This One Move Makes Your Artist Brand Stick Instantly

If you’re trying to build your brand then you just proved to me that you have no Idea of what your brand is. If you trying to build your brand, then you just proved to me that you have no Idea of what your brand is. The short truth is your brand is who you are right now and the promise that you make to everyone you interact with right now. But what does that mean?

Right now, as an artist, you are leaving the best version of yourself behind by trying to become someone that everyone else says you should be to get noticed, or you’re trying to do what you think should be done to get noticed. That’s why, if you’re trying to build your brand, it’s not working. So, if you’ve paid for courses and books on this stuff, and it doesn’t work out for you, this is why. Now, you’re probably somebody you don’t want to be, missing out on the greatness that is you. So, let’s reel it back in—you can’t build your brand because you’re not working on your character and becoming the best version of yourself that you can be. That’s it.

When I wanted to become a big producer, I wanted to wear all of the cool clothes and fit into what the industry norms were for producers. I even tried all of the gear that everyone else said I should have. I looked outside and said if I want to be that, then I have to look like that, I have to use that gear, I've got to be in Atlanta if I want to make it as a producer. Boy, was I wrong because it turned out that I didn't produce any of my groundbreaking work — for me at least — in Atlanta. None of it!

Though I've known this for a while, this whole branding thing didn't give me a breakthrough until a few weeks ago, hearing Myron Golden speak about what it is. Of course, it was for business, so I had to translate it because in the music world, artists are the brand. You all are personal brands. So, let's dig in.

How to build a brand

Most artists think the brand image is all there is to a brand. The colors, the styling, the makeup—it’s not just the image that represents the brand. “You build a brand by pre-determining the story you’d like people to think about when they hear your name.”

Now, you can pre-determine a story, but as an artist, being who you truly are is best. If you want to remain authentic, of course. So, who are you? What is your story? What are all the characteristics of you in your mind? Find the main roles that represent you most of the time, and that is you as the main character in the movie called Life on Earth.

Your name, birthplace, where you live now, favorite music, colors, food, activities, forms of expression, etc etc. What are your goals and what are you attempting to achieve, who are your guides and coaches, what obstacles have you overcome, what are your beliefs, and ultimately what is the transformation you want to see in yourself 10 years from now? Promise yourself you’re going to be that. That is your brand. The pre-determined story you’d like people to think about when they hear your name.

Building a Brand Image

“Now you have to show up like that!” You have to show up as an optimized version of who you are. Portray the best version of the earthly character you are and design your image to represent the characteristics of that character.

The truth is, you already know what the image is. Just think: if I had $10,000 to buy an outfit and hairstyle to represent myself right now, what would I buy—accessories and all? Picture yourself in the mirror. That's you at your core! Those are your choices. From there you can get somebody to help you optimize what's already there. To make it better and more coherent, but that’s it!

Many artists look outside of themselves to portray an overall image that the industry wants to project onto culture, but you've got to remember that's not who you are. This is how you get stuck in the industry and stifle your growth. Stick to your guns and you'll see your fans give you something that most artists don't truly get when fame fades, and that is respect. If you do this now, building a fanbase and moving forward in the industry becomes a joy and not a chore, because you enjoy doing music as yourself because it's easy! It’s hard to be someone else but it easy to be yourself.

Keeping your brand promise

Now that your main character or characteristics have been defined and its respective corresponding images have been constructed, you have to make that same promise you made to yourself earlier, to the public. This is called your brand promise. You promise to the public to stay true to the character you are and stay true to your brand story.

“When you say something and you do what you said you were going to do, now you can dwell amongst the people you gave your word to”—your fan culture. This is the most beautiful part about being true to yourself: people gather around, and eventually, if you make them an offer, they'll give you money because they respect the person who is being true to themselves. They respect the person who respects themselves. When they see this level of authenticity, they champion it as a breath of fresh air, a break from the norm. This is your brand promise. When your word becomes your flesh—word becomes bond—you can dwell amongst the people you gave your word to. When your word becomes your flesh (word is bond), people believe your story. Then and only then can they witness you in all your glory!”

Avoid breaking your promise

This is where everybody gets stuck — it's because their promise to be who they are to the public doesn't match up with their story, so you seem inauthentic. When it's really bad, people can tell right off the top. This is why people say "believe in yourself" and "stay true to yourself." Because at the end of the day, you can only be you, and that's the best and easiest character you can be. So optimize that character, refine that character, and stay true to that character, and you will witness your fanbase flourish. Because “if you word doesn’t become your flesh (word is bond) you cannot dwell among the people you gave your word to. You have to hide from those very same people.” If you flip the switch back to authenticity, the game becomes way easier to play, and I know this because when I started this channel, I fell into my true self—being who I am, which is a mentor and teacher of the game at heart. I just had to play the game first instead of becoming a book professor.

A view of the future

Whether you're entering the game or you've been playing for a while, I bet your brand story and image need some refocusing and readjustments. The strange thing is, if you don't make a change, you actually don't fall behind in the game — you fall behind in your personal life development. Stop waiting, doing vision boards and color matching and all the stuff that takes you out of your character. If you need to use them to define who you are, great, but don't let it take you away from who you are.

The easiest way to develop your characteristics is to see them on paper. Find a character development questionnaire for a story character — not an artist — because you'll end up answering questions related to music that take you in a different direction. Picture yourself in the life-on-earth movie where there are 7 billion characters, and use that questionnaire to define who you are so you can see it. It may have 100-plus questions on it. A transformation will happen in your mind about you and make you see yourself. Then you can put the clothes and styling on your character.

Here’s what you can do!

Action gets things done; we don’t build hope here at Music Money Makeover. We breed action takers, so are you one? That’s my question. If you are, do this right now! Get back on track so you can remain authentic to yourself and build your fan culture. So, my mantra is ‘How much longer can you afford NOT to?’ You’ve only got one life to live, so do it now!

Join the Music Money Makers Crew if you need a support group. We’re all here to help!

Hey! Back off the cliff…

Staying true to yourself, Self-discovery, or even Changing your public image isn't the real challenge, obstacle, or issue—it's the fear of rejection and criticism that holds you back. It's the fear of what you might find that holds you back. It's the fear of losing your existing fanbase that's holding you back.

The truth is, fans respect authenticity and growth more than a static, artificial image. By gradually introducing more authentic aspects of yourself while maintaining the quality of your music and engagement with fans, you'll actually strengthen your connection with your true supporters and attract new ones who resonate with your genuine self. You don't have to figure it all out at once. Start by embracing small aspects of your authentic self, whether that's your taste in music, your creative process, or even your quirks, and gradually build upon that foundation as you become more comfortable in your own skin. Finally, if you’re just starting, focus on building genuine connections with your early supporters who resonate with your authentic self. Remember, every successful artist started by being unapologetically themselves, and that authenticity is what created their strongest fan connections.

The Music Money Makers crew and I are here to help you in any way we can. Click the link below to join us, but by all means, stay true to yourself, and don't let the industry change your authenticity and brand image. If it doesn't offer optimization, don't take the bait.

At the End of the Day

If you were struggling with building your brand, its story, and its promise, you now have the means to truly step outside and be the authentic artist you've always wanted to be.