Building a brand is like running

I went for a run this morning to clear my head, and it happened to be a very windy day.  For the first half of the course, I was running directly against a strong wind.  Each step took twice as much effort as normal, and sometimes it felt like I was running in place.  I wanted to give up a fair amount of times, but kept telling myself that it didn’t matter how fast (or slow!) I was going, just that I was making progress.  That if I kept putting one foot in front of the other, I would eventually get there.  Then it was time to turn the corner, and the wind was at my back.  It literally propelled me forward almost faster than I wanted to go, and gave me the strength and energy to finish the run.  I felt invigorated, and enjoyed the second half of the run as I easily finished with some help from mother nature!  I was glad I hadn’t quit when it was tough, because otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment and the exciting ease of it all when I finally got past the difficult part.

When I came home and sat back down in front of my computer, I started thinking about just how much building a brand is like running against the wind.  When you first start, it really feels like forces are blowing against you, and so much of your energy is spent “running in place.”  But if you stick it out, you will eventually turn the proverbial corner, and be able to enjoy the feeling of how everything seems to be working with you, instead of against you.  It can take a really long time to get to this point.  But, trust me, it is worth every effort.

With love,

Karen Kilpatrick