The Stitch #1: Why Your Brand Isn’t Landing (And What to Do Instead)
📬 Reading this from a friend or LinkedIn? Subscribe to The Stitch to get brand clarity, smart strategy, and story driven insights straight to your inbox.
Welcome, aspiring corporate escapees, new business owners, and seasoned entrepreneurs.
If you’re craving brand clarity, storytelling that actually connects, and strategy that doesn’t feel stiff, this space was built for you.
You’re great at your craft. You care deeply about doing good work. But when it comes to talking about what you do clearly and confidently in a way that lands, it gets… fuzzy.
So why does answering “What do you do?” still feel like a mini elevator pitch panic attack?
It’s not that you’re unprepared. The story just isn’t stitched together yet.
You’re juggling the brand, the marketing, the messaging, the launch. But without a clear thread running through it all, your audience feels it.
This month, we’re focusing on how to find that thread. It starts with owning the role your brand plays in someone else’s story.
Not what you sell. What you solve.
🎯 Inside this issue:
A simple way to think about brand strategy (even if it’s your first time)
Why your brand role matters more than your niche
The #1 mistake I see in messaging when founders “just start posting”
Have a brand strategy question you’d like answered in a future issue?
Thanks for being here. The goal of The Stitch is to make brand clarity feel less overwhelming and more like a conversation with someone who gets it.
Your brand doesn’t need more noise. It needs a clear story.
Let’s build it.
Let’s Talk About What Actually Makes a Brand Stick
Your story isn’t just words. It’s the strategy behind how people connect to your brand.
If you’re building a brand that actually connects and lasts, it starts with something deeper than a pretty logo or clever copy. It starts with emotional clarity.
Most people don’t realize this, but your brand is already playing a role in your audience’s story. The question is whether that role is intentional or accidental.
In my past life working with senior executives, I saw the same pattern again and again:
A well meaning slide deck.
A list of talking points.
A timeline.
But no real story.
I’d suggest weaving in actual experiences. Moments of friction, success, or transformation, because that’s what people actually connect to. But so often, the instinct was to “just present the program” and hope it would land.
And here’s the part I’ll never forget:
Even the most senior leaders at Fortune 100 companies (people leading thousands) doubted themselves when it came to messaging.
Whether it was for a panel, town hall, newsletter, or a company wide video. I’ve sat in countless video shoots where it took multiple takes, not because they didn’t know their message, but because they weren’t sure if they were saying it right. They’d pause between takes and ask:
“Does this even sound like me?”
“Is this going to make sense to anyone else?”
“What if I’m over explaining, or not saying enough?”
And that’s when it clicked for me:
You can’t just say, “Here’s my service” and expect it to stick.
You need a message that resonates, one that makes people feel something.
That’s emotional connection. And it’s not fluff.
It’s strategy.
When I started Thread Studio, I knew I wanted to build something deeper than branding trends and templated copy. I wanted to help founders stop spinning and start connecting. But before strategy, before messaging, even before design… there’s one question I kept coming back to:
What role is your brand playing in your audience’s story?
Because your brand is playing a role, whether you’re shaping it intentionally or not.
Most business owners skip straight to marketing. They post. They tweak their website. They try to explain all their services, all at once. They lead with their mission or list everything they offer… and then wonder why it doesn’t feel clear.
The problem usually isn’t the product or the founder.
It’s that the emotional role of the brand hasn’t been defined.
So What Are The 5 Brand Roles
I created the Brand Role Framework to help change that. Because before you build a funnel or plan a launch, you need something stronger than strategy. You need a foundation that reflects who you are, who you’re for, and how you’re meant to connect.
These aren’t personality types or marketing formulas. They’re emotional roles based on how people actually experience your brand, and how you make them feel.
💡✨Visionary
You lead with bold ideas and fresh thinking. You expand what’s possible and invite people to see things differently. You’re often one step ahead, and that’s your magic.
🤝💛 Connector
You bring warmth, heart, and humanity. You create belonging. You’re the thread between people, ideas, and purpose. People trust you because they feel seen.
🧭🧘♀️ Guide
You make things simpler and safer. You offer clarity, support, and steadiness. You don’t just give advice, you give people the confidence to take their next step.
🪨🌊 Anchor
You offer structure, calm, and quiet power. You help people feel grounded in a world that’s moving too fast. You’re the calm in the chaos.
⚡🔥 Disruptor
You challenge the status quo. You shake things up, say what others won’t, and spark bold action. You lead with honesty, edge, and conviction.
Why it matters
Once you know your role, everything else gets easier.
You stop second guessing your message
You attract the right people without having to try so hard
You build a brand that feels aligned, and sounds like you
That’s what emotional strategy looks like. Not guesswork. Not cookie cutter messaging. But clarity that connects.
The Brand Role Quiz was one of the first things I created at Thread Studio, because it’s where everything begins.
If your brand feels fuzzy or you’re launching something new and want to do it with intention, start here.
It’s short, insightful, and built to help you lead with clarity, connection, and confidence.
And when you find your role, I’d love to know.. does it feel like a match?
🧵 The Stitch to Remember
Your message isn’t landing because the emotional role isn’t defined
Clarity > cleverness
Strategy starts with story
I’d love to hear what landed (or what you want more of). Leave a comment and let me know.
Your brand doesn’t need more content. It needs a story worth following.
Cheering you on,
Lu
If this issue sparked something for you, consider subscribing to The Stitch to get brand clarity tips, strategy insights, and storytelling prompts delivered straight to your inbox. And if you know a founder who’d love this, pass it along.
