I spent the first half of my career inside brand teams at fast-growing companies, and the second half advising them from the outside. Both taught me the same lesson: most brand problems are actually clarity problems.
Today I work with a short list of founders and teams each year, going deep rather than wide.
Say the true thing plainly, before making it sound good.
A strategy nobody can repeat back to you isn't one.
Design decisions come after positioning decisions, never before.
Fewer clients, more attention — every time.