Define Your Brand - Taking Control of Your Narrative
"A brand's strength is built upon its determination to promote its own distinctive values and mission." - Jean-Noel Kapferer
The Hard Truth: Your Brand Already Exists
Here's something that might shock you: Your brand actually exists whether you define it or not.
Right now, your audience might be defining it for you. They're forming opinions, creating associations, deciding if they trust you or not. This is happening whether you're participating in the process or not.
I would rather we be intentional and take control.
The question isn't whether you have a brand—it's whether you're intentionally shaping it or letting others define it for you.
"If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don't have to be pushed. The vision pulls you." - Steve Jobs
The Brand Journey Framework: Your Roadmap to Intentional Branding
The first step in defining your brand is defining your desired outcome. I like to work from the end goal and reverse engineer our way backwards.
Here's exactly how I reverse engineer from desired outcome to today. It's called the Brand Journey Framework, and it's just four simple questions. But I can't tell you how many people have told me how impactful this was and how it gave them the exact roadmap for building their brand.
Question 1: What is our desired outcome?
We're starting from the end in mind and working our way back. What do we want to have happen?
Question 2: What do I have to be known for in order for that to happen?
Question 3: What do I have to do in order to be known for that?
Unfortunately, building a brand isn't just about things that we say—it's about our actions. If we want to be known for something, we got to do the work to be known for it.
Question 4: What do I have to learn in order to do that?
This takes us to right now. If I'm going to do things to be known for something to get my desired outcome, well, right now, I might not know how to do those things. This gives you day one exactly what to do.
The Power of This Framework:
You need to learn these specific items, then you need to do those things, then you will become known for those things, and then eventually the desired outcome occurs.
If you have clarity on your outcome, this ensures that every decision you make along the way lines up with what you want to have happen.
Why 99.9% of People Get This Wrong
The majority of people building their brand online, posting content—I promise you 99.9% of them have no idea what they're trying to accomplish with their content, with their brand. They're wandering aimlessly.
The Alice in Wonderland Principle
There's an amazing example I love to share from Alice in Wonderland. There's a moment where Alice comes to a fork in the road with two different directions she can go. The Cheshire Cat is sitting in the tree, and she says, "Which way should I go?"
He goes, "Well, where are you trying to end up?"
And she says, "I don't know."
The cat responds with something so powerful: "Well, then either way will take you there."
If you do not have a desired outcome that you are making your decisions off of, you're going to go somewhere, but it might not be the place that you want to be.
Defining Your Strategic Associations
After you define your desired outcome, I would argue probably the most important part of defining your brand is defining your associations—the associations that you desire to have.
Ask yourself: What do I want to be associated with? What do I want the audience to think of when they hear my name?
Here's an example: Do you want your name to be tied to business, trustworthiness, or mental well-being?
Everything you create should reinforce those associations. This is where intentionality in branding starts.
The Meta Example: What I'm Doing Right Now
A very meta example here is that I am creating this course and the content we're putting out to intentionally pair Rston, my consulting firm, with:
- Value
- Scaling brands
- Understanding attention
- Building brands that not only scale, but last
- Building trustworthiness within their community
This is literally what I'm doing. I'm putting together a massive course right now that outlines all of this and consistently pairs myself with those attributes that I want you to draw upon when you hear about Rston Consulting.
We're going to continue to create content like this talking about scaling your brand. We are intentionally pairing ourselves with the relevant thing (scaling brands) and we're going to do that consistently through our content.
The Science Behind Strategic Brand Definition
Research from Deloitte and Forbes Insights involving 300 executives reveals that they consider brand reputation the highest strategic risk area for a company—ranking above business model, competition, and economic trends. This isn't just corporate concern; it's recognition of brand definition's measurable impact on business success.
The Psychology of Control:
When you take control of your brand definition, you activate several psychological advantages:
• Confidence Effect: Knowing your purpose reduces anxiety and increases decisive action
• Clarity Attraction: People gravitate toward individuals who have clear direction
• Authority Positioning: Defined brands naturally command premium positioning in their markets
• Decision Filtering: Clear brand identity makes every business choice easier and more strategic
The Brand Journey Framework: Reverse Engineering Success
Most people build brands by accident, stumbling through random actions hoping something works. High-performers use a different approach: they start with the end goal and reverse-engineer backward.
The Psychological Research:
Studies from the University of Iowa and Peking University demonstrate that compared with forward planning, backward planning led to greater motivation, higher goal expectancy, less time pressure, and better performance results.
The Performance Data:
• Backward-planners achieved 81.86% average success rates vs. 78.70% for forward-planners
• Motivation scores increased to 6.4 vs. 5.58 (on a 7-point scale)
• Success rates improved because backward planning helps people forecast success rather than failure
• This effect is strongest for complex, long-term goals—exactly what brand building requires
The Four-Question Brand Journey Framework
Question 1: What is your desired outcome?
Where do you want to be in 3-5 years?
This isn't about vague wishes—it's about specific, measurable end states:
• Revenue targets: What income level represents success?
• Market position: What industry role do you want to occupy?
• Lifestyle outcomes: How do you want to work and live?
• Impact measurement: What change do you want to create?
Strategic Examples:
- "I want to be the go-to expert for Fortune 500 digital transformation, commanding $50K+ speaking fees"
- "I want to run a $10M consulting firm focused on sustainable business practices"
- "I want to be recognized as the leading voice in mental health for entrepreneurs"
Question 2: What do you need to be known for to achieve that outcome?
What associations must exist in people's minds?
This connects your end goal to the specific attributes that make it possible:
• Expertise markers: What knowledge areas signal your capability?
• Performance indicators: What results demonstrate your effectiveness?
• Character traits: What qualities inspire confidence and trust?
• Unique positioning: What makes you different from alternatives?
Practical Application:
If your goal is leading Fortune 500 digital transformation:
- Known for: Strategic thinking, change management, technology integration
- Results: Documented success with major implementations
- Character: Reliable, innovative, forward-thinking
- Positioning: Bridge between technical and executive perspectives
Question 3: What do you need to do to become known for that?
What actions will create those associations?
Brand building isn't just communication—it's performance. Your actions must align with your desired associations:
• Content creation: What insights and expertise will you share?
• Project selection: What work will demonstrate your capabilities?
• Partnership choices: Who will you align with to strengthen credibility?
• Speaking opportunities: Where will you showcase your knowledge?
• Community involvement: How will you contribute to your industry?
Question 4: What do you need to learn to do those things?
What gaps exist between your current state and required actions?
This question brings your brand strategy into immediate, actionable focus:
• Skill development: What competencies need strengthening?
• Knowledge acquisition: What areas require deeper expertise?
• Network building: What relationships need cultivating?
• System creation: What processes will support consistent execution?
"Core values serve as a lighthouse when the fog of life has you wandering in circles." – J Loren Norris
The Alice Principle: Why Direction Matters More Than Speed
Lewis Carroll captured the essence of brand definition in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:
Alice: "Which way should I go?"
Cheshire Cat: "That depends on where you want to get to."
Alice: "I don't much care where."
Cheshire Cat: "Then it doesn't much matter which way you go."
The Business Reality:
Research shows that 54% of consumers' purchasing decisions are influenced by brand reputation. Yet studies reveal that 99.9% of professionals building their brands online have no clear idea what they're trying to accomplish.
This creates a massive competitive advantage for those who do have direction. While your competition wanders aimlessly, you can build systematically toward specific outcomes.
Defining Your Strategic Associations
Once you have directional clarity, the next step is choosing your core associations—the 3-5 key attributes you want people to connect with your name.
Research-Backed Association Categories:
Expertise Associations:
• Innovation • Strategy • Results • Efficiency • Quality
Character Associations:
• Trustworthiness • Authenticity • Reliability • Integrity • Vision
Emotional Associations:
• Inspiration • Confidence • Security • Excitement • Empowerment
Outcome Associations:
• Growth • Transformation • Protection • Performance • Success
The Meta Example in Action:
This course exemplifies strategic association building. By creating comprehensive, research-backed content about brand strategy, the goal is to pair the Rston brand with:
- Value delivery: Providing actionable frameworks without hidden agendas
- Scaling expertise: Demonstrating deep knowledge of sustainable growth
- Attention mastery: Understanding how to capture and maintain audience focus
- Long-term thinking: Building brands that survive algorithm changes and market shifts
- Community trust: Creating relationships that compound over time
Every piece of content, every framework, every research citation reinforces these specific associations.
The Critical Protection Strategy: What NOT to Associate With (99.9% Miss This)
Now we just went over what you want to be associated with. I would argue this next part is far more important and something that 99.9% of people completely ignore: what do you NOT want to be associated with?
A lot of people make the mistake of assuming that brand is only about what you want to have happen. But a lot of what building a successful brand is, especially in today's saturated market where there are so many people online talking about the same subject matter as you, you can stand out by what you choose NOT to associate with.
This is ultimately how you protect your brand. This is how you keep it from diluting and being misinterpreted.
Think of how many people you see online whose reputation probably has nothing to do with what they wanted or what their desire was. Often times that's a byproduct of not being intentional with what they are NOT going to associate with.
If you don't actively shape your associations, your audience is going to do it for you.
The Technical Reality (This Gets Important)
Here's something crucial to understand: Intentional doesn't mean right or good.
You could be intentional with pairing your brand, but with the WRONG things done consistently. Unfortunately, what this ends up leading to is the audience drawing the association between your brand and those wrong things.
A Real Example (Strong Opinions Ahead)
I need to give a disclaimer here. I have some pretty strong views and opinions on some of the online creators in the business education space. All love and respect to everyone. Everyone can do their own thing. This is Caleb Rston's individual opinion. Strongly believed, loosely held.
There are some very scammy, sketchy people in the online education space. They are untrustworthy and they make content trying to ladder up to selling some course online.
If you choose to consistently appear in content with them—whether it's them inviting you on their podcast or you guys doing a collab video together—if you do that consistently, you're intentionally pairing yourself with the scam artist online, the untrustworthy character, the snake oil salesman.
Guess what happens if you do that consistently? Your audience will start to inherently associate you with that crowd.
Is that good for trust? No, not at all.
In fact, this is one of the biggest problems you see with a lot of creators in the business education space right now. There are individuals who actually have a lot of value and a lot of good to add to the world—able to literally show people a whole new way to approach their business, their career.
But the problem is they go on all these podcasts with these individuals that I cannot trust. And by doing that enough times, I no longer feel that I can trust that individual.
My Personal Standard
I'm going to open up the kimono here for a second. I have people right now asking me to come on their podcast. So far, I've said yes to everyone, but there are some individuals out there that I know will probably eventually reach out and ask me to come on the show.
If they have that kind of brand, I will choose to NOT go on the show, even if it's the biggest audience that I could get in front of because ultimately awareness is not worth the trade.
What are those people going to be aware of? They're going to be aware of you in light of that association.
Harvard Business Review research reveals that protecting your brand from negative associations is often more important than building positive ones. Here's why:
The Psychological Impact:
• Negative associations spread 7x faster than positive ones
• It takes 12 positive experiences to overcome one unresolved negative experience
• 70% of consumers research a brand's reputation before making purchase decisions
• Brand damage can reduce company value by 20-50% within months
High-Stakes Association Choices:
Partnership Decisions:
Every collaboration sends signals about your standards and values. Research shows that brand associations transfer bidirectionally—meaning you inherit some reputation characteristics from everyone you publicly align with.
Content Platform Choices:
The channels you use communicate as much as the content itself. Appearing consistently on low-quality platforms eventually impacts how people perceive your own standards.
Client Selection:
Your customer base becomes part of your brand story. High-performing professionals often turn down opportunities that don't align with their desired market positioning.
Industry Event Participation:
Speaking at the wrong conferences or appearing on questionable podcasts can dilute years of careful brand building.
Real-World Protection Strategies
Case Study: Johnson & Johnson's Tylenol Crisis
When faced with product contamination that killed several people, J&J immediately recalled 31 million bottles at a cost of $100 million. They prioritized brand protection over short-term profits, which ultimately strengthened consumer trust and saved the brand.
Case Study: Starbucks Racial Bias Response
After a racial discrimination incident in 2018, Starbucks closed 8,000+ stores for bias training, costing millions in lost revenue. This swift response to protect their brand values helped maintain customer loyalty and demonstrated commitment to their stated principles.
The Professional Application:
These corporate examples translate directly to personal brand protection:
- Swift response to potential reputation issues
- Consistent values demonstrated through actions, not just words
- Transparent communication when problems arise
- Long-term thinking over short-term opportunities
The Compound Effect of Brand Clarity
Timeline Research:
Studies tracking brand development show predictable phases:
• 0-6 months: Building initial recognition and testing associations
• 6-18 months: Creating reliable expectations in your market
• 18-36 months: Achieving automatic association between your name and key attributes
• 3+ years: Establishing unshakeable market position
• 5+ years: Creating competitive moats that compound over time
The Success Multipliers:
Clear brand definition creates exponential advantages:
- Premium pricing power: Defined brands command 20-40% higher rates
- Referral generation: People can easily explain what you do and for whom
- Decision speed: Opportunities align more closely with your goals
- Energy efficiency: Less time wasted on wrong-fit projects
- Market momentum: Success builds on itself more rapidly
Chapter Implementation: Your Brand Definition Roadmap
Week 1: Complete the Four-Question Framework
- Document your 3-5 year desired outcome with specific metrics
- Identify the 3-5 key associations required to achieve it
- List the actions needed to build those associations
- Catalog the learning required to take those actions
Week 2: Association Audit
- Survey 10-15 people who know your work: "What three words describe what I do?"
- Compare current associations to desired associations
- Identify gaps and misalignments
- Create action plan to close association gaps
Week 3: Protection Strategy
- List current partnerships, platforms, and associations
- Evaluate each against your desired brand positioning
- Identify relationships that strengthen vs. dilute your brand
- Create criteria for future association decisions
Week 4: Implementation Systems
- Design content themes that reinforce target associations
- Create decision filters for opportunities and partnerships
- Establish metrics for tracking association strength
- Build accountability systems for consistent execution
"Your brand is not what you sell." - Jon Iwata, SVP of Marketing & Communications at IBM
Chapter Summary: From Accidental to Intentional
The difference between successful and forgotten professionals often comes down to one factor: intentional brand definition.
While others hope their reputation develops positively by accident, you now have a systematic framework for:
- Strategic direction based on specific outcomes
- Clear associations that align with your goals
- Protection strategies that preserve brand equity
- Measurable progress toward market leadership
The professionals who master brand definition don't just build careers—they build market positions that generate compounding returns for decades.
Your brand exists. The question is whether you're defining it or letting others define it for you.