A few years ago, I had a conversation with a designer- wildly talented, booked out months in advance, on paper thriving. But she was frustrated. She wasn’t landing her dream clients. She wasn’t getting featured or collaborating in the ways she wanted.
When I asked, “When’s the last time you updated your portfolio?” she laughed and winced.
“I don’t even remember. I think I still have stuff from two years ago up there. But my Instagram is updated.”
Plot twist: that designer was me.
The Service Provider’s Dilemma
If you’re running a client-heavy business- whether you’re a designer, copywriter, strategist, or any flavor of service provider- I know exactly what’s happening. Your energy goes to delivery. Your time goes to your clients. And your own visibility? Your brand? It gets pushed to someday. It gets buried at the bottom of your to-do list. It becomes that Friday task you tackle when you’re already exhausted.
I get it. I’ve been there. I cycle through this occasionally, and I have to actively remind myself of the same things all the time.
But here’s the problem: if you don’t tend to your own brand, people stop seeing you. They don’t know that you’ve grown. They don’t know what you do now. They don’t think of you when your dream work comes across their desk.
Your Brand is a Relationship
A few years ago, I made a deliberate shift. I started tracking (and posting) what I did for my brand each week- not what I did for my clients, but what I actually did for me. At first, it was for accountability. But I quickly realized it was also serving as an example for my clients, many of whom are entrepreneurs and service providers doing client-heavy work themselves.
Here’s what one week of brand work looked like for me:
- Wrote my weekly email (The Works)
- Sent one pitch (speaking gig, podcast, media feature)
- Filmed and posted TikToks
- Recorded two solo podcast episodes
- Attended a networking event
- Recorded a guest podcast interview
- Wrapped Season 5 intro for this podcast
- Rebranded my email series
- Updated my welcome email for new subscribers
Was this everything on my to-do list? No. My portfolio was just recently updated (that last time was January 2025). But this was forward momentum. This was visibility. This was a reminder that my brand is a living, breathing ecosystem that needs attention.
And so does yours.
You can’t just launch once and expect the work to roll in forever. Your brand is a relationship, and relationships need tending as they grow to thrive.
The Keep Your Brand Alive Challenge
If it’s been a minute- or six months- since you showed up for your brand, I want to offer you something. Not a massive rebrand. Not a full overhaul. Just a get-back-in-there kind of nudge. A permission slip. A reset.
Here’s a five-step challenge to breathe life back into your brand:
Step One: Review Your Data
Don’t guess at what’s working. Look at the numbers.
Peek at your email open rates. Look at which blog posts are getting traffic. Check your most saved and shared Instagram posts. Whether you’re on LinkedIn, TikTok, or somewhere else, let the data show you where your audience is paying attention.
You don’t need to do anything with this information yet. You’re just gathering intel- seeing where your audience is actually engaged. Hold onto this. You’ll need it in a moment.
Step Two: Brain Dump Everything You’ve Been Avoiding
Write it all down. Every update. Every single thing that’s been nagging at you.
Maybe your about page has a photo from ten years ago. Maybe your offers are outdated and only Instagram is current. Maybe there’s a broken link you’ve been ignoring. Maybe you’ve been meaning to create a links page or compile all those content ideas scattered across fifty notes in your phone (yes, I see you).
Maybe your email list has been gathering dust for months.
Get it out of your brain and into a list- a document, a note, whatever works. The goal is to see it all in one place so you’re not carrying it around mentally anymore.
Step Three: Clear Your Calendar
Obviously, not completely. We’re all busy.
But before you decide what to work on, carve out one to two hours each week for your brand. Add it to your calendar like a client meeting. Call it CEO time, admin time, or literally “Keep My Brand Alive Challenge”- whatever resonates with you.
If it’s not scheduled, it’s not happening. I promise you that.
If a potential client booked a discovery call in that time slot, you’d move heaven and earth to make it work, right? Your brand deserves the same commitment. Those discovery calls happen because people know about you. Your visibility creates those opportunities.
Step Four: Pick One to Three Things to Complete This Week
Now you get to be strategic.
Look at that brain dump you created in step two. Cross-reference it with the data from step one. Where does your audience pay attention? What’s working? What do you actually enjoy doing?
Pick one to three things you can realistically complete in the time you’ve blocked off. Not everything. Just a few things you can actually finish.
Maybe it’s updating one service page. Maybe it’s writing one blog post. Maybe it’s recording one video or pitching one place. Don’t underestimate the compound power of consistent action. Small shifts matter. They add up.
Step Five: Outsource One Thing If You Can
Look at what needs to be outsourced. If there’s something on that list that zaps your energy, that’s a red flag. If you hate doing it, that’s a signal to delegate if your budget allows. You do not need to be designing social posts at 11 p.m. or writing email copy in a fog if you’re already running on empty.
Whether it’s to a VA, an assistant, or a marketing support system, delegate one thing that’s draining. Your podcast editing. Your website update. Your social graphics. Whatever it is.
This frees you to focus on what only you can do- your unique voice, your strategy, your presence.
You Need to Eat Your Own Dog Food
This challenge came about because I realized something: I was sharing my clients’ wins all the time. “We grew this list from 1,300 to 46,000 subscribers.” And I’m proud of that work. But then I asked myself: when was the last time I did this for myself?
I was putting way more strategy, effort, and energy into my clients’ brands and visibility than I was into my own.
That was backwards.
So I started walking the walk. When you put intentional time and energy into your brand visibility, you are not only even more present but also a thought leader. You position yourself differently. You take up space in your industry in a whole new way.
That’s the power of this work.
Your Turn
So here’s my question for you: What are you going to do for your brand this week?
Make your list. Block your time. Pick your thing (or things). And if you’re feeling bold, create your own “What I Did For My Brand” checklist, share it, and tag me! I’d love to see it!
Your brand deserves to grow. But you have to feed it. You have to tend it. That happens through doing things for your brand- not just for your clients.
Until next time, go work on your brand.
If this episode resonated, share it with a friend who needs to hear it. And if you’re not on my list yet, The Works is where I break down visibility strategies and real behind-the-scenes like this.
