Thinking about opening a business? Before you paint the walls, pay for a logo, order business cards, or sign a lease on a brick and mortar, pump the brakes. There's one thing most new business owners skip: build your brand first. In this one I walk through three of the 21 questions we run every client through when we build their brand, plus why Dork exists in the first place.

1. Why did you start this? This is your mission statement and tagline rolled into one. Word vomit it onto paper and get vulnerable. The more of your real story you share, the more your ideal client connects with you.

2. What do you do, and who do you do it for? The "who for" is the big one. Your ideal client needs to feel like a real person, with a name, a birthday, a favorite music genre, and even a Pinterest board. Ours is Zephyr, a nod to the Zephyr skate crew from Dogtown.

3. What are your values? If you don't stand for something, people won't stand with you. Your values decide who you hire, who you let go, and which deals you say no to.

Write all of this down and take your time with it, weeks, not minutes. Build the brand first and everything else comes together fast.

Want help getting started? Grab a free Dork Audit! Visit https://www.dorksocialclub.com/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=do-this-first