Building Strong Business Foundations

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Robert Friedman, owner of Fearless Branding, located in Oakland, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Fearless Branding helps expert firms rigorously define their unique value, so their ideal clients understand it in an instant. Our clients are experts at the top of their game who own consulting and professional services firms - for example, management consultants, executive coaches, attorneys, insurance experts, and health and education experts.

Here's the thing, though, as powerful as these experts are, it's not always clear to their potential clients. I help my clients bridge the gap.

Tell us about yourself

I have always been interested in understanding what makes people tick - particularly how they make decisions. I started my career in advertising, working for big agencies, then moved to brand management, working for Kraft. At a certain point, I got frustrated working for brands that I felt "just sold stuff." So I developed a philosophy for what makes strong brands - I think of them as Fearless Brands. These brands are not just focused on selling a product or service. Rather, they are focused on delivering deeply meaningful experiences to a specific type of customer.

What motivates me every day? I'm wired to focus on uniqueness. So I LOVE helping clients who are powerful experts to define and articulate what makes them unique.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Developing the Fearless Branding brand and staying with it for 20 years. I'm proud of my body of work done for incredible clients. And I'm proud of being hired to present "How to Build a Fearless Brand" to Taiwanese marketing leaders in Taipei.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Especially in the beginning, defining a strong market position. Learning how to do business development and how to sell. Learning how to connect the ins and out of service to the outcome that clients really want.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Choose a niche. You've heard it a million times, but it is essential. Then really push yourself - ask, is it really narrow enough? Can you get more precise?
Define who you are and figure out how to talk about it. What are your values? What do you stand for? How can you create a narrative, your unique story, that will resonate with your prospects?
If you have an expertise business - write. And write some more. What do you believe that your competitors don't? What is your way?

Be Fearless. That means be precise. Get narrower in your target market. Focus on your services. Focus only on your very best clients. Do only your highest value work. Be courageous enough to leave the stuff that is "just ok" behind.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.fearlessbranding.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfriedmanfearlessbranding/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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