Entrepreneurship is a freakin' roller coaster with all the ups and downs.

Chances are if you’re reading this….you’ve already figured this out.

Along my own journey, I’ve come across some major, key AH-HA moments that have changed my game. Sometimes it's simply understanding a critical concept.

I’m about to share with you the one single concept that changed my game.

Understanding AND implementing this is truly what I believe made the difference with my stuff taking off.

Enough suspense right?!?!

Here it is…

I realized that…

There is a BIG difference between building my Brand and building my Business.

AND that you can’t have one without the other (why is it that I started singing the theme song from love and marriage as I typed that last sentence…weird)

I digress.

What does this mean?

I AM A BRAND. 

I HAVE A BUSINESS.

 

I’ve seen it over and over again. Amazing brands, lack a business. And amazing businesses lack a brand. If you really get this. And that is, understanding your front end vs. back end and just how critical it is to build, maintain and control BOTH in order to be truly successful.

 

THE FRONT END: YOUR BRAND

Let’s talk first about your front end, which is your BRAND.

Your brand is all about presence and visibility.  

It’s what generates your image and determines how your audience will perceive you. Branding is where you show up, let people know exactly who you are and what you do, and set yourself apart from the crowd by grabbing their attention with your own unique awesomeness.  

This is where you establish credibility and authority in your field so that people look at you and think, “WOW…  This is clearly a person who knows what they’re doing, so THIS is who I need to be working with”.  

The impression that your brand leaves on your target audience?

It’s SO valuable, it’s literally priceless.  

Your brand has gotta have it goin' on, otherwise how are you going to attract the attention of all your dream clients?   

Holy pressure, right?  

But don’t sweat it, I’ve got you covered.  

 

THE BACK END: YOUR BUSINESS

So now let’s talk about your business, which is your back end.

Your backend is the machine where all the behind-the-scenes magic happens.

It’s what backs up all your slick and sexy branding, makes you truly LEGIT in your field and, to be frank, it’s where you roll up your sleeves and make your money.  

So what, exactly, does your back-end business encompass?  

Well, it’s your systems, formulas and strategies, lead generators, conversions, sales funnels, email marketing etc.  I personally LOVE geeking out over all this stuff, but it’s ok if you don’t exactly consider it the most fun you’ll ever have.  

Either way, it’s a non-negotiable.  

You must master your back end in order to achieve overall success as an online entrepreneur.  

THE FERRARI

To sum all of this up in a nutshell?  

Your front end is what will stop your audience in their tracks and reel them in, but your back end is what will keep ‘em there.  

And you need to nail both in order to make it and monetize in this biz.

Here’s a cool analogy I love to use, just because it makes so much darned sense…

Imagine your business as this Ferrari.  And who doesn’t love a Ferrari??  So sleek and shiny and clean looking…  *sigh*

But it’s not just it’s good looks that have earned it such epic attention and status.  It also performs like a beast!  And it’s the combination of both show-stopping appearance and performance that hits the sweet spot for people.  If it looked good but had nothing under the hood?  Well…  It just wouldn’t be a Ferrari, would it?

The same goes for your business, my friends.

 

 

Picture your brand – your front end – as the shell of this Ferrari.  It grabs everyone’s attention, gives people all the right feels and kind of leaves them awestruck with how super sexy it looks.  It’s a total head turner.

 

 

Now, if you will, picture your back end as the engine of this Ferrari.  This is what drives the shell, what brings the whole thing to life, gives it substance and guts and makes it purr like the finely tuned machine that it is.

And it’s the sum total of both the shell and the engine – or, in the case of your business, the front and back ends – that create the TOTAL experience that people have.  

If the Ferrari didn’t look soooo saweeeet, noone would stop and stare the way they do.  And if it didn’t have that engine, no one would bother to take it for a spin because they would know, it’s all show and no go.

And bingo, there’s the lesson:

YOU CAN’T BE ALL SHOW AND NO GO! (or vice versa)

It’s totally a no-brainer for me to relate this analogy to my own business, and that’s how I know it applies to you as well.  I have been at this a long time and have figured out the “secret sauce” to ensuring my programs convert and my business is successful.  

And it has come, without a doubt, as a result of balancing my efforts on both the front and back ends.

 

I’ve put a ton of focus into my front end brand.

Instagram, for example, is a big component of this.  Social media representation is of massive importance in the online landscape, as you know of course.  Following and engagement is key, so it’s up to me to first spark people’s interest and then keep it so they continue paying attention to what I’m doing.

 

Media presence has also been huge for me, I identified the value in this area in my early days and have continued to pursue coverage wherever it’s relevant to my brand.  I never shy away from a solid opportunity to be published, whether it’s online or in hard copy.  The more my audience see’s me out there in magazines and on websites etc, the more credibility I earn with them as an authority in my field (provided the media sources are CREDIBLE of course, this is important!)

 

 

I’ve also invested in professional images and graphics, social proofs, high quality mock ups…  I run an uber tight ship and maintain total control over my optics because I know these things determine how I show up, the impression that I make and the opinions people formulate about my brand.

As for my Back End (STOP to those of you who are thinking what I know you're thinkin')

My back end is what people DON'T see, but I pour myself into this side of my business on a daily basis.  

This backend – not so sexy lookin'…

Those are my campaigns. My funnels.

Ahhh… I love them so much. I actually get really excited for this stuff.  I’ve said it so many times before and I will say it a hundred times more, sales funnels are the things dreams are made of as far as I’m concerned!  

Say it with me again (and click to tweet)

[Tweet “Funnels are the things dreams are made of #TBMB”]

And all of my own various systems and strategies and formulas, my launches and campaigns and programs, monitoring my conversions, tweaking and finessing constantly…  

I get completely amped overall this goodness and I am not ashamed of it one bit!

Think about this for a moment…  If I hadn’t put in so much work on my brand, you wouldn’t be here reading this, would you?  

And I mean, thank Zeus I did and you ARE here cuz I literally live to work with badass entrepreneurs like you.  

But seriously, if I wasn’t busting my bottom to keep my brand on point, I wouldn’t have the pleasure of having you here engaging with me and reading my blog right now.  I am CONSTANTLY aware of this.  

Likewise, if I had managed to attract your discriminating eye via an awesome brand presence, but got you here and had nothing more to offer you…  

You would not be sticking around, would you?

This is the ENTIRE point of this post!  To emphasize the importance of learning (and implementing) both sides.  

 

THE BRAND AND THE BUSINESS

THE FRONT AND THE BACK END

THE SHELL AND THE ENGINE

 

 

The back end is where the real power is.  

The front end is what enables it to attract and engage your audience.  

Quick run down one last time, literally in black and white:

 

 

Whatever you do, don’t be intimidated or overwhelmed by any of this okay?  

As a coach, I refuse to BS.  

I tell it like it is because I WANT you guys to know what’s really up and how to successfully make it as an online entrepreneur.  But at the same time I’ve got your back, we are in this together and I’m here to help you figure it all out.  

Just remember that all of this front end/back end understanding is key as you build your Brand & Business.

And leveraging this knowledge is big-time important too!

So the big question….

Where the heck do you start?

If you’re ready to take massive action, jump into my next masterclass – that is your next step!

Don’t ya love when someone just tells ya what to do 🙂

Feel free to leave your questions or comments below and I’ll be happy to respond.  

I LOVE to hear from you guys!

Peace, love and email funnels,

SJ