Brand-Facing: 2nd grade edition

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The best advice I’ve kept throughout the years, on any project, is simple; by failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail. Launching a campaign or brand is exciting, and however impatient you feel, planning and strategy are crucial for success. It's about the packaging, authenticity, and the consistent message that resonates and builds a loyal following. It’s surprising how this carries over to the everyday. The new year, that “turning of the page,” can launch a bit of reflection. I think the “launch” pun here could be intentional. I love the learnings (old and new) you can gain with those moments, along with the cozy feelings of nostalgia, and hopefully, positive growth and milestones met. If this was a play, you’d hear the director-ish voice go something like, “Room setting goes quiet as ‘Mary’ sits at the conference room table, close-up of colleague…and action.” I can just see the camera panning. But, it’s just me, being reflective with 2026 just a few days in, and the first The Upright Tiara blog (yay!) So, what’s this all about? As a MarComm professional for over a decade, branding is a key part of the work I do. My focus and passion in the nonprofit, municipal and governmental sectors, focused on travel and leisure, outdoors and recreation, sustainability, with political figure, and economic development support rolled in (with AI as it morphs and a whole other blog-to-be). While in a meetup with a colleague, which has grown into a wonderful friendship, we got talking about creating strong brands, positioning and launch, and how it all goes into part of a larger narrative. She said that she was sure I became involved in marketing and communications because I am “so outgoing” and “love to communicate and connect.” Well, that’s a “yes” and a “most often, but not always” kind of thing. I’m really an extroverted introvert. I can deliver a TED-style talk to countless people and keep going but then want to run through the grocery store so that I don’t have to really engage. What came to mind is how we are all “brand-facing” (the connection with others), standing out as a key driver early on. It was probably that extrovert-side taking the lead. I laughed and said, “I’ve been brand-facing since the second grade.”

I gauge that starting line as second grade at Saint James School in Red Bank, New Jersey, for my brand intro. The reason this grade, versus earlier, is I think that’s when I was taking in the landscape of friendships; first grade was kind of a blur, and kindergarten, seemed like just lots of snacks. I think my motivation was to get picked for jump rope, and you had to have some allies (like a brand, a “stakeholders” group). Thanks to my best friend, Alana, whose pact as a BF has never wavered, along with all those silly adventures that made up those years, guided me for that CTA. Little did I realize that this was my personal brand’s “hard launch” (and maybe why I developed a passion for the profession I’m so thankful to be a part of). It’s always easier when you have that junior “Thelma” to your “Louise” as you navigate the Catholic school yard circles. Worth noting, our bikes and after-school clothes could clearly have been used as costuming in Stranger Things.

Before leaving for school, I remember my mom would say, “Put your ‘best foot’ forward and be sure to make us proud.” Well, OK. That’s setting the bar high. Make everyone proud? At that age, I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant; maybe no demerits (a Catholic school thing). But I did feel the importance, and that you sometimes only get that “one chance” to present, to put it out there and let the audience (or homeroom friends-to-be) know the product or offering. Perhaps that wisdom of “make us proud” dispensed over cereal was about being prepared for the launch wrapped in life-skills packaging.

Effective communication is key; being authentic, genuine and gracious. They say, and I agree, that you should “meet people where they are at.” Don’t hesitate and know your audience, including adapting your approach to their needs and readiness (workplace or social). Launching a brand is thrilling, but there are so many moving parts. It pays to be intentional and look to the larger narrative; that all-important storytelling. Ask, “What does this chapter of the brand mean?” And, for our own brand/brand-facing moments, “What will my chapter be like?” Jumping in deep 

You can see how a second-grade brand-in-making is so closely rooted to a deeper story, about belonging and togetherness—about how we communicate—something that we must be mindful of every day in this increasingly digital world. It is about being the SME from platforms and content to data. But it’s also the kindness, the investment, the pride, the humanity. By connecting, making it bigger than any brand, meeting people where they are at, where they thrive, feel comfortable, the extroverts and introverts, colleagues who become friends, childhood friends to lifelong friends (part of your favorite storytelling), you gain a more meaningful purpose. For moms, thanks for sharing that breakfast-table advice that you think we’re not listening to! In The Upright Tiara corner of the world, it’s our unique value to shine. Here’s to an amazing 2026 and what's ahead. ——— The Upright Tiara, a blog and part of cookiesandcontent.com, is a space where storytelling, MarComm resources, and a healthy mix of accessories of everyday life, culture and community, come together. Here, we celebrate our unique value to shine, promote self-worth, authenticity, and the joy of communicating in a changing digital world.