3 Ways to Build Trust When Pivoting or Changing Direction
About the episode:
Today on Rebrand with Ruthann, I’m tackling a topic that doesn't get talked about enough: how to juggle life’s challenges while keeping your personal brand strong and sincere. Life loves to throw curves, which means that you sometimes have to pivot your business direction mid-stride. Throughout this episode, I talk about how to keep your authenticity and trust with your audience during these challenging, "messy middle" periods. Whether it’s shifts in your personal life or changes in your professional path, this episode is packed with insights on how to smoothly integrate your personal growth with your business's evolution. I want to reassure you that it is possible to have a consistent, resilient, and relatable brand regardless of what life throws at you. Find out how – tune into the full episode!
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Highlights:
How to keep your personal brand cohesive through life's transitions
Practical strategies for maintaining trust during personal challenges and business pivots
Tips for managing various life responsibilities without sacrificing business integrity or personal wellbeing
The importance of openness and vulnerability in order to deepen audience connections
How to prepare for periods like maternity leave or sabbaticals to ensure business continuity
Techniques to keep your audience connected and supportive when you're less available
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RuthAnn Rafiq
Hello, hello, welcome back to Rebrand with Ruthann. I'm so excited that you're here and so grateful that you are here. Today, we are gonna have an interesting conversation because we're gonna be talking about a lot of topics that sometimes people are not talking about enough, like how to show up in your business when you are a personal brand, when you have a lot going on in your life.
and not just in your business, but maybe in your marriage or with your kids or with relatives or sickness. And so we're just going to be kind of opening up the floor to talking about several different topics and thoughts I have on how to build trust in the messy middle, whether that be going through something personal that's challenging or going through a pivot in your business.
And I'm excited to just open the floor up and like talk about this. And I would love to get your feedback. I don't want this to be a one way conversation, even though that's what a podcast is most of the time. I would love for you to feel like you're in on the conversation. You can reach out to me on Instagram or you can email me. And I would love to talk about this and see if this is something you resonate with and see if this is something that you struggle with or this is something that you've gone through yourself.
And so I would love to invite you to share in the conversation, but yeah, so the three.
RuthAnn Rafiq
So I always give advice normally about whenever you're building a business, I think it's important to build your business around you, the person, and your personal brand. Because if your business is like your business name, such as my own business, Art Space is my business name, and I don't have my own like, my personal name is my website or anything like that, I do brand everything underneath, you know, my business name but I still am showing up as the face of my business. I'm the one who's doing the client work. I am the one who's talking to prospects. And so it really is my personal brand and business. And I think it's a good thing to build your business around yourself because when you can build your business around yourself and your brand around yourself, when you do change directions in your life, which is bound to happen every now and again, we go through pivots, we go through seasons of change, it's easier to bring your audience along with you for the ride because they know who you are and they trust you and they relate to you. And it's harder to do that when it's kind of under the umbrella of like a business name, if that makes sense. If you're stuck into a business name. It can be harder to change directions and to change focus and that kind of thing because people know of the business as the business, if that makes sense. So I always recommend that people build their brand around themselves, build a personal brand so they can pivot and change directions and people are along for the ride. But what happens when you are going through a hardship or a personal crisis? What about if you take an extended break from your business, such as the maternity leave or a sabbatical? How can you still build trust when you're making huge changes in your personal life or in your business, when you're pivoting, when you're changing your business name? All of these things are different topics I would like to talk about because I think it's just important for us to kind of be open about like, we all go through struggles in life, we all go through seasons of change. And it's important to, I think, have an idea of like, you're not alone in all of these changes, you're not alone in, you know, messy life and stuff. And so I want you to feel encouraged from this episode for one to feel like, you know, you can go through seasons of change, you can go through seasons of quiet.
if you need to and your business is not gonna like fall apart basically. So I wanted to A, give you encouragement in this podcast episode and then B, I just wanna make it more normal that we are building our businesses alongside to our life and there's just a lot of things that come with that. Especially if you're a mom or if you're have family obligations or you have a very full life outside of your business. So I'm excited to open up these topics and chat about them. So we're gonna talk about the three topics. The first one is pivoting to a different audience. You are rebranding in a lot of ways. You kind of wanna start fresh. So we're gonna talk about that topic.
Then we're going to talk about what happens when you go through hardship or personal crisis. And then the third topic is when you take an extended break from your business, such as a maternity leave or sabbatical, how do you navigate building trust when you want to take some time off? So the first topic, you're completely changing directions in your business or you're pivoting to a different audience or what happens when you're going through multiple pivots and you're just feeling like you're changing your mind a lot.
I think there's a lot to be said for consistency and showing up online and being visible. But I think also like, you know, we have to just accept the fact that we're human and a lot of us have a very small team or maybe even we're solopreneurs. We don't even have like a VA or something. And so, you know, everything rests on our shoulders when it comes to showing up, getting visible, doing marketing.
And I think, you know, it's easy to feel like it can be, if you don't show up, everything is gonna be ruined. Or if you are going through, okay, hold on. Let me start that thought over.
I mentioned this in the beginning, but when you establish a personal brand, it's easier to pivot and change directions or change audiences or change or like go through a pivot or something because you've already established a personal brand and people have come to love you and your values and what you stand for and that kind of thing. So people will likely stick around whenever you are deciding to change directions in your business. And so,
I just think, yeah, establishing a personal brand is helpful and I think it allows people to just follow the ebbs and flows of life with you as a person. Secondly, I think letting your audience know what's going on and why you're making these changes, giving them like behind the scenes and like reasons of, you know, this is why I'm making this big change in my business. This is why I decided to pivot to this target market.
And it just kind of shows that you're human and that you want to build connection and that you're just figuring it out as you go. And I've had many guests on the show who have gone through, you know, very many seasons of change in their business because, you know, a lot of us have been in business for a long time. I mean, obviously we have the newer entrepreneurs, which is super exciting, but, you know, some of us have been around for five, 10, 15 years. And so I think,
It's important to know like seasons change, people change, you know, you will think something is tremendously exciting at one stage in your life and then when you move on to the next stage, then you might, you know, change direction. So I think it's important to, as you're making these changes along the way, giving your audience, like letting them know what's going on. And I definitely think that there should be a separation between like,
personal and business. Like I don't think you should share everything to your audience. You know, obviously whatever you feel comfortable sharing, you know, share. But I think it's, it's important to let people in on reasons why and what's working, what's not working. And like I said, it just builds connection basically. And I was recently listening to a podcast and she was talking about pivoting her business and she,
This was like, I think the third pivot in like a year or something. And she was just saying how she felt so like scattered and she didn't want to feel like she was pivoting all the time, but it was kind of what she felt like she needed to do. And so I think it was like nice to hear that because it's like, you know, we're all trying to figure it out. We're all trying to do the best we can. And it's totally fine. If you're going through different changes, you're just trying to find the best.
the best fit for you, whether it comes to your audience or a service you offer or something like that. So I think, you know, give yourself grace and know that we're all just doing the best we can and it's totally okay. And I think I mentioned this again, but like inviting your audience into a conversation with you, saying, like letting them know what's going on.
Someone who does this very well is Bella Lively. I don't know if you've ever heard of the Lively show, but it is a show where she has gone through extensive periods of change and rebirth, I guess you can say, of who she is and what she believes in. And she has just, you know, let her audience in on the journey. Like every single crazy twist and turn she goes on in her life, she shares about it on her show. And...
I think people love that behind the scenes because it really builds connection and it just lets people know this is what she's going through. And anyone who has a platform shares what's going on normally. So maybe she's not unique in that way. But I think she's definitely a person who comes to mind of how she shows up with sharing what's going on with her and letting her audience in on the journey.
So let's go into the second topic of just going through change in your life. What happens when you go through hardship or personal crisis? How do you still show up and carry on with business as usual? I think this is a very personal question. So I think everyone will have their own ways of responding to this whenever personal crisis happens or they're going through a really challenging season.
I know for some people it's easier to kind of put your head down and just focus on the work that you have and just not get lost in your work, but like it's kind of that stability for you. Your work is kind of what's grounding you in the midst of a hard time. And I think that's good. Like I think, you know, we need something to cope with. When you're going through a difficult time.
having something to help you cope is really useful and beneficial. And if that's work, I think so be it. And some people, they, you know, really back off from work because they are the face of their business and they don't want to show up online. And so they can really like pull back and not really market their business during that time. And that works too. I think, you know, I think.
It's a very personal decision that you need to figure out what works for you. And I think going with your gut is the best thing. Like if you feel like you shouldn't show up or if you feel like you need to take a break, you should. And for me, when I went through a really difficult time in 2000, I think it was 21. I'm pretty sure it was in 21. I actually take that back. It was beginning of 20, 22. And it was...
I just went through a really difficult time in my life and I really pulled back. I did not do any marketing. I didn't do any sales actions. I was just kind of surviving basically in my personal life. And with that being said, I really wasn't making a lot of moves in my business. I was just trying to get through things.
And so for me, I really put my business on hold and it was kind of like putting my business on hold. And people did say, after I came out of it and I came back to social media and I was on Instagram a lot at the time, people said that they didn't even realize I was gone, which goes to show you that people have a lot on their own mind and their own plates.
And so that's another thing too, is just to give yourself grace and know that everyone is going through their own stuff. And if you need some time, you need some time. So I think you should give yourself as much time as you need and allow yourself to deal with what you need to deal with and then come back even stronger. Because the worst thing you can do is push through and not want to be working, but making yourself work and then just burning out at the end. So try to.
not let that happen, I guess. And yeah, so my little bullet point tips on this is share what you want to share. Remember, you don't owe anyone anything, so don't feel bad if you don't want to share details. I think that's more than okay. Do the things that need to be done in your business and let the extra stuff go, which is what I did when I went through that difficult time in my life. And give yourself grace and take the time that you need and don't feel like you have to come back at a certain time.
or anything like that. So those are kind of what I would say. If you're going through a hard time, first off, my heart goes out to you and just know that you're not alone and that we're all going through difficult things. And I think it's, the important thing is you don't give up. I mean, if you love your business and want to stick with it, I think just stay with it, don't give up, and you can always take a pause and come back.
and everyone will be there when you return. And the third topic is what about taking extended breaks from your business such as maternity leave, sabbatical, or just time off? I think, you know, this goes back to, I keep mentioning this, but it is useful, letting your audience in on what's going on. So I followed someone for a very long time and she took sabbatical every January, I think it was. She took three weeks off in her business and...
I love that she did this. I mean, I thought it was so inspiring and I think she still probably does this, but she always like let her audience know like, hey, I'm taking sabbatical, I'm taking three weeks off. And it was first of all, really encouraging to let us know that like, you get to make the rules in your business, you can take time off. And if you wanna take three weeks off or three months off, like you have that option.
And it can always encourage other people too, whenever you're saying like, hey, this is something that's really important to me and I'm taking this time off. I think it just gives other people permission and the encouragement to do that too. The second thing is prep your audience for how you'll be showing up or not showing up. And this is again, like a preference thing. You don't have to do this, but I think it's nice to let your audience know like,
hey, this is how I'm gonna be showing up for my podcast or in my newsletters, you can expect to hear from me once a month now, or just kind of letting people know. I think that's a great way to build trust. And then obviously following through on what you say you're gonna do. And then the third thing is plan your content in advance so you can really enjoy the time off without missing a beat. And this is what I'm doing for my maternity leave is my maternity leave is coming up in June.
which is crazy, sounds so soon. I mean, it is so soon, but yes, I am just prepping all my content in advance so I can enjoy the time off without worrying about the podcast or social content going out. And so that's a great way to enjoy the time off and really take that time away. And something I mentioned, I mentioned this in a previous podcast when I was talking about...
just kids changing schedules and going through motherhood with a business and littles and that kind of thing. And something I'm going to be doing this year is I'm taking a maturity leave. I decided I wanted to take a two month maturity leave. And so when the baby comes, I'm going to take a couple months off. And then something I really am excited about is taking another couple months off in
the holidays for the winter time. So around November, mid November through mid January, I'm going to be taking those months off and I have never done this before. For my in my business, I've never taken that much time off. That's not a maternity leave. So it's going to be all new for me, but it's something that I'm so excited about and it just feels so right. So I'm definitely looking forward to that. And
Yeah, it's just, you can make the rules. You can decide what you wanna do. And if I decide to change my mind, I can just let you guys know, hey, I'm back early or whatever the case may be. So that's the cool thing about having your own business and doing things your way is you can.
you can write all the rules yourself. So I think another, and so I mentioned a lot of different ways that you can still show up in your business. And something else I want to mention is when you share your values in your content and what matters most, I think that is, and also I want to mention showing up where you want to show up is key to sustainability and not burning out. I think.
It's easy to get burned out if you feel like you have to be on like six different platforms and like showing up every single day and being on video and being on reels. You really don't have to do all of that if you don't want to. I think you can have a smart marketing plan that does not require you doing something that you really don't want to do. So if you don't want to be on Instagram, I don't think you should be on Instagram. If you don't want to, you know, do...
TikTok, you shouldn't be over there. So I think that is a key to help you with sustainability and staying with it in your business and not burning out is yeah, just showing up where you really feel excited to show up and don't be afraid to share your values and what matters to you. I think that is one of the best ways to attract the right people to you is sharing what's important to you. So those are some.
little tips I have for building trust and also keeping and also not burning out at the same time. So I think showing up consistently is a loaded topic. I don't think that that is necessarily how you need to be in your business all the time. Like show up and be consistent or be visible. I think it's important to be visible and be consistent, yes. But I think it's so nuanced, especially when we're going through different things in our lives, difficult things in our lives. And so I just hope this was encouraging to you that you can continue to build your business and go through hard things and you can continue to build your business and go through hard things and just know that you're not alone in this process. I know that it can feel kind of like we're alone sometimes when we're going through difficult things or we feel like we can't share something personal online, which I'm totally okay with. But I think just knowing that you're not alone and knowing that everyone goes through hard things and that there is such a thing as the messy middle of like...
where you are and where you want to be, know that we're all somewhere in there on that spectrum. So I just hope this episode was encouraging to you and just opening up the conversation to different possibilities in your business, different things that come up, taking time off or going through a personal crisis. Yeah, I just hope this was encouraging to you. And if you ever wanna continue the conversation, I would love to chat with you.
you can email me or DM me for sure and I would love to connect with you there.
I hope you found this episode encouraging. Thank you so much for being here and listening, and I will talk to you next week.
