When we’re first building a business or a brand, many of us take inspiration from successful people around us and their journeys – and that’s perfectly fine. With no blueprint or roadmap that tells you exactly how to start, run, and scale a business in your niche, it’s natural to look to others doing it already (and doing it well). 

So many small business owners dive right into selling their products or offering their services without hammering out the finer details first – and for a select few, this retroactive, ‘figure it out along the way’ approach works. But the reality for most is this: having a brand with no strategy is like trying to drive somewhere you’ve never been without a GPS.

I’ve been seeing bright yellow billboards and print ads everywhere in Sydney, and as a designer, I immediately knew who was behind them – the inspiring creative team at Mailchimp.