Finding Your Why—5 Crucial Questions to Ask Yourself When Building a Killer Brand

Do you have a great idea but don't know how to bring it to life? Well, before you start calling manufacturers or building a website, there's one thing Idalia Salsamendi says you have to do first: Find your why. Okay, so it sounds like a school project at first but here's why you need to take the time and put in the effort. Your "why" will be the backbone of your business and when building that killer Media Kit which can land your dream partnership jobs. Not sure what your "why?" is or how to make the perfect Media Kit? Don't stress, we asked Salsamendi, CEO and founder of top influencer and brand strategy company Idalia Salsamendi INC and founder/host of Realization Podcast to take show you how in our three-part series. Read on to start creating yours, then join her at our Vision Summit in Miami for her workshop, Pitch Perfect: How to Create a Media Kit That Turns Brands Into Paying Clients exclusive to C&C Insiders and she’ll show you how to turn that “why” into money.

Photo: Courtesy of Create & Cultivate

PART TWO: Hi, it’s Ego calling… can you pick up?

Welcome back my peeps! So last week we chatted all about your “why” and dipped our toes into working from a selfless place. When discovering your purpose and setting out to evolve your brand, there’s one word that you always have to keep in check: Ego.

Yup, that voice in the back of our head that always seems to be “conveniently” turned on even when we don’t want it to be. This could sound something like:

Don’t they know who I am? I should have the king suite in this hotel.

Ugh, I refuse to post for free. Brands should always pay me no matter what!

Ummm… I don’t fly economy. I only fly first class and there better be a chilled glass of champagne (NOT SPARKLING WINE) waiting for me on the plane.

I’m literally chuckling as I write this because however absurd our ego may sound to us, we all know it’s there and let’s face it, we all give in to it sometimes. In order to really create a successful business and brand, we need to separate our lofty ideas about ourselves and roll up our sleeves to do the work.

Let’s also preface this entire article by saying there is a very clear distinction between ego and self-love. I’m the first one to tell you to get in front of a mirror every morning and say your affirmations, to toot your own horn when you’ve hit a milestone, to be grateful for the life you’re creating for yourself. So much of my podcast, Realization, dedicates itself to finding that clear balance and using it propel yourself forward in a really authentic and healthy way. Inviting colleagues of mine in the industry like Brittany Xavier, Mary Lawless Lee, and Petra Nemcova to come to chat with me about brand-building has had one common thread: lack of ego. 

So I’m going to make your life even easier by giving you the five crucial questions you should ask yourself when building your killer brand/business. Ready? 

1.     Are you accepting a job/opportunity because of what they’re paying you or because you think you can genuinely benefit the company and meet (or exceed) their expectations?

2.     When you feel like there is a miscommunication between you and a client, do you immediately jump on the defensive blaming them or do you come from a place of empathy in your communication and try to find a resolution amicably?

3.     When a colleague of yours secured an incredible opportunity—one that maybe you were also wishing for but didn’t get—are you elated for the success of your friend or spiteful that it wasn't you that got the job?

4.     After every job/campaign you complete, do you thank the client for hiring you and send up follow up metrics, or do you wait for them to come to you to work with you again?

5.     If you had to describe yourself in three words, would the word kind show up?

“In order to really create a successful business and brand, we need to separate our lofty ideas about ourselves and roll up our sleeves to do the work. ”

Here’s the thing. We are all human and sweet baby Jesus knowssssss I’ve been guilty of all the above. But in order to better your business and create more opportunities for yourself, you gotta check yo-self before you wreck yo-self. I can’t explain how many brands/clients I work with that won’t work with an influencer because of their excessive ego. If that’s not raising any red flags for you, let me be painfully clear: the cream always rises to the top.

So if you’re not accepting a job because you can genuinely better the brand, or communicating from a place of empathy, or supporting your fellow colleagues, or being verbally thankful for the opportunities you’ve been given, or kind, guess what? There’s a slew of other influencers and entrepreneurs in the excessive pool of social media that will advance much quicker with you.

PS: I want to end this segment by brilliantly noting that being kind and grateful does not mean you allow people to step all over you. It doesn’t mean you allow yourself to be taken for granted. It doesn’t mean that clients can pay you 1/10th your going rate. It doesn’t mean you have to say “yes” to everything. Do you see what I’m saying? Sometimes when I work with my clients, they’re so afraid of not being mean that they do a complete 180* flip. So stay your grand, know your worth, and rock on in life!

By the way, have fun along the way.

About the Author

Idalia Salsamendi, CEO/founder of Idalia Salsamendi INC and founder/host of Realization Podcast

Idalia is an industry-leading business strategist and social media consultant. With over 16 years of experience in PR and top-tier talent management, Idalia opened her company in 2016 with a strategy for both brands and influencers at its core. Known for being selective towards the types of projects and clients she engages, the mantra for her company is to inspire, inform, empower. Her roster includes Chriselle Lim, Brittany Xavier, Jacey Duprie, Chopard, and Valentino to name a few.

Also an enthusiastic public speaker, Idalia makes time to speak at top international conferences and businesses such as WWD Style Summit, FOHR U, Karlo Otto Paris, and now Create and Cultivate to share her knowledge of the digital media space while also gaining a wider and more global perspective about the industry.

Don’t miss Idalia Salsamendi’s workshop, “Pitch Perfect: How to Create a Media Kit That Turns Brands Into Paying Clients” at Vision Summit in Miami on December 7, exclusive to Insider’s members. Not a member? Sign up HERE!