I am going through a bit of an identity crisis.

In what seems to be the blink of an eye I have gone from being a young Latina hustling my way through four degrees, a career and a young business in a delightfully diverse city to having spent this weekend “picking up” a new car, interviewing a nanny to spend some constructive time with my two beautiful kids and thinking about what the next 10 years of my awesome branding company will look like while I try to spend as much time as I can in Europe… Huh…whaat? When did this all happen? (Cue J-Lo’s Jenny from the Block)

While I take a moment to reflect on my life, let’s put this into the context of your company. The same thing happens. You start [or takeover] a business, a product. You start with a few guys in a small office and next thing you know a decade or so later you count on an HR director to manage your close to 100 person staff across your multi-state locations. You no longer think about where your next customer is going to come from, but rather how you will get to $100 million in revenue over the next five years. Your company’s reality has changed. The problems and opportunities have changed.  Are you still the same company?

Embrace Who You Are

Sure the business has changed, sure your realities are different. But it’s that that you were when you started—that intention, that fire, that mission that is at the foundation of who you are and what you do—don’t change it. For us the act of reinvigorating a brand is not about changing a company’s image. It’s akin to the job of a diamond cutter. We uncover the core—that years of pressure and success have made a diamond—and cut it, refine it, so its essence shines bright.

Build on What You’re Good At…

Similar to the latter point, when it comes to what you do in the market place, focus on what you do best. While a healthy dose of diversification is always in order, your core business should come from what you have established real value with, not the latest greatest fad. Madonna, has re-invented herself dozens of times to stay relevant, but whoever she becomes this year she never fails on her core competency—great, and at times controversial, entertainment.

…But Expect and Welcome Change

Chances are if you were the same company that you were 10, even 20 years ago, you wouldn’t be in business. Your business had to change to deal with a new reality, one that technology and globalization has certainly changed exponentially. With the latter two points in mind, change must be anticipated, welcomed and capitalized upon. Those things in life that don’t change, die. (It’s an axiom.)

This simple dose of business self-help is brand strategy in a nutshell—reveal your essence, build on your core competencies so that you can adapt strategically in a changing world. That’s what we do every day at Blue Daring—help [your brand] live intentionally to maximize your success.

“Reveal your essence, build on your core competencies so that you can adapt strategically in a changing world.”

The more I think about it this crisis of mine is sounding much more like an evolution… I think I like it.