Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kaye Putnam, Psychology-driven Brand Strategist based in High Point, NC, USA.

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

My work is all about taking entrepreneurs from "unclear and confused" to "crystal clarity" in their brands. I help them tap into their unique genius and translate that to their brands - so they can change the world with what they know.

Through work with hundreds of clients, from global brands to solo business owners, I've developed The Clarity Code. It's the blueprint for setting a solid foundation for a psychology-driven brand. When you have a clear brand, your clients love, respect, and are willing to pay premium prices for your work. It gives you the confidence to scale your impact and income. My courses and my 1:1 client work are all about empowering entrepreneurs to get that clarity.

Tell us about yourself

Well, I believe deep in my bones that there is a genius that lives inside every entrepreneur - and that’s what motivates me to do this work. It’s all about empowering entrepreneurs to show up confidently, affect change, and impact people!

Out of school (where I studied marketing and psychology), I worked in the agency world. I was learning so much - and I started noticing some patterns. Some of our clients were able to cut through all of the noise with their marketing and messages — and grow their impact and revenue. But others just really failed to gain traction - even with marketing campaigns that “should” have worked. And I wanted to understand why. (For example, I was working on radio advertising spots at one point. I observed that some campaigns delivered major results, while others just flopped — even though we applied the same basics in the campaign creation and delivery.)

So I was trying to identify the commonalities - so we could help more businesses thrive. What I saw was that the businesses that made sales and succeeded had strong brands. They had done the work to get really clear on their values, opinions, innate strengths... They were confident and unique. People knew what these brands stood for - and that meant people connected to them on an emotional level. And that is what actually leads to sales, so it’s critical that entrepreneurs tap into this.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'm really proud of the team I've built - and that I cracked the code for empowering them. I'm able to delegate and outsource successfully (and not constantly have to revise things or do everything myself) because of the Clarity Code(™) framework that I've developed.

I realized early on that, as a visionary in your business, it's up to you to set the north star for the rest of the team. You have to give them high standards to live up to. You have to empower them to make decisions on behalf of your brand - without you weighing in personally on every one of those decisions. The Brand Source Book that we create for clients as part of the Clarity Code (™) framework is the key to this - and I use it myself to empower my own team, too. It's an interactive, web-based hub that documents all of your brand standards.

Due in part to the effectiveness of the Brand Source Book, I have a small but brilliant group of creatives and strategists that can create on my behalf. I'm also able to hire designers, copywriters, and other creatives for one-off projects whenever I have those needs in my own brand. It's pretty amazing, and I'm proud of this system I've built!

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

I think one of the hardest lessons to learn in the beginning is that humans make buying decisions emotionally — then they back them up with logic. When we’re first figuring things out, we tend to lean on “the facts” to try to market and sell. We talk about the features of our offers (like, “You get eighteen modules! Or “You get five sessions!”). We think that - to be credible - we need to lead with our degrees or qualifications…But, in reality, people need to connect to us emotionally first. That’s always going to be the path to sales. Once entrepreneurs figure that out, things always fall into place. That’s the root of why I teach entrepreneurs how to build brands that leverage personality - and the brand archetypes!

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

First, I would say, “Start before you feel ready.” I am a firm believer that action brings clarity. You can plan and plan and plan… but when you take imperfect action and then iterate, that’s when you really get confident.

Second, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your brand is the colors and fonts you choose. If you don’t take the time to get clear on the foundational pieces of your brand first (like your values, your brand’s personality, your beliefs, your points of differentiation, etc.) - you’ll be re-branding again in six months. The foundational decisions have to be made first - then you can translate those to the outer-facing cues.

And, lastly (and this is the most important one!)... Don’t get too inspired by other entrepreneurs you admire. When I first started in business, I was trying to be like other successful entrepreneurs. I was literally trying to do what they were doing. (Cringe!) For a while, I mimicked a female entrepreneur with a really magnetic, high-energy vibe and started my emails with, “Heya, Gorgeous!”… which is so not me. Then, I saw a really strong, no-nonsense coach-type succeeding in business, so I’d try to be like him. I remember creating an email series called “Monday Morning Kick in the Pants.” … Again, so not me!

When I finally learned exactly how to lean into my own unique strengths, everything finally started to work for me. So, there’s a lot more to that story about HOW I figured out how to do that… But the bottom line is: Be you. Don’t try to be like the others.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.kayeputnam.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kayeputnam/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KayePutnam/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.