on the logo to see the website. 

It was initially going to be NANCYAS (my initials), but a colleague misheard me, and we agreed that the more provocative name was a better fit.

So, I assembled a team of six subject matter experts (seven, in fact…it takes a village). We used 60+ apps and technologies to build my new website, social media presence, business cards (yeah, old school), video series, new podcast concept, and new book.

We built everything in about 90 days!!!

I’m doing pretty well on the IMAGINE and FOCUS parts. We just started the BUZZ. And I set specific KPIs (I simply can’t get the corporate stuff out of my system) to ensure I PROFIT.

The whole experience has taught me:

• I’m still pretty f-ing good at branding! Something I learned from my big brand marketing years is that great branding is timeless. But what’s changed is the tech stack we need to support the creative marketing process. We had close to 10 apps for every human on the project, which is intriguing and scary.
• But, speaking of those great humans…it takes a village! Thank you to the fantastic intergenerational team! Especially with the focus on AI (which most of us use in our daily jobs), we sometimes forget that the “robot overlord” (the person who knows how to use that technology to create and sell) is till the most important person on the team.

Big shout-out to Elle, Bud, Kyle, Korbin, Tanner, and Lucy. And people like Meghan, Sherry, Shelley, Jenna, and the photographers at FemForce who all got me ready for my close-ups.

Plus, the “friendly reviewers” and muses who critiqued the work and provided invaluable input — Jim and Jim, Guy, Casey, Jeff, Vance, Dave (who gave me the name!), Janine, and John! And, of course, all my friends who heard me talk incessantly about my brand for the last few months.

• I can be impatient and push people hard (but gently). I think it’s an asset. Doing the seemingly impossible usually has good results. I also realize that scaling a brand takes time, and we must continuously experiment and try new things, especially in digital media, where algorithms and behaviors are continuously changing.
• Leaders often need to step back and let subject matter experts (SMEs) do their thing. But, especially today, you can quickly drain your bank account by investing in services that won’t lead to growth.  Along the way, many people tried to sell me “stuff” that I didn’t need at this stage. I feel genuinely sorry for business people who don’t have extensive marketing backgrounds and end up paying for tactical elements that they think will grow their businesses or are “on trend.” But they often don’t have a solid short- or long-term plan or even understand what they’re buying. Tech gibberish and snake oil salespeople abound. I don’t actually know what snake oil is, but it sounds nasty.
• I would love to build YOUR brand. I had taken a step back from marketing projects to focus mainly on content creation (i.e., writing and social media community building). However, many people and companies still struggle with brand identity.  “Who am I? What’s my company? How am I different from and better than other similar businesses?” We live in a world focused on the latest clever ad or TikTok campaign instead of the value, culture, qualities, and behaviors that give brands staying power.

So hire me — and the fantastic team of humans and bots — to help you craft your brand strategy and presence!

We’ve all worked with major brands in all categories and with small brands, coaches, professional service providers, and start-ups. Mastercard (the longest-running brand campaign in history), Skechers and The Gap, fast-scaling SaaS and tech brands, food, fashion, finance, and small businesses that span 50+ industries — including retail and services.

We know our stuff. Finding reliable and experienced agencies and consultants these days can be challenging. Yes…having a vast IG following or a colorful logo is great, but if it’s not ultimately generating revenue, what’s the point?

We’re fast, flexible, honest, and fun to work with. And we’ve been doing it for 40+ years, so we know when a brand has staying power.

OK…that’s enough selling for today. I couldn’t help myself. Every business needs a memorable brand AND a CTA (call-to-action). But no snake oil!