Mitch's Manifesto
This is the most exciting time in history to be an entrepreneur. We all have a supercomputer in our pocket giving us the ability to learn anything we want. If you are reading this right now, YOU have the power in your hands to start a business that changes the world. In fact, starting a business is easy, but building a brand is far from it.
I became obsessed with decoding exactly why some businesses create brands that people will PAY 10 times more for, while most businesses fail. Why are brands like Coca-Cola and Nike forever ingrained in our society’s collective consciousness? I went on a mission to study brands like Apple, Red Bull, Rolex, Victoria’s Secret, Ferrari and other big brand names.
I began to see patterns. I came to understand that while all of the world’s leading brands have starkly different messages, they ALL follow the exact same formula. Distilling these secrets into a compact, user-friendly and easy to digest format is my life’s work.
Helping other businesses to apply these principles to their own brand is my greatest passion; and it is the driving force behind BrandPlan.
The quickest way from point A to B is a straight line, but if you’ve been in business for any amount of time you would know that it’s so easy to get distracted by detours leading to nowhere. The same is true with marketers and designers who will try their best to distract you with the fanciest new logo, sales script or landing page. While these things are a good supplement, they are not solving the problem at the core, thus it wont get you to where you want to be. They end up distracting and throw you off course.
You may feel lost and lack confidence or even be scared; this is natural and normal when you go it alone. I find it rather comical that most people would NEVER travel somewhere they have never been before without a GPS, but these very people try to build a brand which represents their life’s work without ANY road map at all.
Again, this is not my unique discovery, I did not invent branding. Rather I have simply taken the time to study what brands like Disney and McDonalds do so well and have simply noted the formula which these brands have already been following for years. I gained so much clarity in my own business following this formula and everything became so obvious to me. I was blind but now I see!
Now this is not exactly a straight line but it is a step-by-step plan to go from point A to B, which is why I am so proud of it! I wanted to build something that matters to people who care. Something that was bigger than myself, something that gave me purpose. A reason to pour all of my energy into something every day. BrandPlan is here to help entrepreneurs, just like you, follow your heart and change the world. It’s now my mission to help millions of entrepreneurs use the #1 Brand Strategy from the World’s Greatest Brands build a brand that matters, step-by-step.
Most people drive to a job they hate and work for someone they can’t stand only to impress people who don’t even care.
Seriously? This sounds so depressing.
Our school system is broken; we live in a society which values high test scores and useless memorization over real life skills. I never learned entrepreneurship, business, negotiation or branding in school. I was always passionate about learning, so naturally I thought that becoming a high-school teacher was the only path for me to do that.
But after some soul searching, I dropped out to start my first business because I had such a burning desire to do so. I wanted to be in control of my own destiny. I wanted to learn and teach something that I was passionate about, not just what the education system was telling me was important. I quickly realized that taking 100% responsibility for my life gave me the freedom I always wanted and started enjoying life as an entrepreneur. I would rather work 80hrs a week creating my dream than work 40hrs a week creating someone else’s.
Entrepreneur
“a crazy person who risks their own money for freedom, rather than exchanging their freedom for money”
Business Is a Process
I often jokingly say that I’m unemployable. But I feel like there is some truth to that. I’m not one to clock in, have lunch at noon and clock out as soon as the boss lets me. I don’t want to depend on someone else to give me a paycheque. I had some family and friends that said I should get a ‘stable’ job and pursue a decent living. But I’m not one to let others tell me how to live my life. I listen to my heart and march to my heartbeat. I live my passion instead of waiting until I retire to finally do what I want to do. Sure I have some skills to make a good salary working for someone else, but the thought of that doesn’t excite me. People say it’s better to be safe than sorry’ but my reply is that ‘it’s better to do something fulfilling than to live under the illusion of safety.’
I remember a moment in my life when boring, safety and comfort sounded really good at the time. Those thoughts usually sound good to someone who has just lost everything; which is the exact position I found myself in when my first business went bankrupt. After that devastation, I wrestled with the idea of creating a resume and applying for any 9-5 job because I thought I had failed as an entrepreneur. I felt lost and empty as if someone stripped me of my label and identity. It took me a long time before I realized that this business failure was one of my greatest lessons in life. It was just a label my ego used to identify with and not really who I am. I was way more than that identity. I created a new one and I got back up, reinvented myself, continued to provide for my family and bounced back instantly by starting another business. Success = Resilience over Failures. I built character; and that experience evolved me and changed my outlook on life. I used to be a risk-taker but now I’m fearless.
Fearlessly Authentic
- I believe in challenging the status quo.
- I believe in taking risks, being optimistic, and lifelong learning.
- I believe we are all creators, and it is in us to create something meaningful.
- I believe entrepreneurs are wired differently. We are curious, we want to acquire the skills and wisdom to help us change the world.
- I believe we can build a meaningful business that transforms lives.
- I believe we should follow our hearts and do what we love because that will make us happy.
Entrepreneurship is on the rise and the internet has made it easier for anyone to follow their heart and start a business. Starting a business is easy. Building a brand, not so much. Luckily, branding is in front of us all. We can see it, experience it and even feel it. If you have the passion and drive and are willing to learn the strategy, I’m here to help you build a brand that matters so you can live a fulfilling life on your own terms.
Why I Do What I Do
I build brands that matter because I believe entrepreneurs change the world.
What Do I Aspire To Be?
To be the best guide for entrepreneurs who want to build brands that matter.
How Do I Get There?
I am committed to teaching 1 million entrepreneurs the #1 Brand Strategy from the World’s Greatest Brands to build a brand that matters
How Am I Going To Accomplish My Mission?
Entrepreneurs never stop learning and there is so much to learn if we want to grow our business and be successful.
1. Studying time tested proven strategies from the best brands and sharing their wisdom with ambitious entrepreneurs worldwide through modern learning tools.
2. Interviewing the most influential entrepreneurs of our time so you can learn exactly how they built their successful brands.
3. Simplifying all of the information into one step-by-step actionable BrandPlan that guides you to success.
When I accomplish my mission and teach 1 million entrepreneurs how to build a brand that matters I will have impacted billions of people’s lives.
My Promise
To help you build a brand that matters, step-by-step
Strategically Different
Millions of Entrepreneurs think a brand is a logo. Likewise, millions of branding specialists and designers who focus on branding are creating logos and saying they create brands. What you have is brands that lack substance. Look around, there are millions of pretty logos that don’t matter to anyone because no one cares. Millions of entrepreneurs wonder why they can’t appeal to an audience, engage them, and build a loyal customer base who want to tell their friends and family about how amazing the brand is. A Business with a logo is not a brand. A brand is so much more as you will learn from me. Now I’m not saying logos are not important – because they are. I’m telling you a logo is only a 5% of a brand and your brand strategy should be created before designing a logo. Brand strategy impacts everything a business is and does. I believe that branding starts with strategy not design! Business is a game of strategy. If you are playing to win, you better learn the strategy. I’m here to guide you every step of the way.
I want to help you build a brand that matters to people who care. Brand with a plan!
Built to Serve
I guide you on your journey using the #1 brand strategy from world’s greatest brands so you can build a brand that matters.
Failure can’t stop you, only fear of failure can.
Trust me, I’ve been there. I’ve failed big. I looked fear in it’s eyes many times and continue to push forward through adversity. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely game, but thankfully we can easily connect with those who are wired like us, analyze the greatest brands of our time, and follow in their footsteps to create a brand that matters. They may be further along the way, but they are on the same journey as you and I.
Too often we try to figure things out alone. BrandPlan was created to guide entrepreneurs like you to build a strategic brand step-by-step. We are a growing community of driven entrepreneurs and are here to help, and support you every step of the way.
