Hi there! Welcome back to On Brand - your weekly dose of actionable strategies and insights to grow & monetize your personal brand.

What's the difference between brands you can't get enough of vs. the ones that really don't do much for you?

I posted a carousel last week using Rhode's recent brand trip to explain what makes an obsession-worthy brand.

Lady Gaga's makeup line? Beyoncé's various brand ventures? They had all the resources but couldn't crack the code Rhode did.

After helping hundreds of women build their personal brands, I've seen what works and what doesn’t. There's been a massive shift in the content people want to consume and what worked even a year ago, no longer works.

People don't want to be sold to anymore. They want to feel part of your world and community. They want a brand world they actually want to live in. And once you have that, your product is going to almost sell itself.

I could tell you to "just post more" but if you’ve been doing that for a while and it’s not moving the needle, we need to change the strategy.

So today, I'm giving you the framework to build a brand world people can't resist.

Let’s dive in!

In this issue:

• 💻 ICYM: Interesting things from the internet

• 🌎 How to build your brand world

• 🍒 Free resources for your brand

Interesting things from last week

The best things we’ve read, watched and listened to.

• How Mel Robbins became the biggest name in personal development.

• I really loved this essay on self-renewal from Stanford University.

• TikTok is apparently building a US-only version of the app. Nothing is confirmed and no details are known but let this be your reminder to not rely on the platforms alone and build your own thing.

CONTENT STRATEGY MADE SIMPLE

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But first - what actually is a brand world?

Your brand world is the identity you're giving your audience and the experience you're creating for them. When someone follows you, they're not just consuming content - they're accessing a version of themselves they want to become.

Think about it: Rhode doesn't sell skincare, they sell the "effortlessly cool girl" identity. Apple doesn't sell tech, they sell the "creative innovator" identity. Your brand world is what makes someone think "this is so me" when they see your content.

You're not building an audience - you're building a community of people who want to live in the world you've created.

Here are the 3 foundational steps from my brand world playbook:

Step 1: Create your visual brand (not just logos & fonts)

Most people think brand visuals = pretty colors and fonts. Not quite. Your brand world is the entire universe you're creating - the feeling someone gets when they see your content before they even read a word.

Think about your favorite creators or brands - you can spot their posts from a mile away. That's not by accident. They've created recognizable visuals that trigger specific emotions instantly.

People decide if they're interested in your brand in 0.05 seconds based on visuals alone - it really, really matters.

Your action:

Create a secret Pinterest board called "[Your Brand] World".
Pin images that capture:

• The exact emotion you want people to feel

• The lifestyle your ideal audience lives (or wants to live)

• Colors & fonts that symbolize the world you’re creating (not what's trending)

• Spaces, objects, and moments that represent your values

Every image should serve the story you're telling.

Step 2: Create your POV

Don’t pick generic words like "authenticity" and "empowerment" that mean nothing. Your brand values should be specific enough that they automatically exclude people who aren't your ideal audience.

Let’s take Rhode for example again. They don't just value beauty - they value effortless, expensive-looking, dewy beauty over full-glam perfection. That specific value attracts the "clean girl aesthetic" crowd and naturally repels people who love more makeup. That's intentional.

Instead of broad values, define your specific beliefs:

• What do you think people get wrong about your industry?

• What hill would you die on professionally?

• What makes you slightly controversial or polarizing?

For example, instead of "I value authenticity" → "I believe perfectionist content is killing creativity and that showing your real moments is more valuable than showing your highlight reel"

If your values could apply to literally any business and anyone could copy-paste your values, you're not specific enough.

Step 3: Master the "relatable aspiration" formula

This is the secret sauce that separates brands you obsess over from brands you scroll past. Most people swing too far in one direction:

Too aspirational: Everything perfect, unattainable lifestyle → You feel no connection, feels out of reach

Too relatable: Constant struggles, always messy, no inspiration → No reason to follow

The sweet spot: Aspirational enough to inspire, relatable enough to feel possible.

The Rhode example: Their Mallorca trip wasn't shot in a private villa with butlers. There were no lavish, out-of-touch experiences. It was girls having genuine fun at a nice (but not crazy) hotel. Elevated but not alienating. You think "I could have that experience" not "I'll never afford that life."

The 70/30 Rule:

• 70% aspirational content (the life/results/identity your audience wants)

• 30% behind-the-scenes reality (the process, struggles, human moments)

You know the creators whose content makes you think "Goals, but also... I could actually do that”? They mastered it and often show both the destination and the journey.

All aspiration, no relatability = intimidating.
All relatability, no aspiration = uninspiring.
You need a healthy mix of both to create obsession.

Your action plan

1. Create your vision board - Pin 20-30 images to create your visuals.

2. Define your beliefs - What do you think differently about your industry?

3. Audit your aspiration/relatability ratio - Are you inspiring AND relatable?

4. Plan your next "world-building" post - Create content that shows your brand world, not just your service or product.

Your brand world should feel like the best version of your actual life - elevated but not fake, aspirational but not impossible.

We’ve created free tools to help you level up your personal brand this year. Grab both of them below.

Obsession-Worthy Brand Guide

Your blueprint for a personal brand that connects and converts. Downloaded 3,000+ times and rated 5 stars, it helps you show up with clarity so your content actually lands.

On-Demand Personal Brand Strategist

Get a powerful ChatGPT prompt + five follow-ups to clarify your positioning, grow your audience, and create content that drives results. 

That’s it for this week.

As always, thanks for being here! And let me know! What brand world are you building?

The Girls Club Team 

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