Where Brands go to
Stop Wandering
Clarify, Simplify, Organize, and Grow Your Brand
We help small businesses & coaches create a strong brand message and identity through Story, strategy, and Design.
There are too many wandering brands out there. Noisy, confusing, unorganized. We’ve formulated a simple system to solve this problem.
The Framework
Do the right things, in the right order – MOST COMMON MISTAKES I SEE THAT WILL MAKE OR BREAK YOUR BRAND
There is no shortcut to building a brand. Everyone has something to say and something to offer. The difference is strategy, consistency, and execution.
It’s funny how even though we know “our thing” so well, we’re really bad at putting the words & the visuals in place to communicate it.
Most brands are confusing. What do you do, who do you help, why does it matter?
→ Messaging is often vague and uninspiring.
→ Branding is usually noisy and inconsistent.
→ Marketing is typically bloated and passive.
I call these “Wandering Brands.”
Let's play a game - You come across 3 brands.
→ You’re scrolling through social media and come across an interesting post. You click on the profile, read the bio, and skim through the first 12 posts.
→ Brand A and Brand B are wandering brands.
→ Brand A doesn’t know who it is and why it exists.
→ Brand B knows who they are and why they exists, but doesn’t know how to communicate it.
Wandering Brand
A brand without a clear identity, message, and purpose – it’s inconsistent, changes frequently, and leads to distrust.
→ Brand C is a thriving brand. It understands and embodies its identity and purpose.
You read it in the story, feel it in the design, and engage with it because a strategy exists (direction).
Thriving Brand
Understands and embodies its identity and purpose. It has a cohesive story, strategy, and design. It’s honest, familiar, consistent, and unique.
Story is communication that connects.
Design is communication without words.
And strategy is communication that works.
If you don’t know why your brand exists, who it is, and what it does, it’s hard to trust you. Without trust, sales are nearly impossible. I did this for years…that’s how I know 🙂
Is This You?
We help personal brands, coaches, consultants, podcast hosts, and small businesses.
There are many brand agencies and studios out there. We’ve strategically removed ourselves form this pool and instead focus on solving one specific problem for our clients – visual obscurity.
Your brand is wandering. It’s confusing, intangible, and lacks a true identity. We take our clients through a proven framework to solve this.
We’re not for everyone.
We’re not a full service agency. We’re not even an agency. We’re a small team that guides our clients through a simple process – BrandBox.
Just because you can do everything, doesn’t mean you should.
You’ll walk away with what you need to build a thriving brand, no more.
Brand Blind Spots
YOU DON'T HAVE A MARKETING PROBLEM, YOU HAVE A BRANDING PROBLEM
Marketing is easier for people to grasp, thus easier to sell. We’re told on a daily basis that xyz marketing strategy will bring you tons of leads and solve all your business problems. The blind spot here is that when you’re branding is off, no amount of marketing will work.
You have a business, not a brand
You have a business, which is cool, but you haven’t created perception. You haven’t built a specific and identifiable identity that people can have an opinion about.
You need to know who your brand is, why it exists, who it serves, how it communicates, and what it looks like. Until people relate to your brand like they do a person, you’ll simply own a business.
You're wandering
Your brand is like a serial dater who’s too afraid to let people in to who they really are (lol). You’re either too vague and boring, or you change too frequently.
It’s likely you just need to clean things up a bit and commit. You probably have some momentum, but you’re inconsistent with your message, your content, your design. But it’s all good, you’re here for a reason.
The Facts
The ROI is huge
Work smarter, not harder. A thriving brand connects deeper with more people, who share your message with more people (compound affect), who invest more money more frequently. Your content performs better, requiring less work, and more results. Or, you continue to miss the mark by a few inches and never take-off.
The human brain can process visuals faster than text
60,000x faster to be exact…let that sink in. And while faster is not always better, it’s important for the fast-paced brains of today’s world. Visuals help get and hold attention. It starts with your message, but design is the velcro. The right words combined with branded visuals will be remembered and shared.
Design Ain't easy
So many tools, templates, colors, fonts, icons, and cool visuals..how do you choose. How do you stick with only a select few? The design world (like every other world) is noisy. Our job is to silence the noise so you can build a thriving brand, without freaking out.
Do You Have:
Brand Story
Who is your brand and how did it get here? How does it sound and what does it believe in? Who does it serve, what does it promise, and why should you care?
You need a brand story, broken down into easy to share pieces, that allow your brand to spread far beyond you.
Brand Strategy
Where are we headed and how will we get there? A north star. A vision. A plan. Where do you fit amongst your competitors? What can we learn from them and how can we differentiate? Why do they choose you over them?
Brand Design
A brand identity. Visual assets that stand out. Rules and guidelines that keep you from wandering. A unique and timeless look that you’re excited about.
“Design communicates your message without words.”
I’m Miles (aka Stones, short for Milestones).
Brand Architect, pod host, and owner of BrandThrive.
I’m on a mission to help awesome brands stop wandering so they can spread like wildfire.
___
I’m a bro marketer turned ethical. Like many, I learned all the “bro tactics” and then left marketing altogether after 7 years because it felt cringy and forced.
When I came back, I quickly realized that most people don’t have a marketing problem, they have a branding problem. Marketing won’t work if you have a wandering brand.
Today, I save brands from wandering into the abyss, never to be seen again. It’s important work and you may call me a hero, but I assure you, I’m just doing what anyone else would do.
I cohost ‘The Subtle Art of Not Yelling‘ with my pal Bill. A weekly podcast for creatives about the creative process, finishing what you start, and building a business without yelling.
We also have a community for creatives and entrepreneurs called The Box, where projects get finished.
I’m from Austin, TX, lived in Denver for 4 years, and am currently seeing if I’m a “beach guy” in Hermosa Beach, CA. 
A few projects
Jorge Quintero
Neurotech Engineer / thought leader
To educate people on brain related disease and the emerging possibilities for healing through neurotech, neuroscience, and psychology.
Dana Hayes
SPIRITUAL GUIDE & BUSINESS MENTOR
♢ Transformation & business coach helping heart-centered humans clarify their value, package it up & deliver w/ ease
Toku McCree // Coaching MBA
Business Mastery for Passionate Coaches
The Coaching MBA is a 7 month virtual mastermind that provides coaches with the community, skills, and wisdom they need to grow and build a thriving practice that transforms lives and creates a lasting impact on the world.
Maria Bianchi // aimlief
Logo Design
Resources & tools for people who feel stuck in life. My mission’s to help you tap into your inner wisdom so you can uncover the answers you’re looking for and come up with a plan to get unstuck.
Michael Wade
TRADE COACHING
Share the Truth about what it means to trade, what’s possible with trading, and the psychology behind abundance.
Evan Shank
Brand Identity
Talkin’ Marketing & Mindset thru the lens of a solopreneur running a diversified 6-figure lifestyle business
