When You Outgrow Your Origin Story

What happens when the version of your brand that used to feel solid starts to feel… not wrong, exactly, but not quite right either?

You might notice yourself hesitating to send someone to your website, or feel a disconnect when you reread your own copy. Maybe you avoid using certain parts of your messaging because they no longer feel true.

This can be unsettling, especially if you’ve done the hard work of writing your Origin Story, one which at the time aligned with what you do and how you show up to work every day. 

So what do you do when the story that drove you now feels distant to who you’ve become?

You might assume you made a mistake while growing your brand or that the story was never right in the first place and now you need to start all over again.

But we’ve learned this moment of realization isn’t a failure, it's a signal that you’ve grown both as a person and as a brand. 

And now, your story is asking to grow with you.

"I’ve evolved, but my brand hasn’t caught up."

This feeling is common among all of us brand-builders at every stage of our journey. We now offer something more layered or expansive or even simpler than when we first launched. The problem is that we’re still operating through the lens of an older version of ourselves, one that made sense at the time, but no longer quite fits.

But are you allowed to change your story?

Yes.

Your Origin Story isn’t a rulebook and it’s not something you’re locked into. It’s a foundation you can build from, refine, and return to.

A good story can evolve. So can your brand. And so can you.

Maybe the essence of your story is still true but the tone needs to shift, or the structure is sound but your role inside it has changed. Maybe you’re in a new chapter altogether and the previous one needs to be acknowledged and gently released.

You don’t have to scrap your identity and rebrand everything from scratch. Instead you must return to the core of why you started and shape your message from where you are now. This takes a lot of self reflection and honesty, but it helps you move forward with clarity.

If your brand no longer feels like home, it doesn’t mean it failed you. It served you well for a few seasons and now it’s time to plant again. 

Revisit your story to reconnect with what still holds true and let that guide the shape of what you want to grow into next.