Start Here: 7 Paths to Finding Your Brand

Where are you stuck on your brand journey? Use these 7 paths to locate yourself, gain clarity, and turn your focus to where you need it most.

I’m so glad you’ve landed here — If you’re reading this, you’re likely building something. Maybe it’s a business or a creative project that matters to you.

You might be in the early stirrings of a new idea — or knee-deep in something you’ve been shaping for years. Wherever you are, you’re here because you care. Not just about how your brand looks, but about what it means and how it connects.

What I’ve noticed over the years as a brand designer — is that people approach their brands in vastly different ways:

Some arrive with a crystal-clear vision. They already know exactly how their brand should look, feel, and sound. My role there is simple: bring my sketchbook, listen, and help translate what’s already clear in their minds onto the page, and into a polished design.

Others come with a strong idea of what they think their brand should be — but as we dig deeper, it doesn’t quite fit. Maybe it clashes with how they naturally show up or it’s aimed at the wrong audience. Often, branding becomes a process of realignment — closing the gap between intention and reality.

Some want to position themselves strategically — mapping competitors, sharpening their message, defining their edge. Others feel allergic to strategy entirely. They want their brand to hold up a mirror to who they are authentically, without compromise or tactics.

Some see branding as one more item to tick off before they launch.
Others treat it like the most important thing in their world — a neat container that holds their identity, their values, their purpose.

Sometimes, what starts as a conversation about design quickly reveals itself to be about something much deeper. The branding process can uncover all the messy feelings of self-doubt, perfectionism, impostor syndrome & fear. In this case, we need to focus on the inner tangle and find clarity before we can make space for the brand.

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Introducing 7 Paths to Your Brand

Over time, I’ve come to see seven distinct paths in the brand-building process.

You don’t need to care about all seven. You might find yourself deep in one, circling another for later, ignoring a third entirely, for now.

That’s fine.

And the goal isn’t to try to do everything at once — it’s to know which season you’re in & what needs tending to right now.

What I’ve noticed is this:

When things feel scattered, stuck, or heavy — it’s usually because one of these areas needs your attention.

7 Paths to Your Brand

1. The Tend Series: Messy Feelings & Mental Blocks
   Branding starts within. The doubts, the overthinking, the perfectionism, the impostor syndrome — it’s all part of the process. Sometimes you need to untangle what’s standing between you and the clarity you need to get started. Because for anything new to blossom, it first needs the physical, emotional & mental space to grow.

2. Brand Fundamentals (Coming Soon — May 2025)
   This is the foundation every brand needs — your values, audience, mission, and voice. Getting these clear saves you from FOMO, indecision, and shiny object syndrome later on, because you’ll already know what logically fits your brand — and what doesn’t. When these are clear, everything else has solid ground to stand on.

3. Strategy & Game Plan ( — June 2025)
   Here’s where we step back and map the landscape, (or the battleground if you prefer) Who’s already out there? Where are the gaps?
   Who’s your audience — and how are you showing up differently?
   Here’s where strategy stops feeling abstract and starts feeling actionable. A clear plan that tells you where you’re headed, who you’re speaking to, and how to stand out.

4. Visual Brand Identity ( — July 2025)
   This is where we take the heart of your brand and translate it visually — so your audience recognizes you before you even say a word. No trends, just visuals that feel unmistakably you. Colors, fonts, logos — it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the choices, but if you’ve already done the groundwork, this is just like putting the final icing on the cake.

5. Launching & Showing Up ( — August 2025)
   At some point, you’ve got to get your brand out of your drafts folder and into the world. This is the moment where you line up all your branding assets & prepare to show your brand to the world. Whether it’s your first launch or your fifth, you want to focus on showing up clearly and consistently across all your touchpoints.

6. Scaling & Consistency ( — September 2025)
   Once the groundwork is solid, the question becomes: How do you keep showing up without losing steam? Here’s where you focus on sustainable, strategic growth — staying consistent, while also allowing your brand to evolve over time, and keeping your audience connected without burning out.

7. Thought Leadership & Visibility ( — October 2025)
   This is where you step into authority, share ideas worth following, and become the go-to voice in your space.

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How to Use The Branding Habit

There’s no one right way to move through this.

👉 You can start at the beginning and work your way through.
👉 Or dip in wherever you feel stuck, scattered, or curious.

Each week, I’ll be sharing new insights, reflections, and actionable steps drawn from real-world branding conversations, rooted in the same questions, struggles, and breakthroughs that come up time and time again.

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Over to you:

What’s one part of your brand that feels unclear, heavy, or stuck right now?

Let me know in the notes - or if you have any questions about your brand journey, feel free to pop me a mail at tara@omnibrand.co.nz