In this episode of the ROI Online Podcast, host Steve Brown speaks with fellow StoryBrand guide Brian Sooy.
Brian is an agency owner, author of Raise Your Voice, and podcast host with a background in design. In fact, Brian went to school for graphic design before entering the design field.
His career evolved from there, though, and he eventually moved in a more marketing-oriented direction, became a solopreneur, brought others into his business, and moved into a mainly strategic role for his agency. The agency, called Aespire, works with businesses and entrepreneurs to improve their messaging, bringing design methods to bear on marketing. Brian’s aim is to use words and other design elements to produce clear messaging.
Steve and Brian discuss various aspects of the transition from working as a solopreneur to having a team. Brian talks about empowering both workers and business change, developing processes, determining who the company should serve (with either a niche or generalist character), and the reinvention process. Brian started out wanting to solve problems through design, but then specialized further and looked for a vertical sector to which he could specifically cater his work.
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This brought him to his current work, and his company as it stands now is most suited to companies with about 25 or 30 to about 1,000 employees; leaders of such companies tend to be approachable, want to see growth, and have much to gain from help with communication and the clarity of their message. Brian tries to help them to change their approach, find their voice, and think about their company in the long term.
At the present time, as Steve points out, the long-term view necessitates taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting move of business toward digital platforms. He and Brian discuss their use and the future of such means. They also consider the delivery of value to customers, which Brian sees as a major focus of his 25-year-old company.
Aespire helps businesses to unlock their full potential, works with a diverse assortment of brands, and tries to be of service even beyond profit to non-customers. Brian also sees the focus on providing value come into play in conversations with his clients; he works to help them determine their purpose, brand, and story, and so works to help them see their value. He tries to see and understand them in their virtues and values, and in turn to help them build a trusting relationship with their own customers.
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Learn more about Aespire at Aespire.com.
Learn more about Brian on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
To learn more about StoryBrand, pick up your copy of Donald Miller's book, Building a StoryBrand, by clicking this link.
And you can get a shiny copy of The Golden Toilet on Amazon here:https://amzn.to/2X3NKlB
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