The Birth of the Biddy Tarot Brand

Branding.

I used to think branding was just for big corporates. Certainly not for small businesses like Biddy Tarot.

I mean why would a small business want to invest tens of thousands of dollars in pretty colours and shapes, when that money could be directed elsewhere (new products, new team members, and so on)?

But it wasn't until I felt increasingly uncomfortable every time I looked at my website and reflected on my 5-year vision and felt a total mismatch that I realised I was wrong.

Branding is important. Even for a solopreneur, a small business, or a large corporate.

Why? It represents YOU on a plate. It represents what you see for your business and what you see for your community. It paints a picture of possibility for the future. And it helps others identify with your cause.

But looking back at the Biddy Tarot website and overall brand, I knew it just wasn't in resonance with what I had planned for the next few years.

Sure, the website has successfully attracted almost 15 million visitors in the past 12 months (whoa!) and has helped create a beautiful, virtual community of aspiring Tarot readers. But I knew that there was something more.

So I embarked on rebranding Biddy Tarot.

In this blog post, I share my story about the birth of the Biddy Tarot brand and what I've learned along the way. Now, I think it's hard to really impart those lessons without getting into the nitty-gritty of it, so I'm going share the real figures, in terms of dollars and cents, it took to achieve this. These are some big numbers, but I think the transparency is important to give you some perspective if you're thinking about undergoing a similar process soon. My wish is that it might inspire you to reflect on your business brand and how it aligns to how you want to shine your light in this world, in this lifetime.

The Birth of the Biddy Tarot Brand

A False Start

It was May 2015. I knew for sure that the Biddy Tarot brand and website needed a complete overhaul. There was no holding back. I was ready to do this.

So I engaged a branding team in the US and started mapping out the process. They'd create a new logo, write new copy (AKA ‘web content'), and then redesign the website. I'd have a brand new spanking website by the end of the year (even with a 3 month holiday to Spain in the middle) – yippee!

But what I didn't realise was that it was to be a disappointing false start.

By August, it was clear the copy wasn't hitting the mark and the copywriter was at a loss about how else to express what I had in my heart and mind.

And by September, the new logos were one step away from being approved, but when I shared it with a group of people I trust, they were left scratching their heads. “Where did you get this done? Fiverr?”

Holy moly. I had just invested $10,000 USD and my friends were asking if it the designs were from Fiverr (known for its $5 jobs).

My heart sunk.

I was desperate to have the website to be ready by the end of the year. But I knew deep down this wasn't it. The logos, the copy and just the general working relationship with this branding company just wasn't right.

I had a tough conversation with the team in October and we went our separate ways… $10,000 out of pocket and with nothing to show for it.

Hardest. Decision. Ever.

Trusting the Process

It was weird. One part of me wanted that finished website by the end of the year so bad and was willing to compromise on true alignment to achieve that outcome. But another part of me was calling to me and gently whispering, “This is not it. Trust the process.” Guess who won (thank goodness)?

So, back to square one.

But this time, I had a different mindset.

This time, I knew I had to be even clearer about what I wanted for Biddy Tarot and what Biddy Tarot wanted from me.

Following Hiro Boga‘s method of connecting with the soul of my business, I asked my business deva how she wanted to be expressed. I went through deep meditation, consulted the Tarot cards and allowed this question to consume me for several weeks so that I could intuitively receive the messages from her.

What emerged was beautiful.

I knew I needed to serve the Tarot community in a more inspiring and inclusive way. I knew I needed to bring a modern, authentic voice to Tarot. And I knew I needed to express this business and brand through the vibrant colours of purple and turquoise (those colours would not budge from my mind for months… in fact, they are the only colours I think about!!).

And what's beautiful is all of this would not have been possible, without having had that false start. (Does the Tower card come to mind?!)

Back in early 2015, it was about just getting the job done. And by the end of 2015, I knew it was a much deeper process, of feeling and dreaming into it and letting the soul of Biddy Tarot be fully expressed. I had evolved and I needed that initial experience to help me evolve.

Round 2 – Full Steam Ahead!

By December 2015, I was ready to go… again.

I engaged Brand Strategist, Re Perez, to help me articulate the brand message and positioning of Biddy Tarot. It was a huge investment but I was ready to up-level (and boy, was Biddy Tarot ready to up-level too!).

Re had a knack of being able to take my jumbled up thoughts and present them clearly and succinctly on a few pieces of paper. I was able to express what I had experienced through meditation and watch as it all came into form with the brand strategy.

Equipped with the strategy, I then signed on Joana Galvao and her team to create the visual identity, web design and development.

I had met Joana previously at a conference in the Philippines, and was impressed by her modern, clean and minimalist designs. Plus, she had just started learning the Tarot cards and seemed to ‘get' what the Biddy Tarot was all about.

By the end of January, Joana and her team had created the new Biddy Tarot logo.

I took one look and knew this was it.

Even better, Joana had incorporated the elements of the Tarot into the logo. Wow. Just wow.

At the same time, I worked with intuitive copywriter, Stella Orange, to put into words the true essence of Biddy Tarot. (My business deva would be proud!)

And, I hired a talented, intuitive photographer in Melbourne, Melissa Lau and enlisted my dear friend (and stylist) Lou to shoot some beautiful photos for the new website.

Preparing for ‘Birth'

Right now, at the time of writing this post, the team is head-down in creation mode. We're working on the new website design, creating the new Biddy Tarot Community and preparing to update our branding across all platforms (social media, our products, how we communicate and so on).

While ‘mum's the word' on exactly when we'll have the new website up and running, expect to see a few changes over the coming months as this new brand is born!

What I've Learned on This Branding Journey… And What You Need to Know if You Travel the Same Path

This branding journey has taught me some intense but enlightening lessons along the way. I've been opened up, put back together, and completely ‘reborn' during this process.

I want to share just some of my take-aways with you so that when you travel this path, you'll be well-prepared!

Start Small

Here's the thing. While I've invested over $50k (USD) on the rebranding of Biddy Tarot, you don't have to have such a big budget to get started.

It really works on a sliding scale.

If you're just starting out, then go for DIY branding. Choose your 2-3 colours and 1-2 fonts, and stick to those in everything you do. Choose a WordPress theme (under $100) and customise it with your colours. Have a friend take some beautiful photos (keep your outfits neutral) and use those on your website.

If you've already started to generate an income in your business, then you may want to invest in a custom-designed logo and website. Again, it's a sliding scale. You don't have to work with a top-notch designer. Choose someone from Upwork or even a student designer. Or, if you do have a little extra money in your budget, have a talented designer create the ‘skin' for your site, then outsource the rest to a Virtual Assistant or do it yourself.

Of course, your brand and logo are a representation of you and your business, so if you do have the money, it's a smart and strategic investment to engage with the best and get it right the first time.

Get Raw and Get Real

Throughout the whole branding process, the question I kept asking myself and my business was, “Who am I? Who am I really?”

I thought it'd be an easy question to answer, but it wasn't. In fact, it brought up a lot of shadows in my life and I realised perhaps I didn't have such a strong sense of self as I had thought. Perhaps I had actually been hiding a lot of who I am really.

Getting real is also about being true and authentic. I'd look at Instagram and all those gorgeous, boho style photos and think, “I've got to be like that!” only to remember that most days I spend in leggings and a t-shirt, not flowing dresses and crystals.

So discover who you really are and bring that to your business brand. Don't try to be something you're not.

Get in Alignment

If you don't ‘buzz' every time you see your logo or your website, then there's something wrong. You're out of (soul) alignment.

The mistake I made with the initial branding team was that I settled for ‘good enough'. But when I finally listened to my heart and my soul, I knew that ‘good enough' just wasn't going to cut it.

So if you're working with a designer or a copywriter (whether it's a friend or a professional), and it's not quite hitting the mark, be courageous and call it out. Change providers. Find someone who gets you and can represent your brand. And listen to your intuition – it's the best indication of whether you've hit that sweet spot where your soul purpose is aligned with your business.

Not Everyone is Going to Love Your Brand… And That's OK

After sharing my new logo in the Biddy Tarot newsletter, I got the following response from one subscriber, “With all due respect I don't like it and it is not at all obvious about what it represents.”

Did I stew over that one comment? Na. I just accepted that not everyone is going to love the logo, and that's OK. In fact, that's a good sign because you want the logo and brand to attract your ideal client, and not everyone is going to be your ideal client.

I've also seen many people go through a full consultation process with various Facebook Groups and social circles. “What do you think of my logo? Which one do you like best?” I'd steer clear of this. The best person to ask is your business deva, then your very favourite clients. That's it. Forget about friends and family. They're not your ideal client anyway. Their comments may just distract you from what you're here to do.

Over to You…

OK, I know this has been a super long blog post and my editor, Kerina, will kill me… but I wanted to share this story with you and give you some insight into how the branding process really works. It's not just about picking out a few colours and off you go. It can be a very deep, exploratory process that opens you up in so many beautiful ways.

So, over to you… have you considered your brand and what it says about you? What steps will you take to align your brand with your soul purpose?

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