Safe brands don’t get noticed. They fade into the background, lost in the noise of sameness. If you’re reading this, you already know you’re capable of more – but something is keeping you playing small. Let’s fix that.
Many successful consultants, coaches and experts unknowingly hold themselves back by maintaining a ‘safe’ brand. They assume that playing by the rules will keep their credibility intact (um – who exactly made these rules? I’m looking at you, white guy sky high in your corporate tower!), but in reality, staying in the safe zone is what’s stopping them from standing out.
My Story: How I Fell into the Safe Brand Trap
I speak from experience. I made this precise mistake myself when I first launched my business.
My writing was flat and lifeless, stripped of emotion and opinion like I’d been taught in journalism school. I knew it wasn’t interesting (and I’m very kooky and funny), but I didn’t yet understand that business writing could be different.
I talked about dull topics like ‘When to rebrand’ and ‘SEO tips to keep your Google ranking.’ I sounded like every other marcomms web designer out there (my first business iteration) – but I didn’t know how to change.
I tried to inject personality by hiding behind edgy collage graphics and fierce-looking red and black branding. But deep down, it wasn’t me. (You probably know by now that I’m orange all the way, every day!)
At the time, I felt proud of my brand. I was booking solid client work with some projects earning me more than I make now! But I wasn’t enjoying it. I was fitting into a role someone else had carved out, limiting myself to ‘brand designer/marketer’ instead of embracing my full potential.
Slowly, I realised that I needed to stop trading my time for money and start taking my time with my unique ideas.
I began mashing up my diverse expertise – blending fiction storytelling with corporate communications; history with storytelling training.
And it worked!
Once I started revealing little pieces of myself – a political opinion on LinkedIn here, a creative storytelling flavour sprinkled over a personal brand blog post there – I found a new layer of myself revealed. The very act of being myself actually shaped who I could become.
Now, I get to write Futures Scenarios for a bonafide Futurist (it’s a real thing!), present at multiple conferences each year on topics of my invention, and work with rebellious CEOs, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs who are doing brilliant things in their industries but are too overwhelmed to tell the world about it (until we finish their brand design, of course!).
It is a beautiful business life, and I’d love to be able to gift it to you too. But first, let’s check in on the cost of playing it safe.
The Hidden Cost of Playing It Safe
On the surface, a safe brand might seem like the right choice. You stay within industry norms, avoid polarising opinions, and focus on what has already worked. But over time, this approach creates a ceiling that limits your impact. Here’s what playing it safe is really costing you:
🔹 Missed Opportunities – Beige brands blend in and don’t get invited into game-changing conversations. When you hesitate to take a stand, you miss speaking, media, and collaboration opportunities.
🔹 Boring Clients and/or Projects – Without a clear, compelling brand identity, attracting the right clients and partnerships becomes an uphill battle.
🔹 Feeling Stuck & Uninspired – When your brand doesn’t align with your true passions and strengths, it can drain your energy and enthusiasm, making work feel like a chore instead of a creative expression.
🔹 Jealousy, Envy & Resentment – If you fail to be yourself, you’ll start resenting those who seem to have it ‘easier.’ This one’s a joy-sucker and can also lead to loss of respect from professional friends.
🔹 Total Business/Thought Leadership Abandonment – You retreat to the safe confines of corporate life and share this period of your life as a wistful story at dinner parties.
Safe vs. Big: What’s the Difference?
Some assume that going big means being reckless. That’s not the case. There’s a difference between taking strategic leaps and being careless:
PLAYING SAFE | GOING BIG |
Stays within industry norms | Challenges outdated industry standards |
Avoids strong opinions | Takes a stand and attracts the right people |
Follows what works | Experiments with creative, fresh ideas |
The most memorable personal brands aren’t the ones that play small – they are the ones that step into their biggest energy.
How to Step Into a Bigger Brand Identity
If you feel like you’re on the edge of something bigger but hesitant to take the leap, there are tiny steps you can take right now to grow into a bigger, fuller version of brand you.
1. Own Your Expansiveness
What makes your approach unique? What do you believe that others in your industry don’t? Define the stance that sets you apart and build your brand messaging around it. Yes, you’re going to alienate some people, but so what? Hit delete, and then bask in the affirming messages from those who truly resonate with you.
2. Infuse More Personality into Everything
Polished perfection isn’t relatable. Your audience wants quirks, eccentricities, real pictures, and opinions. Don’t believe me? Go Google some of Marie Forleo’s early videos and then pick your jaw up off the floor—she was one of us once, and I think I’d much rather have coffee with THAT Marie!
3. Embrace Experimentation Without Expectation
I treat experimentation and failure as a core part of my own work, and I give my clients permission to do the same. Try something random today and see how it feels—without expectations! I recently created a very clever and subversive LinkedIn poll that no one understood. Oh well!
4. Take One Tiny Action for Big Change This Week
Identify one area where you’ve been playing it too safe and push yourself to take action. Here are some things you can do this week:
- Scroll through TikTok or the news—what’s a trending conversation? Pick a side and share your opinion on LinkedIn.
- Delete something from your website that just isn’t you—an outdated service, a bio that makes you sound egotistical or uptight.
- Spend 30 minutes searching conferences for 2025 that feel ‘out of reach’ for you. Then write a pitch email anyway.
The Time to Go Big Is Now
If you feel like you’ve hit a plateau, ask yourself: Am I playing small to stay safe?
Your next-level brand isn’t built by following industry templates – it’s built by stepping into the biggest version of yourself that people can’t ignore.
🚀 Ready to stop playing it safe? Download my free workbook, Unlock Your Tipping Point Brand Move, to determine your first big step to spark change.
Authorship: This post was co-written by me (Michelle) and ChatGPT. I openly declare our partnership to encourage you to invest in training and prompting your own GPT. We are time-poor and idea-rich; so leveraging AI is a brilliant way to consistently create high-quality content.
