The Design Business Show 245: Release Your Rebel Spirit with Ann Bennett

Ann Bennett is the founder of Renegade Branding and has spoken across the country and around the world. She is a Best Selling Author, Coach, and Brand Profit Builder. Ann has shared the stage with Thought Leaders like Les Brown, Jack Canfield, Sandra Yancey CEO of eWomen and You’re a Badass Author, Jen Sincero. Ann uses her marketing and branding genius to help women entrepreneurs (and a few good men) build their STAND-OUT personal brands and boost their profits. Ann works with purpose-driven entrepreneurs who do transformational work so they can liberate and ignite their unique genius, and authentic voice to build a profitable brand platform. Ann has 25 years of experience in visual and graphic design and has brought her talents to many major magazines from Popular Mechanics to Vogue; “Where the Devil Really does wear Prada”. Ann’s personal slogan and the cornerstone of all her programs is, “Liberate Your Rebel Spirit & Rake In The Revenue.”     Here’s what we covered on the episode:   Ann’s Start in Design When Ann Bennett started in design, they would cut out letters, paste them together, and take a picture for layouts.  How Ann learned all she knows about design "on the street" through doing hands-on work  Ann shares how she got her job at Vogue without fashion in her portfolio or knowing anyone in the company by taking their pages, redesigning them herself, and calling the design director each day for a week. The biggest thing when it comes to getting work, Ann says, is your impression and the feeling you give people in your presence.  As designers, we discuss how important feedback is and how to listen to your clients.  Ann shares that she originally went to art school as a painter and went to New York for her painting career, and along the way, everyone worked in graphic design.  In New York, Ann witnessed the first plane hit the World Trade Center on 9/11 while working at Vogue and says it changed her life forever.  Shortly after, she moved out of New York and realized she wanted to support people in building their businesses. Renegade Branding + Personal Storytelling How Ann created the 4 Renegade Brand Archetypes: Nurturer, Disrupter, Innovator, or Geek, and from that, she can help develop your visual brand, messaging, programs, etc. Liberating your rebel spirit is about allowing who you actually are to be at the forefront of what your brand is and what you do.  Ann explains and gives examples of each of her 4 Renegade Brand Archetypes and shares a quiz that you can take to help pinpoint which one you are  There are so many options and opportunities that it's difficult for people to make decisions, which is why branding is so important - so your brand stands out. The whole point of a brand and a strong message is so people can see and understand your value.  We chat about AI, how we've tested it, and the uncharted territory we are going into as designers because it will use your online work and give it to others. Ann explains that head-whipping hooks are strong statements that disrupt people's thinking, so you can bring the value of what you do to follow it.  Ann shares that a client of hers was in a car accident where her nose was severed from her face, which led her to the beauty industry - her head-whipping hook was "nobody wants to be stared at unless they're stunning."   Personal stories are powerful for branding and marketing because people want to connect with you. How Ann gets each client to write a story from each decade of their life to help share who they are, what they do, and the value of it. Ann works with clients through her programs, masterclass, and one-on-one work.  I share the results from my Renegade Brand Archetype Quiz and some details of the Innovator Archetype.  People come to Ann for work because they have an inner rebel who wants to become an outer rockstar, and she'll help them do it through development work.  Ann says it's not about being the best, it's about being different.  Take Ann's Renegade Brand Archetype Quiz and check out Ann’s website to learn more about her   Links mentioned: Renegade Branding Renegade Brand Archetype Quiz  Ann Bennett’s Website   Like what you heard?  Click here to subscribe + leave a review on iTunes. Click here to download my Sales Page Trello Board Let’s connect on Instagram!