Hi, I'm Emma, and I am about to lay some thick analogies on you for the sake of an explanation.
As I have been building out my brand, leading me to brand design projects through my service offerings, I started to discern the difference between brand and business.
When we understand the universe's basic structure (stay with me, we're just getting started), we see that everything has a polarity. Things are deemed good or bad, positive or negative, light or dark. The dualistic nature of things is how we often define and identify entities in a very black-and-white nature. My personality understands these extremes and seeks to find the grey matter. From this central vantage point, I have realized that my masculine energy (right brain, analytical, structured, detail-oriented) and my feminine (left brain, creative, nurturing, sees the big picture) must work in tandem. Walking the middle path, a Buddhist term I often reference, embodies this concept of what is viewed as a peaceful existence.
Taking cues from the masculine and feminine energetic forms, not the biological penis and vagina (throw your preferred slang terms in here for fun,) we can correlate them back to the differences and also synergies between a business and brand. Likewise, with the polarities, we understand the connection of all things through cycles and transformative experiences between them, aka life and death.
THE BUSINESS IS MASCULINE ♂️
It's the solid, analytical, financially driven foundation you can build upon. It gives products or services to clients and customers and provides you (ideally) with revenue, right?
THE BRAND IS FEMININE ♀️
It has the authority to be creative and in flow. It is the presentation that draws people in with magnetism. It is the work put in to nurture the business' growth.
Your brand tells the story while your business co-creates to write the next chapter. This is your growth toward profit, notoriety, etc.
Strength Meets Vulnerability
The polarities are necessary for growth and connection. Often, we see only one side. Without the other, you are off-balance. Whether you are a solopreneur or have a team structure, people struggle with their brand voice because they haven't nurtured it or found the authenticity within their communication that represents their whole structure. Also, a brand without proper form will not be grounded enough to monetize powerfully.
Likewise, a business without a brand story can be financially successful but will grow stagnant and potentially become boring and soul-sucking. This is because it's based on all logic, and emotional connectivity is absent. Again, boring.
If you are still stuck on the biology part and not energy, you can't have a baby without the different sexed parts.
As we define the differences between a business and a brand because these terms are often interchangeable, we can "sex them" but also see it from the perspective of yin and yang. They must learn to work in tandem for success; one is no better without the other.
The exploitation of dichotomy in a person limits their ability to oscillate between their own spectrums of existence. We can be both soft and hard. Strong and vulnerable. Dark and light. Masculine and feminine, etc. Our society's rigid and divisive nature has cultivated a lack of safety when trying to express your whole self. We are seeing the drive toward this internal understanding of flow and acceptance. Now is the time to express your dualities in a balanced manner and cultivate your brand to grow your business and vice versa.
Bridge the Gap with Communication
The polarities we push further apart with how we interact with the world are what keep it off-kilter. By communicating effectively with one another through words, audio, video, visuals, and more, we are helping to bridge the gap between our business and our brand. At the same time, we can recognize and appreciate our polarities and oscillate between them with less judgment. Marrying the analytical dialogue required for a business with the visionary approach to connecting with the public through branding will create a synergy and holy matrimony with our bank accounts.
Check out my goods!
I'm not one for a salesy CTA, but here are the links to my services, digital products, and THE WHEEL. I hang out on Instagram and LinkedIn the most when it comes to socials if you'd like to connect!
The Libra issue of THE WHEEL is a great read to help you explore a healthy balance with all your relationships. Ruled by the scales, and the planet Venus, Libra knows how to marry it's feminine air qualities with the diplomacy required to live in a masculine dominant world.
*FUN FACT* I have my Moon, Venus and Mercury in Gemini the 7th house, Libra's home. So I am heavily influenced by this sense of fairness by using charm with these prominent placements.
For more on how this astrological archetype affects you, check out THE WHEEL!
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