If building a business is a large undertaking, building a movement is insurmountable from a standstill. The clue is in the name... movement.

We have this inside track to what's in our heads, we know what it *could* be, and we know how impactful these concepts can be in the lives of others.

Naturally, you want the outsides to look like the insides. We know the significance of our ideas and so we want the branding and design to match the significance of our concepts. This is a valid desire. It means that you are taking this seriously, bringing intention and care to your work.

But it's misleading to think that if you have a beautiful brand that everything else will be easier. This is not always the case. Often it's not true at all.

In many of my client cases, there are two or three or more iterations of the brand before landing on the one that will last -- for a while. Sometimes they come to me for brand reno number two because they've grown and changed since they branded the first two times.

A business is a living, breathing thing. It grows and matures as it gains traction over time. Just like getting to know another person deeply as your relationship matures, so too, does your relationship with your business... not to mention the relationship of your audience to your business.

Putting all your mental energy and the pressure of getting things just right (if not 'perfect') before you begin in earnest is seductive... and can be a waste of time. Building a bunch of things that you'll just tear down later.

Now, I'm not saying to just slap-dash anything to put out there and expect to get to break a million dollars. What I am saying is that your search for just the right font is not going to make the difference that you think it is.

Trying to make all decisions before you have begun to welcome audience members and clients is to heavy a weight for any new business to bear-- a heavy lift for any new, young thing. It weighs down the tires and keeps them from rolling forward swiftly.

The friction it causes can ferment self-doubt, poison your momentum, and kill your enthusiasm.

So what then?

Instead of spending hours on the visuals, in the beginning... or figuring out just the right thing to say in your social media captions, what if you simplified down to the core essence and considered...

What is the minimum viable baseline?

What is the absolute bare minimum you need to get moving and start circulating your ideas to people who might like them?

What is the bare minimum offer that you can make to start getting clients?

When thinking about what needs to be done... ask yourself, "will this add or remove friction to this process?"

Your goal? Remove as much friction as humanly possible!

Know that you want to refine your brand color palette? Start with black and white. Or choose only a single color to start with and layer on others later. Remember how I said a business is a living, breathing thing? This is a part of what I meant.

Know that you want to have a robust email automation plan? Start with a single email.

Think that you want to be on all the socials? Start with one and only one until you get the hang of it and then add another.

What’s your minimum viable product that will bring forward movement to your efforts?

We get hung up on all the shiny stuff thinking that it’s what will give us the confidence to really make a go of it. What no one talks about is that we'll actually feel much more confident when we start enrolling people before we have the most gorgeous Instagram feed, email sequence, or perfect home page.

Use the benefit of having a small audience to focus on small, consistent actions that build momentum. Refine as you get more comfortable with the action.

Think about it this way; would you feel comfortable sharing your work in front of 5,000 people right now. today. Like right this minute. If you were pushed on stage in front of a crowd of 5,000 people, would you be confident enough to share your message in a way that people would understand it and want to work with you? Yeah, most of us wouldn't. It takes time to work out the kinks. Use this time when you're unknown to share frequently and with the knowledge that few people will see it if you mess up. You're just practicing out loud in public.

Your message is valuable. It is important and has the capacity to change the world. And it is your job to be the steward of this idea. That means practicing all the things you'll need to master in order to share that message far and wide. It means being* the inciting movement of your movement.

If it’s messy in the beginning... GOOD! That’s the very best time to get messy and try things.

Post like no one's watching, email like no one's reading, and pitch like no one is buying! The more you do... the sooner they will be.