Have you ever wondered if you could build a brand with no clear vision of what it will be, but confident it is meant to be? Well you need to learn how one brand builder is doing just that, building her brand from a place of confidence. Her name is Barbara Viteri and she is the creator of Designerlebrity™, a rapidly growing pop-culture style community fascinated with all things interior design. She is a game changer in the interior design industry as she boldly publicizes both creative and critical dialog on what makes interior design so captivating.
In 2014, Barbara decided to trademark the name, Designerlebrity™, an affectionate term she calls celebrity interior designers. Noticing the design industry taking a turn for the worst in a saturated market of DIY’ers and self proclaimed design professionals on false informing television shows, she felt the need to create a movement to bring back the respect of the art and highlight the masters in their fields, Designerlebrities.
With no clue how to pursue this venture, she started the process with self confidence, intuition and a thoroughbred work ethic which paid off. Barbara landed the industry’s first web talk show that spotlighted her brand and propelled her success. She became a contributing design editor for publications and is now a highly sought after speaker for design engagements across the nation. All accomplished within her brands first year of conception. Now she is estimated to partner and sign lucrative deals that span from television to product lines.
If there is ever an example of confidence proving to show success in building a brand, the creator of Designerlebrity™ is it. She shares a few pieces of advice and personal experiences on building a brand from a place of confidence more than seeing the full picture. Be prepared as she is unfiltered but boldly authentic. Meet Barbara Viteri.
BLIND CONFIDENCE
I was a hard-headed kid that never turned down a dare. Not that I accepted every dare, but the dares that proved a point. I grew up in a very tough neighborhood so maybe that had something to do with it, but I just knew I was going to get out of there and create my own wealth. In fact that was the mindset of all the kids growing up in public housing. We never talked about being poor we talked about what we are going to do when we got rich. That epitomizes blind confidence. It’s the mindset of taking on a dare and proving your point. I currently have this idea of making a name into a brand with no clear vision on how to do it, but Designerlebrity™ is my dare with plans to make more than just a point, but an impact.
CONCUR YOUR FEARS
This sounds like given, but as the old saying goes, “it’s easier said than done”. We all have fears to concur both in business and in life. Honestly it is a total mind-screw. I personally breakdown my fears and purposely put myself in situations to concur them. It’s truly the only way to get over your fears. I’m not comfortable with public speaking yet now I get paid to produce speaking engagements across the nation. That’s because for over two years I asked organizations in my industry to let me conduct small speaking events for them for FREE! I may still be a little uncomfortable with public speaking, but the repetition of doing things that makes me uncomfortable also made me more confident. If you are having a hard time taking that first step, just listen to Jay Z’s song, On to the Next One, loudly or something motivationally equivalent and that may put a peep in that step.
HYPE VS SUBSTANCE
We all heard the saying “Fake it till you make it”, but that can only take you so far. At some point you don’t want to become the saying “Don’t believe the hype”. You can have the best idea on the planet, worth billions in your opinion, but if you are not properly executing that idea and seeing tangible results, you my friend are building up the hype. My brand is just over a year old. I’m part of a small industry that has never even heard of Designerlebrity™ yet let alone the general public, but what keeps the opportunities coming is the substance I have built in such a short period of time. From landing an online talk show, Designerlebrity™ Talk with Barbara Viteri on The Design Network, to getting award acknowledgment for my articles in The Typical Female Magazine, to even making the cover of this magazine. My small brand has substance and if I ever lose confidence in its success, I look back at what has been accomplished to help get my grove back and build more confidence to avoid the hype. Create substance while you create hype, because you can only negotiate from a place of power. It’s a winning combination.
LOYALTY MATTERS
You can not set a price on loyalty. In business and in life you want to feel confident with the people in your inner circle. Think about the people you truly divulge information to? Why do you speak to them? Is this person a spouse, best friend or even a business partner? To feel confident in your day to day decision making you depend on the loyalty and honesty of those people you can count on. You never want to think they don’t have your back especially if you are a type of person to have theirs. I’ve had friends turn into opportunists and sacrifice our friendship for personal gain. I’ve been in business for a long time and I will be honest, it is the most hurtful experience and I don’t deal well with it. I immediately cut them off or put them at arms length. Once the trust has been broken it is unrepairable in my opinion. People may think in business it is impossible to keep this trait, but I assure you people in business count on it. Great business collaborations are built on it and your peace of mind with thank you for it.
FOLLOW YOUR GUT
We all have these trigger senses within us. I can not stress this enough, but you need to learn to trust them! Call it a gut check or sixth sense, but many of my most successful moments were because I listened to my gut. Also many of my most disastrous moments were because I didn’t listen to my gut. The goal is to learn how to listen and then make your all important decisions. This may sound harsh, but if I meet someone and can’t put my finger on why I should not be their friend, business partner or whatever, I don’t pursue the answer too long, because after years of honing in on my gut reaction, I intuitively know the answer. It’s difficult to explain, but I assure you it is a good skill to develop. Learn to listen to your gut and trust it. You will feel more confident in your decision making because of it.
