Introducing…
Position your food brand to stand out! This step-by-step process will help you connect the dots to go from making a great product to building a strong brand. Read more below, or get started now.
How Well does your brand stand out?
Your brand is the “North Star” to help you define how you’ll meet the needs of your consumers in a way your competitors can’t, or won’t, to set your brand apart. And once you’ve defined your brand strategy, it really is the guide and the glue that helps you align your business to meet your vision. Can you relate to any of these points I hear from food business owners?
You have a great product...
and people love it, but you have a hard time articulating what truly makes your brand stand out so you can continue to grow.
You have a sense of who's buying today...
but don’t feel entirely confident that you’re telling the right brand story to turn them into loyal fans of your brand or attract new consumers.
You're unclear on what to say...
so you start to sweat when people ask about your business because you feel like you’re recreating the wheel each time to see what sticks, but it feels inefficient and exhausting.
You have a lot of ideas...
and it can be hard to prioritize what to do first or which opportunity to pursue. You need to work on your website, packaging, messaging, etc. …and aren’t sure where to start.
You have plans to Build a team...
and want to keep them informed, aligned, and motivated to help your brand get to the next level because you know you can’t do it alone.
You’re in the right place! Why let big brands have all the fun using a formal brand development process to stand out?
…Let’s get started!
How to Build a Strong Brand
Knowing your Ideal Core Consumer, Competitive Set & Company Advantages — and documenting it — helps unlock your brand positioning so you can align everything you do on the front and back end of your business to reach your vision.
Whether you want to optimize your existing Brand Strategy as you scale, or you are creating it from scratch, this program provides a powerful combination of on-demand content, monthly live Q&A + Mini Mastermind calls and a private peer community to help you identify and articulate how your brand will stand out.
You get immediate access to a step-by-step process + support to DEFINE (or refine) your Brand Strategy as well as learn how to ALIGN your business around it to ACTIVATE your strategy.
Ready to build a brand that stands out?
Here’s what you’ll take away from each part of this three-step process:
Define
The goal of this phase is Clarity
Develop a clear understanding of who your core consumer is, their motivations and pain points – and how you can position your brand to meet those needs in a way your competitors can’t, or won’t, to create loyal fans of your brand.
We’ll dive into Competitors, Consumers and your Company to set your “North Star” aka defining, or refining, your Brand Strategy. This is not easy work but it is SO worthwhile to get in order before you move on to the next two steps.
Align
With Clarity comes Confidence
Once you’re clear on who you’re serving and how to position your brand to stand out, you can confidently align the front and back end of your business to deliver on your brand promises. I call this the Brand Management Mindset.
Whether you wear all the hats or you’re getting your team members on board with your vision, in this phase it’s all about being on the same page so all areas of the business are rowing together in the same direction to bring your big vision to life.
Activate
Clarity + Confidence = Consistency
With clarity and confidence comes consistency. With a fresh understanding of your position in the market you can think of every decision as an opportunity to build your brand.
Remember…consistent does not mean boring, it means not reinventing the wheel at every turn. It creates a cumulative effect as you build capabilities and capacity to allocate your resources more efficiently and effectively on a day to day basis.
Good News…Work At Your Own Pace
The beauty of on-demand content is that you don’t have to worry about scheduling around other meetings to get those breakthrough moments. You can block time on your calendar at whatever time is best for you, then bring your questions to the private group or on our monthly content Q&A + Mini Mastermind sessions. And if you want to set up 1:1 time to discuss your brand, we you can choose from a single strategy session or a package of 3 sessions.
Many people make huge strides in just a few days and refine over time, while others focus on one topic per week or two – it’s your timeline. The base program includes 12 months of access to the course videos, calls, and the option to add 1:1 sessions at a special rate.
A Look Inside
Example: 6 week Schedule — can be Completed in several Days or Months
Here is an example of what your schedule could look like, knowing you can work at your own pace. It is worth noting that while it can be done in just a few days, this work takes some focused thinking. However, the benefit of spending the time now is more efficient work in the future because you’ve got a foundation for your North Star set so you’re not recreating the wheel every time you create something.
Week 1
Program Intro and a Look Inward at Vision, Purpose & Values
Week 2
Understanding the Competitive Landscape to Identify Opportunity.
Week 3
Getting to Know Your Ideal Core Consumer
Week 4
Features vs Benefits, Brand Pillars & Positioning Your Brand to Stand Out
Week 5
Brand Personality, Brand Essence & Brand Story
Week 6
Prioritize Plans to Align & Activate
12 months of Access
Enjoy 12 months of access to the course and Q&A + Mini-Mastermind to support you as you Define/Refine, Align and Activate Your Brand Strategy over time.
Want to talk through if this program is the right fit for you? Send me an email and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have to help you decide if this course is a good fit to help you build a strong brand, or if another option may be better for you at this time. I look forward to hearing from you!
This isn’t a place to just talk theory or throw around jargon.
This is a place to get the work done. Here’s what you get when you step inside in order to Define/Refine, Align & Activate your brand strategy.
On-Demand Content
- The Brand Strategy Streamlined video modules and templates will guide your progress as you complete your 25+ page Brand Strategy Workbook. You can reference the materials for 12 months so you can learn, optimize and refine over time as you learn to use your Brand Strategy to be your guide and your glue to build a cohesive brand.
1Hr 1:1 Strategy Session
- I’m including one complimentary 60min 1:1 session with me to make sure we have time to talk specifically about your business and how to position your unique brand to bring your vision to life. You will get a link to set up your 1:1 session after your purchase.
Monthly Content Q&A + Mini-Mastermind SEssions
- Monthly coaching calls to answer questions related to understanding and clarifying the content of the program as well as Mini-Mastermind “hot seats” (aka roundtable) to discuss a challenge or opportunity with the group. These sessions will help you gain a deeper understanding of the content as you hear from other food business owners. Sensitive topics or confidential brand-specific strategies can be discussed in your 1:1 strategy session.
Investment: $349 for 12 months of Access
To prepare to refresh my artisan caramel brand, Helliemae’s, I completed Brand Strategy Streamlined with Katie Mleziva, and it was a great experience. Did you notice I said I completed the course? I didn’t just enroll and do part of it. The material and assignments were so useful to me that I prioritized the time to complete the work. The insights Katie’s course provided were valuable and unexpected. For example, the coursework and consultation with Katie yielded the realization that a big part of what our customers value is how easy we make gift-giving. That finding has influenced changes I’m making this year.
Ellen D.
Meet Your Brand Strategy Guide
Are you confident that you have a great product, but feel a wave of stress come over when you need to figure out how to succinctly describe what you do, who you do it for, and why?
As a Food Brand Strategist, I’m passionate about working with natural food businesses and sustainable farms to shake up shopping carts so we can help more people get access to real food. After years of steady progression in Marketing and Brand Management at Fortune 500 companies in Consumer Package Goods (CPG) and Healthcare, I left the corporate world to pursue my own entrepreneurial journey as an independent Brand Strategist.
I’m here to offer you just the right blend of big brand strategy concepts to streamline a process that works better for more nimble emerging brands so you can confidently share your brand story in a way that inspires action.
You Might Be Wondering
How long will it take?
You can work at your own pace so it really depends on your schedule. There is a lot of focused thinking involved in each phase of the program but it’s up to you how long it takes to go through the exercises. Some people set aside a weekend to do the work (i.e. it can be done in a few days) when they are kicking off a copywriting, design, website, marketing, etc. project before meeting with a new partner. Others take a more liesurely approach and use a few months to get through it all based on other commitments. The ideal timing seems to be about 4-6 weeks for people who want to get it done at a casual but consistent pace.
Why is the price so low?
Many people have told me it could be higher because this is the same process I use with 1:1 Brand Strategy clients for many times the price.
The reason the price is so low is not that I am undervaluing the content, the program, or the results you will get. It is because my Why/Purpose is to help all people get access to real food, and as part of being on that mission I want to help all-natural food and sustainable farms position your brand to stand out so people can find you and want to tell their friends!
Let’s not let big brands have all the fun.
Will you be reviewing my work?
I am invested in your success! The program is a “guided DIY ” program that is meant to be completed on your own time following the step-by-step process shared in the videos and workbook. However, I also know part of the reason people come to me is because they are seeking my expertise and feedback, so I am happy to include one 60 minute Brand Strategy Session with your 12 month access to the program.
Do You Offer Refunds?
Given the nature of the program content and coaching, refunds are not available. I’m confident that this process will add immediate value to how you look at your food business, however, if you are unsatisfied for any reason please reach out to me right away and send your completed Workbook done in conjunction with the video series (it all builds on each other!) so we can discuss where you are feeling stuck to help you get on the right track.
If you want to get a sense for my style prior to joining the program you can either set up a 30-minute call by contacting me or listen to the Real Food Brands podcast.
Can we have multiple team members participate?
Yes, up to 2 people from your team can listen in on the Q&A calls. However, there should be one main point of contact from your team who is taking the lead.
What happens if you update the content?
Good news! You will have access to all content updates within the program for the duration of your purchase timeframe.
I'm a service provider, can I offer this to my clients?
I'm a service provider, can I buy this to learn for my own business?
I’d Love To see you inside!
Brand Strategy Streamlined will help you finally unlock the clarity you have been looking for around your ideal core consumer, your competitive set and how to position your brand stand out in a crowded market.
