We've been "officially" up and running for a couple of weeks now and it has been a great start to a longterm vision. The title of the this Blog Post in Random Thoughts because there are a couple of topics I wanted to discuss and decided not to make separate posts for each topic.
Building a Brand
If you had the opportunity to check out our site, you would have noticed that for our launch I used my family and their friends as models for our initial release of our T-shirt Line. The decision to use them was purposeful, I wanted it to be a learning opportunity and experience for them. A major part of us starting this brand was to set an example for our children and their friends on how you can take a vision and build a business around it. We make sure we share the entire end to end experience with our children so they have a clear understanding of what it takes to start something from the ground up. Giving them the opportunity to participate in the creative process also makes them feel connected to the brand. Part of our branding is what it takes to build our brand.
Build It and They will Come
When starting your own brand it's important to understand that you can't cater to everyone. If your brand has clear messaging and meaning, people will be drawn to it. From the time we started, months before we launched our site... I received "Feedback" from so many people on what we should be doing from an apparel standpoint and what we should be selling. Trying to cater to everyone is a recipe for disaster and can take you away from your vision. You will have family and friends that may not support your brand for one reason or another and that is okay; that shouldn't change anything. It's important to stick to your vision and messaging, and the people that resonate with your branding will support. Have a longterm plan that is broken down into milestones, be intentional and calculated.
Misconception about Our Brand
Endure Performance is a Lifestyle and Wellness Brand... I just happen to be a Black Triathlete... Our Brand represents people from all walks of life and we believe the word "Endure" can be applied to everyone at some point in their life; for me it's a daily affirmation. Our vision is to promote mental and physical wellness by embracing the journey of life. My journey is defined by what I call the 3Es... Endure, Evolve, Emerge.