One of the most consistent pieces of advice I get from experts is to share my story. ‘Story’ is at the heart of any brand. It’s what I do for clients.

Like a cobbler with broken boots, I’ve never shared my full story.
This is how I usually introduce myself.

💼…the general part

“Hello, I’m Nigel, an independent brand consultant based in London. I combine my experience in business, strategy, and creativity to help business owners transform their vision into a brand and gain greater clarity, focus and direction.”

But that’s not a story.
How did I get to do what I do?

🚀… the journey part

“Hello, I’m Nigel, I used to doodle, spend my time in the art room, did a Graphic Design Degree, worked at leading London agencies, rebranded Ford, was a founding partner in my own successful agency, and now work directly with clients on; brand architecture, positioning, naming, and identity.”

That’s my journey, but not the full story.
There’s a missing part that I avoid talking about publicly.

❤️‍🩹…the missing part

Five years ago, I had a major cardiac arrest. 29 minutes of down time, 4 weeks in a coma and a slim chance of survival. Recovery was challenging. Everyday tasks overwhelming. The world more confusing. Scary. Uncertain.

Branding was hardwired into me and enabled me to find focus. Whilst recovering a colleague suggested that I write down everything I know about branding and share it. This evolved into Untangle Your Brand, which has greatly impacted many business owners.

“Hello, I’m Nigel, branding can seem overly complicated, so I demystify the process. I believe that brand owners have the answers, and I can help untangle your brand to create clarity for your audience”.

But that’s not the whole story either.
Where’s the emotional connection?

🤘…the passionate part

I’ve been buying records since I was 10, have over 6,000 records taking over my home and DJ weekly. I’d never spoken about music in relation to work, it was my private passion. But recently Zoom meetings generally go like this;

“What’s your background?”
“Oh, it’s just my records.”
“Wow. I love music. I used to have loads of vinyl, but Mum threw them away. Who’s your favourite band?”

Emotional connection created.

I now have greater clarity on why I do what I do, not just what I do, or how I do it.

  • Hand (practical stuff); the love of branding started with doodles.
  • Head (rational stuff); the love of simplifying after recognising the complexity of life.
  • Heart (passionate stuff); the love of music and bringing it into my work.

Let’s try telling my story again.

❤️…my story distilled

“Hello, I’m Nigel. Let’s untangle your brand and have some fun doing it.”

🤔…discover your story

Don’t wait for it to happen; identify what makes you unique
Don’t keep it a secret; share everything with everyone
Don’t play it safe; mix business with passion