Marketing Is a Love Story

There are a lot of business and marketing voices today telling entrepreneurs and ministry leaders not to focus on branding. “Just focus on putting yourself out there. Make some money and then invest in branding later,” they say.

But I believe they’re misunderstanding something important:

Branding is what makes your marketing work.

Think of it like this:

Marketing is like asking someone out on a date. Good branding is why they say Yes.

And like any meaningful relationship, trust is built over time.

One conversation leads to another.
Interest deepens.
Connection grows.
People begin paying attention because something feels aligned.

That’s what strong branding does.

It creates resonance.

Not with everyone.
With the right people.

As Christian communicators, leaders, creatives, and media voices, our job is not to become universally liked or broadly appealing. Our job is to communicate so clearly, honestly, and authentically that the right people feel seen, understood, and drawn toward the message and mission we carry.

And yes… that also means some people won’t resonate. They might even leave a negative comment.

That’s okay.

That’s clarity doing its job.

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Healthy Relationships Are Built on Alignment

My 22-year-old daughter has used a couple of dating apps over the past two years, and honestly, I understand why they’re so popular.

They help people quickly identify shared values, beliefs, interests, and relationship goals so they can determine whether a connection is worth exploring further.

One day I watched her narrow down more than 700 “likes” to one possibility in less than an hour… but he lived two hours away, so it didn't pan out.

The point is, she has high standards and knows what she’s looking for. She’s thoughtful, intentional, and unwilling to settle.

And that’s a good thing because healthy relationships are not built on broad appeal; they’re built on alignment.

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Marketing works the same way.

Your audience is constantly making quick decisions:

“Do I trust this person?”
“Do they understand me?”
“Does this feel aligned?”
“Do I want to know more?”

And if the connection deepens, the relationship progresses.

People follow you.
Read your content.
Listen to your podcast.
Watch how you think.
Observe how you communicate.
Pay attention to whether your values and standards align with theirs.

That’s the relationship-building phase.

Eventually, if trust and resonance continue growing, someone becomes ready to take the next step:

“Let’s work together.”
“Let’s partner.”
“I want to support this mission.”
“This is my community.”

That's the proposal.

The commitment simply formalizes the trust that has already been built.

But none of that happens without clarity, trust, resonance,and emotional alignment first.

That’s why branding matters so much.

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Visibility Requires Courage

For years, I taught clients that strong positioning should attract the right people and repel the wrong ones.

But living that publicly yourself? That’s another level.

Because visibility touches something deeply human:

The desire to be seen and embraced.

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Not judged.
Not misunderstood.
Not dismissed.
Not found lacking.

And I believe this can feel especially vulnerable when your work is connected to faith, calling, leadership, or meaningful impact.

But if we soften our voice to avoid rejection or become acceptable to everyone, we often become forgettable to the very people we are meant to reach.

Plain vanilla gets polite approval.

Truth creates connection.

So speak to the people who are meant to connect with what you carry.

Let your clarity become an invitation.

Because the goal isn’t universal approval, it’s meaningful resonance. As Bernadette Jiwa said, "Resonance creates belonging... and belonging scales."

And perhaps more importantly, it’s faithful stewardship of the message, gifts, influence, and assignment God has entrusted to you.