"What we see depends mainly on what we look for.”
Ever bought a piece of furniture from IKEA?
Looks amazing in the catalog. Price is right. Comes with “everything you need” and the promise of self-reliance.
… … …
Four hours later you’re still reading hieroglyphics on the floor, questioning your life choices.
But hey, you saved a few bucks. Right?
Until six months later, the thing starts wobbling and you realize: “yeah … this really isn’t holding up the way I need it to.”
😤
… … …
Kinda like DIY branding and design.
Sure, the promise of AI tools and pre-built templates makes it seem sensible.
Until you factor in the midnight YouTube sessions, hours on chat support, and endless bandaids required to keep it (sort of) functional.
***
Now, let’s flip it.
What if — instead of playing carpenter’s apprentice — you bring in someone who builds client-magnet “furniture” for a living?
No missing screws or garbled instructions. Just a brand that shows up polished, persuasive, and ready to go.
Let’s run some actual (conservative) numbers.
If your average project value is $5k …
And your new, confident branding helps you land just two per month …
That’s an extra $120k per year. 🤑 Easy peasy.
Now compare that to the cost of hiring a pro to get your branding, website and messaging done the right way.
Not so expensive anymore, right?
Especially when the investment isn’t just a one-time boost.
It’s a “forever” asset that works 24/7 for your business — building trust, filtering the right clients, and doing the heavy lifting, long before you ever get on a call.
***
Eventually, we grow out of the “IKEA phase” and get pre-built furniture delivered.
[ I tell my parents it’s the one true sign of adulthood. Ha. ]
Your business is no different.
Branding, design, marketing, content, strategy — it only works if it holds up. And at some point, you get tired of building it all on the floor.
So, I guess the real question is:
Are YOU ready to put down the Allen wrench? 😉
***
“Stuck” is a choice.
Weird how "fine" becomes our default, isn’t it?
We adapt and try to normalize the friction. Until one day, the frustration gets loud enough to interrupt our status-quo routine.
My friend Lori Reising, Transformational Mentor and Spiritual Guide, put together something that meets you right there.
Her free 3-Step Guide to Getting Unstuck walks you through:
How to notice the subtle mental loops that keep you playing small in life and business
Easy ways to confront and let go of resistance (without blowing up your entire life)
Simple steps to take back to your inner clarity and momentum
This isn’t about sucking it up and carrying on. It’s a gentle reset to remind you that you deserve more.
Victory Points
By: Mike Shary
My board-game-loving, copywriter extraordinaire and mentor, Dad ❤️
Point Galaxy is a fun card drafting puzzle about chasing patterns among the stars for one to five players.
On your turn, you take two cards from a shared grid and tuck them into your growing galaxy. As the name implies, there are many different ways to score points. Most cards are planets with numbers, so you are trying to build neat little sequences and clusters.
Mixed into the deck are suns, moons, asteroids, wormholes, rockets, and research projects that twist the scoring in your favor if you line them up just right.
The trick is that the same market of cards looks different depending on what you are paying attention to.
One player might see a perfect way to extend a numbered run. Another sees a chance to claim a color set or race toward an objective before anyone else. If you only hunt for one type of card, you miss the combos hiding in plain sight. The players who do well are the ones who keep asking, “What else could this card be for?”
Your brand is built on the same habit. If you only look for clicks, you design one kind of message. If you only look at short-term sales, you design another. A good brand advisor helps you decide what to watch for in your audience, your analytics, and your own strengths, so you can spot the patterns that lead to better offers and clearer communication.
If you enjoy fast turns, shared markets, and the feeling of discovering new ways to score each time you play, Point Galaxy is a great little game that will see a lot of table time.
Make it a great week! 🙌
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