Pia Silva has discovered that once you are able to discover your unique brand message – that vision and expression of your company that is you and only you – you’ll experience success like never before. That’s the gold nugget at the heart of her personal story and the explosion of her company, Worst of All Design. Pia is a Forbes columnist who writes about branding for small companies and does powerful “Brand Up” sessions for service businesses to help them differentiate themselves from others in their industry. Besides telling the story of her personal journey on this episode, Pia shares the nuts and bolts of building a unique brand, gives us a free DIY branding exercise, and explains what made her move from a behind-the-scenes, camera-shy woman to building a brand around herself. You’ll love Pia’s enthusiasm, energy, and wisdom when it comes to brand building, so be sure to listen.
A different and memorable brand: That’s the key to success for small companies.
Of course you want to do what you do with excellence. But everybody in your niche is trying to do the same thing and chances are you’ll all wind up about the same when it comes to quality. So you need something that will make you stand out, something that will make your company the one people remember when they think of what you do. Pia says that means you’ve got to discover what makes you uniquely you – and what sets your business apart. It’s likely not in what you offer, but in how you offer it and how you communicate it to potential clients. It’s your unique brand message and on this episode, Pia explains what you can do to begin your own brand discovery process, so don’t miss it.
Personal branding is powerful because people connect with individuals, not companies
Pia is not a person who naturally wants to be in front of the camera. In fact, on this episode, she tells about how awkward it was for her to go to her first appointment with a professional photographer. But she made the decision to step outside her comfort zone when she realized that the book she’d written was HER book and SHE needed to be the one out front driving its promotion and sales. That decision was one of many that led to her current prominence in the branding space, including the opportunity to be a regular contributor to Forbes magazine. When you listen to this conversation you’ll see why Pia is such a treasure to those who need to find their unique brand voice.
A great branding question: What do you stand against?
Pia says that most branding companies ask the business owner or founder what they stand for. But the answers she hears to the question are typically bland and unclear. So she decided to ask the exact opposite: What do you stand against? The responses she gets are not only filled with a greater degree of passion, they are also more revealing of the kind of business the owner wants to build and run. You can hear more ingenious ideas like this from Pia by listening to this episode.
Your greatest strengths are also your greatest weaknesses
As we progress in our journey each of us has the opportunity to grow or remain stagnant. It’s those of us who make the decision to grow who wind up succeeding, but it takes a lot of hard, inner work to get to that place. Pia says that her process of learning about herself has led her to see that the things that are her greatest strengths – her drive and determination, for example – are also her greatest weaknesses in certain situations, so she’s learning to give herself the down time her soul and body need to remain strong, refreshed, and healthy. I can hear the growth that’s happened in Pia’s life since the last time I spoke with her and love the journey she is on. You will too, so set aside some time, grab your favorite drink, and listen to this great conversation.
Episode Highlights
- 2:05 – How Pia became inspired to build a branding firm around her fiance’s skills set.
- 5:16 – The one factor that most contributed to $0 to $250K growth in 6 months.
- 11:24 – The motivation to move from “behind-the-scenes” to the face of the brand.
- 18:20 – Pia’s fight to stay centered and focus on her creative process one thing at a time.
- 21:39 – Lessons learned from travel, including a new work hack (she calls it Spain Brain).
- 26:05 – How Pia’s consistency got her the opportunity to become a Forbes contributor.
- 27:21 – Branding nuts and bolts: Getting the gut reaction of who a business leader is.
- 36:10 – How Pia and her husband Steve are able to work so well together.
- 39:42 – Pia’s discovery that her greatest strengths are her greatest weaknesses.
- 44:43 – Thoughts women should consider before working with their spouse.
Resources Mentioned
- Worst of All Design – Pia’s company
- Pia’s free gift: Get her “Brand Shrink” PDF – www.BadassYourBrand.com/NextFem
- Pia on Instagram
- Pia on Twitter
- BOOK: Badass Your Brand
- BOOK: Deep Work by Cal Newport
- BOOK: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
1. Favorite book for women?
- The Big Leap by Guy Hendricks
2. Favorite self-care hack?
- Not starting work until 1PM each day. Gives her time to care for herself in the morning and make the most of her work hours.
3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you?
- “Whenever you have to do something, ask yourself, ‘What would happen if I didn’t do this?’ “
4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now?
5. One piece of advice you’d give your 5 years younger self?
- Don’t worry so much. If you keep at it, you’ll be just fine.
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