Hi, hello and howdy, and welcome back to Tiny Sidecar. I'm Kate, your host in Sidecar Sidekick, and today I am spreading some of that good good energy that comes after having an incredible conversation. You know the conversation where like you're sitting down with one of your good friends or your good coworker and you're just so aligned with each other and sharing ideas, and it just everything feels good, and you just feel like you had about 10 cups of coffee by the time you're leaving, but no jitters. That's how I feel right now. So I'll explain more in today's episode, but come along for the ride. I'm sure it's gonna be a good one. Grab your favorite cup of coffee and let's get going. Now, first and foremost, I need you to know that one hi, hello, I'm so excited you're here. But two, I only have about 45 minutes until I'm supposed to meet some girlfriends to watch a pretty popular TV show that I haven't seen yet. And if you're thinking of that one TV show, that's probably the TV show. And yes, I've heard that about it, but I'm going into it somewhat blind. So, same page maybe. Anyway, I have 45 minutes to record this episode, but I also want to capture the feeling that I'm in right now. So I hope I do. Now, the feeling that I'm in right now is just like very happy. Happy, bright, positive, beautiful yellow energy, if you will. And that sounds a bit woo-woo for Tiny Sidecar, I do get, but I want you to kind of envision that for yourself. Maybe think about the last time that you had a conversation, that an idea came from it, and you just felt so sparked and inspired by that idea and how good that feels. Now, in my day-to-day life, those conversations can be fleeting at times, but when you have the right coworker or friend, they might happen more frequently. And I think hanging out with those kind of people actually creates those conversations more and more frequently, and making space for those conversations is everything. But before I explain all of that, I will start with some facts. So I was at work, as I am, Monday through Friday from eight to four, and my coworker wanted to talk about our Instagram. And it was gonna be as subtle as that like Instagram post and like a couple ideas for Instagram. And it started to spiral into a much deeper conversation that was about brand identity. And I think initially when the conversation about Instagram started, there was no intention on going that deep with it, but it got there. And there was this moment that it clicked, and it was one of those like this or that situations. Like, are we a blonde or are we a brunette? And all of a sudden, there was a moment of like, oh my god, we're a blonde. We're not a brunette, like we're the fun, loving blonde. Not that brunettes aren't. I'm currently a brunette, and I love that for me. So don't take offense. But like that was kind of the moment where we're like, oh my god, we both see it. Like we are this, we're not that. And after a good hour of coming up with ideas and photo shoot ideas and just driving the brand in a really exciting, passionate way that truly felt like our identity, we both just left feeling great. And like we have to schedule more time to talk about that and to feel that out because it just feels correct. And I got in my car, went home for the day, and immediately knew I wanted to come and record this kind of episode of when you take time to have maybe a small conversation, but like let it breathe and get to a different place, how that can create so much passion and excitement in a company, but also letting yourself be playful and find where you are, both like personal identity and brand identity. I feel like this episode could be used over both. Because I think we all have had that friend, and I'm guilty of this myself, that you play a different role in each friend group, right? And then you don't mix your friend groups because in every single group you're a different friend. And one, how like ungenuine that feels in your body, but also like we all have seen brands that do that where you're kind of like that seems weird for them, or like that doesn't really click. But then when you see a brand that does click, you you see it, and like those brands do really successfully because the customers know what to expect, they know who they are, and they're able to engage with that. So, anyway, a lot of like really exciting conversation points, and I'm I love these conversations because one, I feel incredibly excited and revived from a brand that I've been a part of for a number of years, and they really are what continue to drive a company to continue to move forward and create more success along the way is not sitting back but leaning in. And anyway, I feel like I'm rambling and I'm on like a little bit of an excitement thrill ride right now, but we're gonna get into more tangible details now. So I hope you've I hope you've um absorbed the energy a little bit because man, it just feels good, you know. So, some key takeaways from the excitement overload of a cheerleader that I am right now. Um I think number one, you have to like look at a project, right? So it could be small, it could be larger, it could be something as large as a brand identity, it could be something as small as just a personal project that you're working on, and maybe starting with that personal project. But starting with the idea of what do I want this to feel like? And the long, long phrase of showing and not telling, talk about it in writing of like show the reader what's happening, don't tell them what's happening. And I think when you start to give yourself space to look at something and decide, like, I want it to feel like this, I want it to, if I was there, smell like this, or I want it to give me this kind of energy or this kind of memory. I think those are all great starting points for anything of like, okay, if I'm talking about myself and like what kind of friend I want to be, I want to be that reliable friend, but I don't want to be the person that's telling my friends that I'm reliable. I want to be the person that always shows up when I say I'm going to, or the person that calls you when you're sick to see if you need something from the store. Like that reliable, dependable friend. If I want to be that person, how do I show that in myself? But also if I know myself, then don't be the person that's gonna go to karaoke because I'm never gonna show up to karaoke. That's not my that's not my drive. I don't like that. So I'm not gonna say I'm gonna do that because I won't be reliable. I'm probably gonna flake on karaoke, you know? And so when you start to paint a picture of like what kind of person you want to be, what kind of painting you want this to be, what kind of brand you want this to be, start with just the basics of what you want it to feel like, what you want someone to see when they look at it, but not having to tell them. Does that make sense? Another thing that I think is helpful is like this and that. So are you this or are you that? Are you a blonde or are you a brunette? Are you serious and professional or are you that friend that just wants to drop coffee and hang out? But also like social topics. Um little tiny sidecar moment. Um, so just like allowing yourself like, is it casual? Is it not casual? Those this or thats that are very extreme can also help you have a clear picture. And I think clarity is the most rewarding moment in the world because it really takes a lot of pressure and stress off of any project that you're doing. Once you have clarity about the vision, clarity about the brand, clarity about the identity, clarity about the rules, like we've all been there. Like clarity just gives confidence, period. Like the second that you know what is expected of yourself, of anything, you're just able to like relax into that because you already know what the standard is. And when there isn't clarity and it's kind of mucky, and you're trying to figure out what the move is, like, do I want to be this? Do I want to be that? There's just like there's so much, so many options, I guess. It's kind of like the decision fatigue of the world, right? Where like just pick a path, which I know is easier said than done. But like once the path is picked, you you're just on your way. And that clarity really, really helps change and momentum happen. Because if you stick and try to do everything, you're going nowhere, I promise you. The other thing that I think is really, really helpful is when you have that friend or that coworker that is open to having these conversations about clarity and about identity on something. It's also really nice to have that person be accountable. So schedule the time to follow up on the conversation, make some actionable changes. Like what's step one? And creating a small first step so that you're leading towards that. Another area that I love to use is Pinterest. I love making Pinterest boards on moods and then finding the common moments. Like, does it feel vintage? Does it feel fresh and new? Is it something nostalgic? Is it not? Like use Pinterest to create feelings and then lean into those as well. One of my favorite things to do. I love a Pinterest board. It's just like that inspo that's right at your fingertips. And I think it reveals a lot when you put energy into it as well. And I think that really, from a coffee world perspective, you can use these different skills in every like tier of coffee. Because I think it's also becoming more and more expected that every tier of coffee and every person along the supply chain knows who they are and what role they're playing. And I think that's very, very powerful. Like when a producer approaches me and they know exactly who they are, it gives me clarity as a green buyer and as a roaster that it's easy for me to be like, yeah, I do want to work with you. I love where you stand. And I don't have to question it, you know? Those relationships where maybe that's not developed enough yet, or maybe the help hasn't been there to develop it, it's always kind of digging and finding, which is it's fine too, because I think that that says a lot about the partnership that you're wanting to dig in and find and make sure it's a good match. But there is something so beautiful when someone wants to partner with you and there's just clarity from any, again, any level in the coffee world. So I think these moments of taking a step back and really truly identifying with where do we want to be in five years and who are we, man, they feel so good. Because also if you're an employee and you're looking at the business that you work for and you're like, God, I just cannot relate to who we are, or I don't know who we are. Like that might be one of the worst situations. Because if you can't relate as an employee, you can always walk away. But if you don't even know who you are and you're like showing up, you're like, maybe we would do that, like that's just that's no good for anyone. You know what I mean? So so far, find the right person for the conversations, find the actionable next steps, and find your accountability buddy, and those are great steps in the right direction. I would say skipped over it, but find the right project and maybe start with a small project and work into bigger ones that all have to do with what you're passionate about. So, like if you want to work on your branding for your coffee shop, maybe start small with an event. Does this event feel like us? Then from there, create the marketing around the event. Does the marketing feel like us? And it doesn't have to be huge steps away from what you're already doing, but it can be those little things that might surprise you and might again just create more and more clarity about the direction that you're trying to go. And it can be little things and you can play around with it, especially if you're doing little projects, it's not like you're rebranding everything or like don't change your personality overnight about this, right? Like, that's not the motivation at all. But it can be little things and you can test it out and feel it out. But I think finding that passion of whatever you love, whether it's like cupping a hundred different coffees every single week, if that's your thing, you have a whole story to tell behind that. And that is beautiful, you know. I think I'm saying you know a lot too. I just I hope you're connecting with me because I just am jazzed about this. Probably more than I even knew I was going to be. But there is just this beautiful, beautiful moment of being able to be like, yeah, that's exactly who you are, and it feels great, you know? So maybe let's make this into Tiny Sidecar and where I could put some of these things to practice with Tiny Sidecar. I have an incredible Instagram community that I could run some things by, but probably the area that I'll start is just listing out some like core things that I already know about Tiny Sidecar. One, it's very women focused and it's very coffee focused. Two, that like pinky orange color that I love so much is probably always going to be sticking around. And three, tiny sidecar is supposed to be friendly, conversational, opinion-based, and always should feel like someone's in the corner with you versus like a consultant moment. That's not who I am. I'm supposed to be your friend. And the whole goal of tiny sidecar is to build community with women in the coffee industry. So casual, inviting, welcoming. Like that is who tiny sidecar is. And now from there, I can continue to pivot into okay, what would make me feel welcomed as a woman in the coffee community to continue to share my voice, to engage with tiny sidecar, to engage with others through tiny sidecar. What does that look like? And starting to build out tiny projects from that, literal tiny, and continuing to work through what next steps are. And part of that for me is being really authentic with what I talk about and what I share and how I share it, and leaning away from perfectionism and instead chatting about the things that I think matter and that will be helpful to you because that's what a good friend would do. So next with all of that is creating a tangible goal, little action steps to start to work towards those projects. And I've got some in the works, but it really is just coming back to like find your basic, move on to the next, move on to the next, and take those tiny actionable steps forward. Honestly, the first step that you could take is just sitting down and writing about who you are, who your brand is, who your company is, whatever it might be, and that's the first step. And then as you get more clarity about who you are versus who you think people want you to be, that is really where the money work is. Because when you identify who you are and who the brand is and who the company is versus who you think people want you to be, that is like the key that changes one company from another, and what makes one company successful over another is knowing who you are and staying true to it. Because if you are looking at other companies and trying to be like them or see what they're seeing or whatever it might be, like it's already out there in the world. That's not what people want. Like, people want to see something new, they want to see something that's genuine, and they want to see something that is you. I promise you that. So, anyway, that is my pep talk ramble, find your passion, make it actionable, and surround yourself with people that will see you. And if you want an accountability buddy, you can always message me because I love that for us. And you can find me and message me either by email at howdy at tiny sidecar.com or on tiny sidecar on Instagram. You know I'm always here for you and always down to chat the good good stuff that is coffee and branding and whatever you got going on in your life. I love that for you, and I'm hoping this brings all good things your way. So wow. First of all, we did it, and second of all, now I'm gonna go watch that TV show. Wish me luck. Bye guys, talk soon.