I still remember the very first time I tried to “brand” my business. I had no plan, no strategy, and absolutely no clue what I was doing — but I did have a cute $30 logo from Etsy and a Wix website I cobbled together on a Saturday afternoon. I figured that was branding, right?

Wrong.

It looked okay on the surface, but deep down, nothing felt cohesive. My logo didn’t match my messaging. My website felt disconnected from the kind of business I actually wanted to run. And my audience? They were confused too. I didn’t realize it then, but I had made the same mistake I now see over and over again when clients come to me for help: the biggest mistake I see in DIY brands is doing things completely out of order.

The Most Common Mistake (and Why It Happens)

Here’s the pattern I see all the time. Someone decides it’s time to get serious about their business. They open Canva or hire a Fiverr designer and create a logo. Then they start building a website. And only after all of that do they stop to think about the bigger picture — the actual brand.

I get why it happens. The logo and website feel tangible and exciting. You can see them. You can show them off. But the problem is, without a brand strategy underneath, those pieces don’t have anything to stand on. It’s like decorating a house before you’ve poured the foundation.

Your Logo Is Not Your Brand

This might sting a little, but it’s true:
👉 Your logo is not your brand.
👉 Your website is not your brand.

Your brand is the personality, purpose, and promise that holds everything together. It’s how you want people to feel when they interact with your business. It’s the story you’re telling and the emotion behind every word, color, and image. And without that clarity, everything else you build will feel a little off — even if it’s pretty.

I learned this lesson the hard way. After that first DIY attempt, I scrapped everything and went back to the drawing board. I spent time defining who I was talking to, what I wanted to be known for, and how I wanted people to feel when they landed on my website. Only then did I create a new visual identity and design a website around it. That’s when everything started to click — and it’s the same shift I help my clients make today.

The Right Order (That Actually Works)

So what’s the right way to build your brand? It’s simpler than you think. Follow this order and you’ll avoid the most common mistake I see in DIY brands every single time:

1. Brand Clarity – Start here. Define your audience, your message, and the overall vibe you want your brand to have. This is the foundation everything else is built on.

2. Visual Identity – Once you’re clear on your brand, then it’s time to create your logo, pick your colors, and choose your fonts.

3. Website – Finally, bring it all to life with a website that reflects your strategy and turns visitors into clients.

When you follow these steps in order, the difference is night and day. Your logo makes sense. Your messaging is consistent. Your website feels like you — and it converts.

A Client Story (and a Happy Ending)

One of my clients came to me recently frustrated because she had spent months tweaking her website and still wasn’t getting inquiries. The logo was gorgeous. The site was stunning. But nothing was working.

When we sat down together, it became clear why: she had never defined her brand in the first place. Her messaging spoke to everyone and no one at the same time. Once we nailed down her brand personality and voice, we updated her visuals and restructured her site. Within weeks, she was booking dream clients — without changing a single line of code.

That’s the power of doing it in the right order.

Final Thoughts: Build the Foundation First

If your brand feels scattered or disconnected right now, it’s not a sign you’re bad at this. It’s a sign you probably started in the wrong place — just like I did years ago. And the good news? It’s fixable.

Before you touch another pixel or tweak another headline, step back and ask yourself: Does my brand have a clear identity that ties it all together? If the answer is no, start there. Your future logo, website, and clients will thank you.

And if you’re ready to stop guessing and finally create a brand that feels cohesive from top to bottom, that’s exactly what I help women do every day.
👉 See how we can work together