Notes on strategy and storytelling.

Reader,

Perhaps the biggest challenge with having huge goals for your brand is that you can see its ecosystem and impact in your head long before they’re reality.

That vision is what pushes you forward — and is also what can make you feel impatient, exasperated or overwhelmed.

Tolkien (author of Lord of the Rings) wrote a story about a painter called Niggle. He wanted to create a glorious tree, and after a lifetime of work (with its interruptions, obstacles and his own perfectionism), he died having completed only one leaf.

I can relate to Niggle, and since you’re here I’m guessing you can too. That’s not to say we’re doomed to develop one fraction of our vision. The painting Niggle did create was still magnificent, and the interruptions led to him contributing much outside of the painting as well.

The message that sticks with me from Tolkien’s story is that as limited humans we can only work on one leaf at a time. (And perhaps, because of our limitations, we may not get to complete everything to match exactly the vision in our minds.)

Thus constrained, it is essential to direct our attention towards the elements that matter most in our vision. In other words: which leaf do you work on at any given time?

I’ve been having this conversation with clients lately. Do they maintain their current attention, go deeper in one area, or is it time now to start on another branch?

In a way, we're always having this conversation, because as I’ve said before: aligned decision-making is a huge part of building a powerful brand.

There are no universal right answers. But there are principles you can apply based on your brand and mission.

Those principles are how I help my clients.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure about how to sequence the elements in your vision, let’s talk. I can help you identify where to focus now, so you feel confident about your decisions and know you’re painting the tree you see in your mind’s eye.

Your clients are waiting for the shade it will provide.

Yours aye,
Gabrielle

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