A Logo Doesn’t Love You Back

Let me say something no one wants to hear:

Your logo isn’t your brand.

It’s not even close.

It can be gorgeous. Minimal. Award-winning.

It can have the exact hex codes your consultant agonized over.

It can animate beautifully on your website.

But unless it’s tethered to something real, something felt—

It’s just decoration.

And decoration doesn’t move people.

Emotion does.

Pretty Doesn’t Persuade. Meaning Does.

I’ve worked with founders who spent five figures on their visual identity before they could clearly explain what they do.

I’ve seen startups treat their typeface like a strategy.

And I’ve watched rebrands flop—not because the design was bad, but because there was nothing behind it.

Because design without story?

Is just dressing the mannequin.

The Truth: Your Customer Doesn’t Care About Your Logo

They care about how you make them feel.

How you solve their problem.

What it says about them to be seen using your product, wearing your brand, reposting your message.

They care about why you exist—and why it matters.

And that? That’s not visual.

That’s emotional. Relational. Strategic.

Here’s What Builds Brand Loyalty:

• A voice that makes people feel understood

• A story that reflects their own aspirations

• A product that doesn’t just function—but feels good to use

• A founder who stands for something

• Messaging that doesn’t sound like everyone else on the goddamn timeline

None of those are fonts.

None of those are found in your brand guidelines doc.

All of those are felt.

Let Me Be Clear:

I love good design.

I’ve worked with phenomenal designers.

Design can elevate, clarify, and express.

But it should be the translation of a deeper truth—not the entire truth itself.

If you’re building a brand, and you start with the visual before you’ve nailed the narrative, it’s like picking an outfit before knowing where you’re going.

You might look great.

But you’re probably lost.

So What Should You Do Instead?

Start here:

• Get clear on your story. What do you believe? Why now? Why you?

• Know your people. Who are they, emotionally—not just demographically?

• Find your tension. What problem are you solving that no one else is owning out loud?

• Build a voice that doesn’t feel like a press release.

Then, by all means—hire the design agency.

Make it beautiful.

But don’t mistake the wrapping for the gift.

Because your logo?

Doesn’t love you back.

Want help building the soul of your brand?

Let’s get to the heart of it.

Or see how I work with visionary founders to make strategy feel human.