Hey now!
'Be intentional, or don't bother showing up.' That brutal advice from a mentor took me years to truly understand. Let me explain. Back in the old days, I was a Lighting Designer for the Tron Theatre in Glasgow. When I was introducing myself to people, and they asked what I did, I mumbled stuff around being a techie, a bit of this and a bit of that.
The director of the Tron at the time, Sir Michael Boyd, heard this and pulled me aside. He wanted to know why I just didn't say I was the lighting designer for the Tron. On the spot, I didn't have a great answer for him. Over time, I guessed that it had to do with my upbringing that being a lighting designer in the theatre wasn't considered a "real job", and somewhere inside, I was embarrassed about that. But in the moment I just shrugged. I dunno.
Michael stared intently at me. I knew I was going to get truth bomb. I had no idea what it was going to be about, but I knew it was coming in hot. And, in a tone which was both scathing and encouraging, he told me that he found it hard to work with people who didn't believe in themselves while doing that specific task for him. Be honest with yourself and what you do, and be proud of it. Or don't do it. Or something like that.
To be honest, I can't quite remember what he said exactly. I was kind of reeling that a man that I hugely respected was telling me to get a grip. Be intentional. Be proud. I hadn't really thought of that before. It was a big lesson for me.
It was a lesson that I ignored for years. When I moved out of theatre and started working on brands, if a taxi driver asked me what I did for a living, I would rather tell them that I was a pianist in a brothel rather than say I was a brand consultant. Again, this all goes back to that boy who didn't feel that they had a "real" job.
And every time I fumbled that question, I always remembered Michael's intervention. And I'm a lot better at being intentional, accepting myself in this role. Never have I been more proud of what I do, who I do it with and the businesses we do it for.
So proud, in fact, I felt it was well past time just to explain what it is that we see a brand consultant do here at Good. I wrote an article, snappily titled What Do Brand Consultants Actually Do? Which is a good question and one that was a lot easier to write with years of acceptance and intentionality.
In it, I break down the real work brand consultants perform beyond the surface-level assumptions—from creating foundational clarity around vision and values to strategic positioning that helps you choose the right battles. I also outline clear signals that indicate when it's time to bring in brand expertise. Spoiler: if your leadership team can't agree on what your brand stands for or your messaging sounds like everyone else in your industry, we should talk. I'd be proud to help you.
Take care,
Stewart
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