Just in time for the new year, we share some basics for creating and developing your brand—and the key to success just might be thinking backward!
Building businesses and brands is something I never thought I would be doing. When asked as a child, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” the word “entrepreneur” basically didn’t exist in my vocabulary. But once I discovered the world of brand building—and then realized that I could start one of my own—the world became an incredibly beautiful place! One where all the things we thought weren’t possible, actually were, and shockingly the tools to create it were all around me.
But to get to that place and state of mind is truly the first step! For me, it started with my childhood. As the daughter of two Indian immigrant parents and quite literally the only Indian family in my rural Pennsylvania town, brands gave me a way to connect. I would spend my allowance taking the bus into New York City, walking Fifth Avenue for hours in pure joy. Buying from the well-known brands gave me a way to connect and form friendships with those around me.
Fast-forward a few decades, and I made a career out of “adult window shopping,” building brands for major retail pillars like Federated (Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s), VF Corporation (Nautica), and then Victoria’s Secret, which is where it all came together.
We regularly think of people as influential, but rarely do we think the same about brands. Yet they impact us all day every day in every aspect of our lives—from the shoes you’re wearing, to the car you drive, to the products you use while getting ready. The brands you choose to weave into your life have become an integral part of your day because those brands spoke to you.
So the question for me was, are the legacy brands building brands the right way? Is it the best way for today? At its simplest, the way we normally build brands and products boils down to a few core steps: In our pristine conference rooms in large corporate towers we come up with an idea based on data and trends. That idea is then pressure-tested by asking focus groups for feedback and slightly tweaked, then we spend a ton of marketing dollars convincing our audience it’s what they actually want!
I spent a long career building brands and products the “traditional” way before I started thinking, “What if we flip the script? What if the product was simply what they actually wanted from the beginning?” When I eventually went “rogue” and started my first company LIVELY, in 2016, my mission was to throw out the playbook on how we normally approach brand development and instead build the brand backward.
We didn’t start with product specifications; we started with wine, cheese, and genuine conversations. Why do we not love bra shopping the way we love to buy dresses and shoes? Why do we wear sports bras and 60 percent of the time not work out?
Instead of expensive market research, we used Google Forms on text and Instagram DMs. Rather than PowerPoints, we used Post-it notes and photo association games. This approach isn’t just about gathering feedback, it’s about co-creating with your future customers from day one. We discovered that success isn’t built on convincing humans to buy a product, but on passion, purpose, and authentic connection.
It worked so well—and I had so much fun doing it—that I decided to do it again! I launched GORGIE in 2022 with a few viral social media videos we made in my backyard. We asked people, “What would make wellness fun? Could wellness be better for you and editorial/fashion-forward?” This curiosity and question took us from tinkering with cellular renewal to realizing there was a vast billion-dollar industry that needs both wellness and a fresh vibe. We went from a “what if” on social media to now building the nation’s No. 1 fastest-growing energy drink in the natural channel.
So, yes, the answer in my opinion is to build your brand backward! Instead of starting with a product, start with a curiosity, and one you cannot stop thinking about. Instead of spending money convincing consumers to buy, spend your time creating a culture. Instead of creating in an ivory tower, co-create with a community out in the world.
Building your brand backwards isn’t an afterthought or a “community-first” sticker to slap on the side of something you already had planned. It’s a secret sauce and a huge asset! It can be the foundational fabric that ensures you truly have a pulse on what to build and that you already have the humans bought into it.
In today’s world, success isn’t about convincing people to want what you create; it’s about cultivating a community to create something extraordinary together.
