<aside> 💡

This is an example of a real Brand Reference Guide—my very own! When we work together, and you choose the ‘Story in Focus’ brand package, I’ll create a personalised guide for you and your brand. Think of it as your North Star: a powerful resource to align your motivations, purpose, direction, and mission. It’s a tool you can lean on to shape your brand assets, like website design, copy, and how you communicate your unique story with the world.

</aside>

"Harnessing Your Unique Story for Impact & Authenticity"

Introduction

• Overview: This guide will help you clarify your brand by reflecting on the essential elements that make you unique. You'll gain insights into your journey, values, vision, and purpose—all through the lens of our Creative Empowerment Model: Clarity, Connection, Creative Courage, and Visibility.

1. Hero's Journey & Foundation Story

• Your Journey: Your journey is a powerful example of evolving from internal conflict to transformation. It began with your upbringing, shaped by contrasting influences from your mum and dad. Your mum taught you empathy, kindness, and the importance of unconditional love, while also indirectly showing you the cost of suppressing personal dreams for the sake of others. Your dad instilled in you a fascination with nature and beauty but also passed on a guarded approach to emotional vulnerability. This juxtaposition led you to develop humour as a social tool, a way to feel seen and valued, while also grappling with feelings of not being enough or deserving.
  • Lessons & Insights: A pivotal turning point came as you shifted into adulthood, embracing design and technology, but ultimately feeling creatively stifled by your workplace. This led you to coaching, where you discovered a desire to help others build their brands and find their purpose, especially those who were making a positive impact. The digital camera, and eventually portrait photography, marked a true turning point—combining your love for storytelling, technology, and connection. This intersection allowed you to begin capturing the human essence in a way that resonated deeply with your own need for connection and purpose.

2. Values - Guiding Principles & Priorities

• Core Values:
  1. Connection: Connection, especially meaningful, one-on-one connection, comes up repeatedly. Whether it’s your love for connecting deeply during photography sessions or the desire to have rich conversations with like-minded people, connection drives much of your creative work.
  2. Authenticity: You value being real, both in your photography—capturing the essence of people—and in how you present yourself, even as you struggle with visibility.
  3. Empathy & Listening: You have an ingrained ability to listen deeply, something passed down from your mum, and it’s evident in the way you relate to your clients.
  4. Beauty in Everyday Life: Your dad’s influence shines through in your appreciation for nature, the beauty of the mundane, and celebrating ordinary people through your portraits.
  5. Growth & Empowerment: You strive to empower others to realise their potential, helping them see themselves through photography and coaching.

3. Vision - The Big Picture

• Your Vision: You want to create a world where purpose-driven individuals see their worth, express themselves authentically, and connect deeply with others.
  • Long-Term Goals: This vision is reflected not only in your photography but also in your YouTube channel, where you aim to help people discover their 'why,' share their story, and build a brand that genuinely reflects who they are.

4. Purpose - The Deeper Motivation

• Why You Do What You Do: Your purpose is deeply rooted in your desire to help others be truly seen. Whether it’s capturing someone’s essence through a portrait or helping them articulate their brand’s story, you find meaning in bringing people's inner truths to the surface. This stems from your own journey of feeling unseen or undervalued and transforming that into a strength that uplifts others.

5. Beliefs - Stories that Support or Limit

• Supporting Beliefs: You believe in the power of human connection, in the inherent beauty of everyone, and in the potential of storytelling to foster understanding and empathy.
• Limiting Beliefs: Your upbringing led to a belief that being visible or seeking attention was negative—as shown in your reaction to figures like Mark Laoost, who you felt were showing off. This belief has perhaps limited your comfort in stepping into the spotlight fully, though you’re clearly working through this and beginning to embrace visibility.

6. Innate Strengths & Talents

• Core Strengths:
  1. Empathy & Listening: A natural ability to empathise, listen, and draw out what matters to people—skills that make you an exceptional photographer and coach.
  2. Creativity & Technology: Your love for design, photography, and tech tools shows a creative streak combined with technical aptitude.
  3. Storytelling: You’re a natural storyteller, whether helping clients articulate their Hero's Journey or capturing the essence of a person.
  4. Humour & Connection: You’ve used humour to connect with others—a valuable tool in building rapport and easing people into their authentic selves during sessions.

7. Creative Empowerment Model

What is the Creative Empowerment Model?

The Creative Empowerment Model is a framework designed by Phil to help you understand and elevate different aspects of your personal and professional brand. It consists of four levels: Clarity, Connection, Creative Courage, and Visibility. Each level builds upon the other to create a foundation for a purpose-driven brand that is aligned with your authentic self.