Marketing Vs. Advertising for Brand Owners

Do You Actually Know Who You're Designing For?

Can we be honest for a second?

Most of us started our brands because we loved the design part. The fit, the fabric, the finish. Nobody warned us that the hardest part wouldn't be making the product — it would be figuring out exactly who it's for.

So if sales have felt slower than they should, or you've caught yourself wondering "does anyone even get it?" I promise you're not alone, and it's probably not your product.

Here are three questions I ask every brand owner I work with. I'm not going to answer them for you here — partly because they're worth sitting with, and partly because that's exactly what we dig into together this September.

Question 1

Could you describe your customer without reaching for "trendy," "confident," or "young"?

No judgment if you paused there — almost everyone does at first. Those words feel like a description, but they don't actually tell you (or anyone on your team) who you're really talking to.

Question 2

Right now, what is she buying instead of your product?

Not "nothing like this exists" — something's already solving this for her, even if it's a workaround, a competitor, or just going without. Once you know what that is, everything about your marketing gets easier.

Question 3

What does her life actually look like on the day she decides to buy?

Not her age or her zip code — her circumstances. This is the piece that turns a spreadsheet full of demographics into a real person you're designing for.

Here's the Thing

You can nail the fit, the fabric, and the finish — and still struggle, simply because the "who" was never quite as clear as it felt like it was. That's not a flaw in you or your brand. It's just the part nobody really teaches.

This Is Exactly What We Dig Into in Fashion Brand Founders

These three questions (and how to actually work through them) are part of what Nichole and I walk through together in the Fashion Brand Founders Masterclass. You can buy the first half here and join us live this September. If you aren’t familiar - my partner Nichole Simms the Boutique Expert and I are on a mission to take serious brand owners to the next level. If you missed the webinar check it out →click here←.

I've spent 17+ years in this industry — including hands-on work with Haggar, Pinpoint Merchandisign, Mad Engine, and Bioworld. I’ve been instrumental in starting or growing some of your favorite independent brands such as Black Jockey Clothing, Classic Six New York and Doughnuts and Deadlifts — and I built this because I wish someone had handed me this exact roadmap earlier. Not generic business advice. The real stuff, for real fashion brands.

If those three questions gave you pause, that's okay — that's what we're here for.