Elizabeth Lacombe is the founder of Little Lizzie Paper, an all-occasion stationery line for those who value simple beauty designed to celebrate meaningful moments. Knowing she wanted to infuse more meaning and feeling into her brand, Elizabeth joined my brand-building program, The Brandpolish Academy to do just that…read her journey to brand clarity & brand love.

What did you feel were your biggest branding challenges before you joined THE BRANDPOLISH ACADEMY? 

The biggest challenge I had in my business is that I lacked clarity and direction. I was trying to be everything for everybody. I knew I had to “niche down” but I had no idea what exactly that meant or how to do it. 

I also struggled with writing a mission statement and figuring out my ideal client. 

What were some of the biggest takeaways from your journey in THE BRANDPOLISH ACADEMY?

One of the biggest “AHA moments” I had was when I was going through the ideal client exercises. Since I am a new business, I didn’t really have an audience or clients that I could use for testimonials or to interview to find out more about who they were or why they were interested in my services and products. 

In the academy, I learned that rather than make up or guess who I thought my ideal client may be, I should think about a real-life person that I admire and follow who I think would like and use my products. With this shift in thought, I finally understood who my ideal client is. After that, things became clearer: I knew who I was designing products for and how to speak to them. 

I also learned a lot about myself and my business when I spent time diving into “my why” at the start of the academy. By getting clear on why I started my business and figuring out how I wanted people to feel when they interacted with my business, I was able to create my brand words. I use these brand words as a filter which helps me stay focused when I am creating marketing content and developing new products. 

How have you already put your brand strategy to work for you?

After working on my brand strategy in the course, I created a brand manifesto which is one of the biggest tools I use almost daily. It is posted in my office. It serves as my north star: it reminds me where I want to go and how I want to get there. I read it when I need to remind myself why I created my business, who I am trying to serve, and how I want people feel when they use my products.

What tangible results have you had in your business since getting clear on what your brand stands for and how to position it to your audience?

After getting clear on my brand and my audience, I was able to write an About page for my website that is authentic and feels like me and connects to my ideal clients. 

I am also able to use what I learned to generate valuable content for my email marketing and social media channels. 

What are you most excited about for your brand after being part of THE BRANDPOLISH ACADEMY?

I love that I came away with a mission statement, vision, and core values for my brand as well as a solid understanding of my ideal client.

Having this clarity has really propelled me forward. I am excited to talk about my business and I can’t wait to launch my first product line this spring!  

If you had to tell another entrepreneur why it’s important to work on their brand strategy, what would you say?

If I were to give one piece of advice to a business owner who is just starting out, it would be to take the time to build a strong foundation. This starts with focusing first on your brand strategy. You need to be clear on where you want to go and who you want to serve. The more you time and thought you put in to developing a strong brand strategy, the easier things will be for you as you work in your business.

Follow Little Lizzie Paper on Instagram and be sure to check out her Spring launch!

And if you’re looking to develop a strong foundation for your business, take Elizabeth’s advice and start with your brand strategy! Doors are open to The Brandpolish Academy now - check it out & join.