“I Don’t Read Paperbacks” — What Customers at a Farm & Flea Market Taught Us About Selling the Right Thing the Wrong Way

A few weeks ago, Johanna packed a box of books into the car and headed down to her local farmer’s market.

She’s done this before: stood behind a small table with a sign that reads Branding for Beginners, ready to strike up a few conversations with small business owners, makers, or anyone curious about storytelling. It’s not our usual mode of outreach, but it’s a good way to hear what people actually say when they meet our work face-to-face.

The last time she did it, she sold six books. This time, she sold none. Unexpected, sure, but we were curious: why such a big drop off?

She spoke with friendly people, had some good chats, and even collected email addresses. But two moments stuck out. One person said, “I don’t really read paperbacks.” Another asked, with a puzzled look, “What exactly is branding?”

We’ve spent months refining what we do, writing a book, building a course, and designing a whole ecosystem around the idea that story is the foundation of your brand. We believe that deeply, and it’s the throughline of all our work. And we thought we’d done a good job naming it clearly: Branding for Beginners should be self-explanatory, right?

But moments like this remind you that what makes perfect sense in your head, and even on your website, might not land when someone is walking past your table with a drink in one hand and a dog leash in the other.

It’s easy to say “they’re just not our audience,” and in some cases, that’s true. Not everyone is ready for the kind of work we do, and we’re not trying to convert the uninterested. But it’s also worth asking: Is the way we’re describing our work actually helping people understand what it is and why it might matter to them?

This is the part that’s humbling. When someone says they don’t know what branding is, or that they don’t read books, it can feel like rejection. But it might actually be an invitation to explain things better, to speak more clearly, and to remember that most people aren’t walking around looking for a brand transformation. They’re just trying to solve a problem they can name.

We see this in other industries too. Coaches who want to offer deep lifestyle change end up attracting people who just want to lose weight. Schools who boast they teach through storytelling and imagination really just want to retain and boost enrollment.

People don’t always buy the big idea, or at least not at first. They buy the part they can understand or the part that solves a problem they already have.

That doesn’t mean you give up on the bigger story. But it might mean you lead with something smaller, clearer, and more concrete.

Your audience is busy, distracted, overwhelmed, and they don’t have time to figure out what you meant your messaging to say.

We still believe in our bigger vision, but we’re learning to meet people where they are. That might mean talking less about origin stories and more about what they unlock: clarity, confidence, and language that helps you show up and be understood.

Because no one’s going to ask for an “origin story sprint” if they don’t know what it is. But they might lean in if they hear you say, “We help you explain what you do and why it matters.”

So maybe this blog isn’t really about markets or messaging at all: maybe it’s about listening, and remembering that before someone can see the full scope of your work, they need a clear way in.

If you’ve been struggling to explain what makes your business different, or if you’re not sure what to lead with, our Origin Story Sprint can help.

It’s a 90-minute deep-dive where we shape the core narrative behind your work, so you can talk about it with more clarity, confidence, and heart.

Book a Sprint →