Behind the Ad: What Really Goes Into “Launching”

You’d think, after writing a book, building a course, and walking clients through their own brand launch plans, putting out a paid ad for our own brand would be easy.

It wasn’t.

In fact, we spent most of the week just trying to figure out which version of Meta Business Suite we were logged into, which accounts were linked to which pages, and which decisions from two years ago were now holding everything up.

At one point, it felt like we were trying to wire a house we didn’t build using blueprints we couldn’t find, while blindfolded, on Zoom.

And that was before we even hit record.

We talk about the importance of building from your Origin Story. About how every part of your brand, from your name to your logo to your systems, should grow from your lived experience and lessons. 

But that doesn’t mean the process is always smooth. Especially when you’re applying it to your own work, in real time, while still living inside the story you’re trying to share.

The ad script started simple. We wrote a “straight-up-facts” version which said exactly what we were offering: a seven-step course to help build your brand that’s now on special offer. But once we started rehearsing it, we realized we sounded like robots, and none of our genuine character came through, which was the point of doing a video ad in the first place. 

So we rewrote it several times while filming. We adjusted lines on the fly, rebalanced who spoke when, and re-centered it around what we actually care about: that building a brand isn’t about performing, or selling hard, or doing things the “right” way. It’s about building from the truth of your Origin Story, and making something that lasts.

We also ran into tech issues. Johanna’s audio wasn’t being picked up properly on the Zoom recording. So we patched together a new workflow on the fly: recording video in one window, and backup audio in another.

But somewhere in that mess, our real voice came through, and it felt more like what it would be like to work with us. 

What we learn again and again is that this whole process is the work.

The brand you build is shaped not just by your polished statements, but by the way you handle the messy middle, how you adapt, and how you keep showing up.

And yes, this still connects to the seven steps we teach.

Step 7 in our Branding For Beginners course — Launching Social Media — isn’t just about posting something online for the sake of it. It’s about finding your way back to your voice, every time you hit record or send or publish. It’s about visibility with integrity.

So no, we didn’t launch our ad this week. But we did write it, wrestle with technology and eventually filmed it, and we’re getting closer to sharing something we actually believe in.