Building an authentic brand that feels like you

Jul 31
3 min read

If your brand no longer fills you with excitement – if it feels clunky, outdated, or simply not you anymore – you’re not alone. So many founders reach a point where their business has evolved but their branding hasn’t caught up. You’ve outgrown the early version of your brand and the patchwork fixes and you’re craving something that reflects where you're headed.

At Isla Vida, we believe the most magnetic brands are built on authenticity and emotion. When your vision, your values, and your visuals are in harmony, your brand becomes effortless – a natural reflection of who you are and what you stand for.

This isn’t about chasing trends or overthinking strategy. It’s about creating a brand that feels like freedom.

Your vision is your foundation

Before you can tell your story or refine your visuals, you need clarity on your vision – the bigger picture of what you’re building and why. Your vision is a crucial – but often overlooked – facet of your brand, but it's the starting point of all brand design work I do with my clients. After all, your vision defines the direction your brand is headed:

How do you want your business and life to feel five years from now?
What kind of impact do you want your work to have?
What emotions do you want your brand to evoke – for you and your clients?

When your brand is led by a clear, grounded vision, everything else falls into place. You make decisions with confidence. You attract opportunities that align. And your brand begins to feel more like and less like a play-by-play of the industry standard.

If you’re unsure what that looks like yet, my free Brand Vision Guide will take you through the process of uncovering it. It’s a gentle but powerful reflection to help you connect with your future brand – the one that feels expansive, intentional, and filled with the quiet thrill of possibility.

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Infuse your brand with values that matter

Your values are there to guide your business – think of them like your North Star. They influence decisions, attract just the right people, and keep your brand grounded in purpose. Whether it’s sustainability, creativity, empowerment, or freedom – the values that drive you should be visible in every detail. From the way you communicate to the materials you choose to the feeling someone gets when they land on your website – your values should shape their experience. This is why it's so important to not just choose a collection of words that sound good, but to actually take the time to work out what they mean to you – and most importantly – how you will live and breathe these values in your business.

Design with emotion, not just aesthetics

A beautiful brand is easy to spot. But an authentic brand? You feel it.

It’s in the calm confidence of the visuals, the tone of the words, the consistency of the experience. Every colour, texture, and image tells a story and all come together to build your brand world.

Your brand design should evoke emotion – not just admiration. Whether that’s a sense of freedom, empowerment, adventure, or calm – it should mirror how you want your clients to feel when they work with you. When done with intention, design becomes storytelling.

Keep your world consistent

Once you’ve defined your vision, values, and desired emotions – consistency is what brings it all together.

The typography, the palette, the imagery, the language – every touchpoint should belong to the same world. When your audience recognises you instantly, it builds trust, familiarity, and a lasting connection.

It helps you rise above your competition in a way that feels uniquely you and utterly unforgettable for your people.