Jaime Di Dio - Branding That Feels Right

Welcome to the Real People Real Business show. My name is Stephanie Hayes and I'm a business strategist and coach who loves to speak with like-minded entrepreneurs to share their real stories and the gritty details on building their businesses. On this show, you won't hear about the glamorized entrepreneurship journeys that you see online, and you won't be told how to make six figures in six weeks. Instead, you can expect to hear real vulnerable and inspiring stories that you can relate to that have helped create the foundation of each of our guests, businesses. Goodbye boss babes and hello, real life entrepreneurs. Today. I'm so excited to welcome Jamie Di Dio. Jamie works with small businesses to craft comprehensive big agency caliber branding with the customization and accessibility exclusive to one-on-one consulting. Welcome to the show, Jaime, and thanks so much for taking the time to share your story today. Thank you so much for having me, Stephanie. I really appreciate it now. Here's what's so awesome about Jaime is that we are doing this while she is in Tokyo while she lives in Tokyo. And, but you grew up in Los Angeles. I did. Yes. And so tell, tell me all about how you made that kind of journey. Um, so it's, it's, I mean, that, that kind of journey is something that is always kind of, um, strange, I guess, but, um, growing up, I always had this feeling. I can remember at a very young age that I always knew that I was going to. Do something with other countries. I can remember as early as five. And, um, so I had my first experience when I was in, um, university in, um, Southern California. I went to Cal state long beach and I. Studied abroad in, in Italy for six months. And that was kind of my first taste of that, but it was very sheltered. I was in a program, you know, other international students. And then, um, I happened to, there happened to be a lot of international students in my, in the design program when I went back to Cal state long beach. And that's where I met my then boyfriend now, husband, who was an international student from. So, um, he wanted to go back home. I said, yes, please. And he made it very, very easy for me. And we spent several years bouncing back and forth from, um, the us to Japan. And, um, yeah, right now we are living in Tokyo and you have a little girl. Yes, we have a little girl Kami. She's almost six. And, um, it's both my husband and I being creative. She's right there in the middle of us. Um, right now she's very interested in fashion design and we all sit and talk about concept together. So whatever she wants to do, but that's where we're at right now. Oh, I love it. So you went from design school and then you went and worked with some agencies and kind of really cut your teeth in sort of a big agency land before you kind of landed in this consulting role. Right? So tell me a little bit more about how the. The business actually developed. Yeah. So, um, I actually studied interior architecture and right off the bat, I was working as a junior designer. Um, actually when I was still, um, still a student, I was working as a junior designer in an interior architecture firm. And then right after I graduated, I made the leap to living in Japan. And being very new to the language. Haven't only taken Japanese 1 0 1. I started teaching English and trying to do a little freelancing on the side. Um, so, and then I kind of fell into, I just fell into Lance designing, but I've never really had a, I, I guess, a career in a big agency So, you have the experience with the big agency, but you, you really work in this kind of one on one very intimate capacity with your clients and who are the clients that you're serving right now? Yeah, so I work, um, primarily with, um, wellness and socially conscious businesses, small businesses who are really invested in working. The greater working for the greater good. I have had experiences to work with more corporate level businesses, um, working one on one with marketing directors. So that does come about from time to time. Um, I do find that I really enjoy. The kind of direct nature of working one on one with a business owner, because things can move so much quicker. There are few hoops that you have to jump through. Um, and, um, my focus is branding. So, um, it's so much more than the visuals. I do pretty much what a big agency would do. You know, understanding how branding can actually move the needle in your business and how it can function as a business. Yeah, cuz branding is about so much more than a logo and your visuals. And so do you have a, like a custom framework that you take people through or is there, you know, a specific, um, format that you use with the work that you do with your clients? Absolutely. You know, um, being both a designer and a strategist allows me to really dig in from the very beginning. Um, and usually working with experienced businesses, they have so much knowledge. So I like to really listen, learn from the beginning, and then we either go through a brand audit. Um, or brand strategy. So for both of those, I have set frameworks. The brand audit is a four point framework, which goes through different areas of analyzing how your business is perceived. In the market based on the activity that you're doing based on what you're putting out into the world, um, or some other preexisting conditions related to your business and examining those. And, um, my brand strategy as a five point framework, which analyzes, um, market trends, looking at market data, what your mission is in your business, understanding peripheral markets and mapping out a plan. Based on all of those findings and working together, mapping out a plan to connect the dots, to actually cross that gap between where you are and where you envision your business to be. So that everything is intentional, that if you don't need to redesign. You shouldn't redesign. If you need to work on your messaging, then that's where you're focusing your resources. So everything is always about understanding what can you repurpose, what you need to do? You know, never, never reinventing the wheel because it, it just, it doesn't make sense to do things for, for vanity or just because someone else says so, or someone else did it. Totally. And you've. And so you have focused on the, like the health and wellness space or, or impact driven organizations. That's right. Mm-hmm yes. Yeah. So gimme some examples. Who might you work with? And where, where might they sort of come from? Yeah. Um, I work mainly with businesses who are in, um, English speaking countries, all over the world, or, you know, individuals who do business in English, they may be based anywhere. And, um, I've worked with businesses such as a profit carries, nutraceutical businesses, um, people who are in the B2B space doing, um, kind of. Earlier phase of, um, food production and ingredients for items that you see in trader Joe's or whole foods, um, um, acupuncturists, people like that. And what drew you to that sort of niche or that genre? Um, I've always been very. Kind of a aware of, I mean, growing up in the eighties, it was always like, you know, make sure don't be a litter bug. And there were all of these big campaigns, but, um, I always felt really good about that kind of thing. Never taking it to an extreme, but just seeing how I could incorporate that in my life. And, um, the first time that we moved back from Tokyo to the us was in, um, 2008 and it was doing during the mortgage crisis. And I had not worked in, um, design for a few years being out of the country. So I tried and tried to get a job in interior and I couldn't. And, um, my husband said to me, okay, in the town we're living and there's a lot of environmental activity. He recommended me to find the person at the local city hall who was in charge of an environmental fair that was coming. And to go and pitch to them, to rebrand the event. So we did it for free. I made a whole presentation. I sat on the board. I ended up taking over that event a few years later, but it was because of the. The kind of my, my existing interest, but then the nature of this town, um, little town in San Diego called Encinitas where environmentalism is such at the forefront and everyone does yoga. Everyone surfs everyone's was very aware at that time of plastic bags and that kind of thing. So just out of circumstance, this evolved and then out of being involved in that event, that's where my first clients came from, who were in the same sector. So there, the, the sort of branding world, um, you know, there's all sorts of different types of services and types of service providers. What, what sort of sets you apart and, and who are, who would your, what would your clients be looking for that would draw them to you? Yeah. Um, well, I work with experienced businesses, so most business owners. Have worked with a branding professional at some point, but probably the branding that most business owners have experienced is more heavy on the visual side. And, um, you know, everyone's had redesign website refresh logo on their list of to-dos, but it's, I come from a place that I listen to what your goals are, what issues are your, are you facing? And if you come to me saying, you know, I'd like to redesign my logo. I dig and dig and dig into why. And if that doesn't make sense, if that's not going to help you achieve your goal, if you're trying to increase revenue and I see that will not happen, I will flat out tell you. And if you're interested in hearing, you know, stepping back and hearing about how to actually make a plan that helps you to move forward toward your goals with branding, then we might be a right fit. And if not, then that's okay too. But, um, You know, something that really sets me apart is that I never want you to pay for something that you do not need. I have your best interest at heart as another, as another business owner. I would never want someone to advise me to do something that is not going to be helpful. Because, especially when you work alone, you don't have enough time, enough energy and, you know, budget is a real thing. So I just, I, I come from a place of collaboration. So what, what is it that drives people to, to think branding is their issue when perhaps it's not, I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about what branding actually is. You know, um, and it's, it's only been in, you know, maybe I'd say about the last 15 years that branding has started to be clarified and design in business. So I think that people will think that their look is outdated. Um, that's kind of the first thing, or they see a competitor's website and they start to have some kind of FOMO, um, or jealousy and it can be prompted. By that. Um, I think there's a, it's hard because, um, it's very intricate, you know, I, I define branding as being how other people perceive you based on everything that's out in the world. And we can't control that. So it's, it's similar to having a conversation with a doctor and getting to the root of the problem. So it's very easy to self diagnose and to. Have some kind of other idea about what's going on when that really doesn't get to the root of the problem? Yeah. I think a lot of people will feel the pressure in their business and they get a little bit anxious and then they kind of look around and they, they, you know, they see all the possible kind of. Obvious options. And if they are a little outdated, I mean, that, that can, I can see how they get there. Right. Mm-hmm . And what, when do you think is the best time for someone to come and, and look for upgrading their branding or taking their branding in a new direction? I think that that's a great question for me. It's when you're setting new. In your business when you're seeing where you're not hitting the mark. And it's very easy when you're in the online space to latch on to all of the shiny objects out there, the big program or the celebrity entrepreneur or something you may have not tried. Um, but when you're goal setting and understanding. Your skill set is unique. Your experiences are unique, especially when you're a more experienced business owner. You've gone through your journey is quite different from others. Um, acknowledging those things, acknowledging that, you know, if you're in a group program, oftentimes, you know, more than half of the things that will be discussed. So what kind of unique plan, what kind of unique approach will fit? What you have to take you where you're trying to go. So when goal setting happens, then that's the best time for, uh, me to have a conversation with someone. To be honest, both setting happens, you know, throughout the year, but this sounds like it's when there's like a, a big shift or a transition where mm-hmm , you know, they, the, almost the, the mission or the feel of the business is starting to shift a lot. And I think that happens every, at least every few years. I know for me, I looked at my, my branding from. Six years ago. Like it's very different than where we are now. And it almost seems like it's gotten more and more refined and more and more refined in terms of the message. And like, you I've always thought branding is what other people say about you. Right. And what other people think about you? And then you go into the actual execution of that, which is the design, or which is perhaps the, the copy or the messaging or what have you. So I think right at that very core, um, I think that's critical for. Everything that happens in that next phase of business. Right? Absolutely. You know, the, the market is constantly changing the way we engage with others because of our society. Our society has been changing so much, especially in the past food years and our own ideas evolve as we experience different things. So, um, things are always moving and then, yeah. Um, understanding does the way that. The way that you're communicating with your audience, does that still match? Well, I think it's important externally, but I think it's also really important internally in terms of, of being able to move forward with the, like that new phase or that those new goals, um, being able to understand and clarify. I know when I couldn't quite clarify what my message was or clarify what my, what I stood for, it made it really hard to make decisions. What I was gonna prioritize or take on or the work that I was gonna do. So it's as much internal as it is external, isn't it? Absolutely. Uh, that's a great point. And you know, whether you are a team of one or a team of many, um, having your own the way you think about yourself and the way others who are working behind the scenes feel, think, and feel about the business is. 50% of, of branding, you know, branding is both external and internal. We don't talk about that. Internal branding so much with small businesses, but, um, you know, when, for example, I was speaking with a coach who was, um, telling me very much so about, she was building wealth for her clients. And then we discussed on the other hand about her VA in the Philippines and. We found that in order to bring her branding up to speed, that she needed to also be helping to build wealth for that VA in the Philippines. So that both sides felt. Good. And that she also felt good about everything that was happening. So everything's moving in the same direction, so much, that's so much deeper. Right. And then it, then it appears at the beginning. One of my best friends is a, a brand strategist as well. And she says, I kind of want all my clients to go and work with you first because that really deep foundational defining yourself and defining your business is actually really critical to then it's it's. Parallel or it there's overlap in it. And it dovetails nicely into all the branding work that she would do. And we're talking like branding, not design and the PHY, you know, the physical visual brand. And so there's this, you know, your brand really is, is rich. Isn't it? And it comes from, it comes really from you to begin. Absolutely. You know, Stephanie, I really, I think that's an excellent point that being so clear on your business and how your business carries out your mission. Um, you know, similarly through, through the work that you do, being clear on that and how you're going to execute on that and how it makes sense in all the different layers and then taking that and putting it on into the world. Um, It reminds me just, you know, of the human experience. As we know ourselves more, we feel more comfortable in our relationships and how we move around in the world. So our businesses, in some sense could be a personification of ourselves or another entity that we built. Built that's, um, inspired on or somehow reflects us. And we built like, were all, these were all these kind of special snowflakes, right? We've we all take all this collection of experiences that we've had, like, look at your experiences. And, you know, you've been in Italy and now you're working in Tokyo and serving an international audience. Like that's a different experience than someone else has, has got. And so even your brand is gonna be different than, than another. And they, I see it as such a very personal like fingerprint and it really has to. Culminate in something that is, that feels so closely tied to you and your heart, doesn't it? Yes, absolutely. That, that feeling, feeling right about things. This is something that, um, I've been talking a lot about these days is feeling right about things feeling right. When you go into something in your business, if it just feels a little off acknowledging that, is that because you're pushing yourself into something new or is that because it's not quite right for you? And that's okay, because there are infinite ways to approach things and that's, what's so special about working with a strategist and a consultant that you can take your unique needs and feelings, and whatever's going on in your life, you know, acknowledging that. Are you dealing with health issues? Do you have things in a relationship that's going, whatever it is, all of those things are valid and putting those together into an unique plan that works for. You don't have to fit into someone else's box. Yeah. You sound like you're speaking about, um, mind services too. I I'm. So I'm so adamant about this, that we have very personalized business models. It's not enough. It's not enough to just, uh, apply yourself and squeeze yourself into some cookie cutter framework because it just doesn't work. And. I know most of my clients come to me and they are not coming to me saying, oh, I need to make a whole bunch more money. They're coming to me and saying, I want my business to feel better. And really after we do our work, they should move on and work with someone like you to really distill that and distinguish that and, and come up with something vibrant and rich. Mm. Yeah. You know, I, I think that there's, there's less focus these days, several years ago, there was such like, um, an on and off of business, you know, at, at work, you only discuss these topics and after you only discuss these, and I mean, for me coming from that and knowing that I wanna present myself in a certain way, you know, that's one thing. But then at the same time, acknowledging, um, especially because I work in. The wellness and socially conscious space. I have many clients who deal with issues like auto autoimmune, autoimmune issues, ly disease, things like this, that they will have days that, you know, they'll tell me, Jamie today I'm experiencing brain fog. So I need your help and knowing, okay, you know, this is a part of you and your story and your business. So how can we. Make things work for you. Yeah, exactly. Gone. Are there days where we have to, I mean, God, I did that. I worked in the.com era and we would show up every day, every day of the week, no matter how sick or, or, you know, troubled, we were, it was every day, seven days a week and, and 12 hour days. And it was seen as a badge of honor. Well, that doesn't happen. I mean, I never want my clients to. Work like that ever again, like, it's just, it does, it doesn't make a lot of sense, but we came out of that and now we're here and it feels like there's a Renaissance. Yeah. Yeah. And, um, you know, I think on the flip side, though, we have to be aware that there are there there're some, some things that are happening in marketing that are trying to capitalize. Upon people's weaknesses. So being aware that, um, you know, there's, there are two sides to everything. Yeah. But just something I, I, I urge people to do is just really make sure, you know, vet vet who you're working with. Yes. Make sure this feels right for you, that you feel comfortable and safe. And because it comes back to that feeling right. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we could have a whole other conversation on that topic for sure. But there's a lot of, I think people are starting to wise up. Right. I think that the, this whole sort of online business space is getting to that sort of getting past teenager hood and starting to get into young adulthood where we start to see some of the, the, the chinks in the armor, right. In the holes. And. In, um, what we've been believing for so long and this kind of celebrity culture is, is starting to be worn down, but it's, it's interesting. And it's been kind of interesting to watch it grow over the past few years. Um, I wanna talk to you about your, your experience, um, working internationally with your clients. So it's, I just. I'm I wish, you know, my, my desire had been to have your life, right. I always had the drive and the desire to work internationally as well. And so tell me a little bit about how it is, um, you know, you, you're in, you're in Tokyo and you're serving international clients. And so what kind of flavor does that add to the work that you do? Yeah. Um, you know, it's very interesting because I'm in a country where, um, I, I see things differently because I, my reading level is a little bit lower. I can, I can communicate. Okay. But I'm, by no way, fluent, I have communication ability. So there are a lot of things that I don't, I'm not able to read. So I notice colors. I notice textures. I notice how people feel in situations and I've been living here, um, on and off for about, um, 10 or 15 years. So going through this experience throughout my life, and then experiencing people who I can't communicate 100% with, uh, not only in Japanese, but maybe in other languages, you know, and, and seeing that that's very much. So what happens in branding that we have an. Sometimes we were crystal clear on that idea, but when we put it out into the world, just, you know, by the way things work, there will be someone who interpret it completely differently. There will be someone who doesn't understand it at all, and there will be people who completely understand it. And also acknowledging that sometimes there are things that we need to change in how we communicate in order for people to understand us better. And going through that every single day, constantly thinking, you know, when I'm chatting with other moms at the park, when I take my daughter after school, like, is this person really understanding what do I need to do in order for them to understand me? Better. And that might not, not only be through words and that's what branding is, right. It's not only showing it's not only using words. It's how do we convey some kind of feeling using all of our perception, all of our senses that we have available to us. Such an it's such an interesting parallel, isn't it. And especially if you start going to other countries where, you know, you may have even less, um, capability. And I think that when people make big shifts in their business and even into different, you know, maybe even in the same market, but just to a different segment or to, you know, a new, a new, um, Piece of the market or a new offering. It still feels that same way. It's like, what do I say? How do I, how do I really convey this? And do I need to show up differently? Cuz it's true. You know, if I'm moving from working with this type of entrepreneur to that next level type of entrepreneur, I have to show up differently. Yeah. To meet them where they are. And I think that's the case for most, most businesses as well, if they're gonna make a big shift. Yeah. I think I, I really like what you said about meeting people where they are and looking further into how you can do that because it's meeting them where they are as your yourself. Yes. Yeah, I love that. Mm-hmm do you think there's a difference between, um, building a personal brand and building like a, a business brand? Yeah, that's a great question. And a lot of people talk about, um, the differences. I think they are fundamentally the same. They come from the same place, the same framework. Um, but they're executed differently. Because just as in business, when you're working as a team of one versus a team of a few or many, you have to change your operations. So, you know, there's more communication involved. There are more explanations, there's more, um, kind of making sure that things are interpreted correctly on the back end. Right, right. And a, and a personal brand. I mean, the, the way that. It is manifested is gonna be a little bit different too, right? Yes. I, I feel like there's a little bit more, um, emotion and a little bit more, um, you know, we dive a little bit more personally into the person and their shared experiences, as opposed to, um, you know, at more of a, a, like a corporate level where we're, we're talking more about the collective hole, right. Right, right. And there can be of course, personal brands that have a big, you know, a big team behind them. Yeah. Or, um, you know, a brand that's not a personal brand. That is a team of one. It can work both ways, but, um, It, it, there are kind of different things that hap go into to both, you know, when you have a person, when you have a personal brand, you of course have to curate what it's okay to share. Yeah. You know, we talk a lot about being vulnerable, being a good thing, but then, you know, you, you deserve your, your privacy and your safety as well. So understanding, um, What goes into that, what feels right. And, um, for also if you're building a brand, that's not a personal brand, then the whole process of creating that entity. Yeah. So tell me a little bit about on, on your side of, of the, the business, what has growth meant for you and how have you been managing or, um, building your own growth? Growth has, um, been a lot of me understanding my process better. Um, because when I first started out, um, you know, mid two thousands as a, a freelance designer, um, it was really just about what the, what the client wanted and kind of giving my opinion, but mostly it was about doing what they wanted. And then I found that that was the greatest risk. That could ever be undertaken by the business owner because they had no insight. It's like you go to a doctor and you tell them what medicine you want, but you don't have that further insight. Um, so seeing that my clients were not getting any closer to their goals and right away, that led me to dig into how does branding function as a business tool. So it set me off on a mission to. Talk to colleagues who are working in big agencies to understand how this can actually work. How can I leverage this design in order to help people reach their goals or move forward toward their goals? Not just having something that looks great. Because we need to have that too. But, um, my growth has, has, um, been it's just been a continuous process and, you know, I continue to learn and, and work on that. Learning how branding is moving forward to constantly digging into how to better serve my clients. Um, on the flip side, you know, becoming a parent, everything changes. You know, priorities, change and grow. And, um, something I heard you say as well, is that, um, something to the effect of that, um, we're not doing work in the, in the medical field. We're not doing things that have the kind of urgency that someone, you know, would lose their life if we need to change our schedules. So being a parent, understanding that and understanding how to serve my clients, but also to. Honor my family and honor my different roles in my. A hundred percent. That balance is really, really critical. And, uh, I think somebody said that to me, once when I was working on a project, it was like 11 o'clock at night. And we were still at the office and I was just like hammering away and he says, go home. He goes, we're not saving lives, right. If we have to push the deadline by another day, it's fine. Cuz side something had happened and the project got delayed or whatever. And I was working so hard to catch up and he, I was like, you're, you know what, you're right. That really resonated with me because, and then all of a sudden it just started taking the pressure off of everything. And, and if I don't get all this stuff done, like there's no business police that are gonna come and and, uh, you know, slap me with a fine. So how are you finding your clients? Like where do they typically come from for. Um, most of my clients do come from, from referrals or if I go to some kind of in the past, now we don't go to so many events, but going to events and talking with people, um, just through my extended network is usually how it works. Um, I do have some people who find me through social media or through my website. Um, but, um, mostly. Yeah, I know that you produced some great content on a pretty regular basis. And I was wondering if that factors in quite a bit, you know, I do really love speaking and speaking helps me clarify my ideas in the past. It was journaling, but I find speaking and video are really helpful for me to share. So, um, part of that is my own process. And part of it is also for reaching out and helping people, having people connect with. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that, you know, the, the content that we create typically is there to strengthen our brand. And then, um, all of the, the outreach and the visibility and the showing up that we do is where we find our new clients. And then they see our content and learn a bit more about us. Right. Absolutely. Yeah. How would you say the, your industry has shifted or changed over over the years since you kind of started. Um, I think that there is more understanding now on the client side of, um, starting to be, you know, more understanding of what branding actually is. Um, so. There's that. And then also on, you know, with, among other brand professionals, there's this kind of movement these days that everybody wants to call themselves a strategist because people are seeing the value in it. So there's that kind of trendiness trendiness factor. I mean, I've been doing that before , before that was a thing, but, um, yeah, you see more strategists out there. I. Not sure about, um, their processes, but, um, you see more strategists, you see people trying to offer more. Mm. Um, whether it's more logo, iterations or more, I think index services. So rather than just, um, being an order taker. Yeah. And I think that branding is one of those places that you don't wanna cheap out. Right? Yeah. Um, I mean, Branding branding, marketing and sales. I mean together with, you know, your business business strategy, branding, marketing, and sales, those three feed directly into each other. It's like these four parts that if one of them is out of alignment or one of them is missing, then. I think, you know, you, you you'll feel it and you'll see how that, um, reaction comes out. So all of those need to be honored. And do you ever find yourself working collaboratively with anyone sort of adjacent to you on that continuum? I do. You know, I I've worked in conjunction with, um, marketing specialists, marketing strategists, um, also business consultants. So I find that understanding. The different pieces and I love, and then I love to work phase by phase because it doesn't make sense to do everything out of the bat. You don't need to go from zero to 100. Yeah. You know, go phase one, working collaborative, collaboratively on the business side, on the marketing side, on the sales side, seeing okay. Launch something, test and change. Yeah. Test and change. Refine. Okay. Then does it make sense? Is the revenue coming? Should we go to phase. Yeah. And I get, I get the sense from you that that's kind of been how you've built your own business too, is just test and change, test and change. And so what if there was something that you could say that you sort of wish that you knew before you got started? What would that be? um, I, when I got started, I, I never wanted, I didn't wanna be a business owner. so there are a lot of things that, I mean, when, when you jump into this, there are a lot of things that you wish you knew, but I, I wish starting out that I knew more about brand strategy and the impact that it has on design, because there was a short time, you know, I got into that pretty quickly, but there was a short time that I served clients who didn't, I wasn't able to. Bring that into the picture. And I, I wish I could have at that time, but you learned yes. Yes. And you grew and you develop, you probably learned very quickly too. well, always cont we're always learning, right. Continue to learn. Yeah. And, and now you've developed sort of your own take on that, right? Yeah. It came through lots of different iterations and, and very, very customized, um, you know, versions of this framework that I did for many years. Yeah. Yeah. What's different about branding in the kind of the health and wellness space, as opposed to, you know, say manufacturing or, or like a service based business, health and wellness, you know, um, It's really about honoring people's feelings. Mm-hmm so when you honor people's feelings, you need to convey even more. So the approach that you have, right? Because a lot of times you don't have statistics. You don't have hard facts or data that can, you can't quantify your work in the same way. Other industries. So, you know, of course sharing a combination of both of your background, honoring the sources. If you're using practices from other cultures, honoring those sources together with, um, your own message, a balance of conveying all of those things that happens through branding. So without doing that, you can be interpreted as doing any number of things. Yeah. It's important. And I think that it's also one of those industries where that, and sort of the spiritual space, it's one of those industries where people are constantly telling you, you shouldn't be charging for your, for your work. Right. It it's. Helping and it's meant to be accessible and you know, to me, that's kind of bogus and, and there's a whole other conversation that we had about that. But I think, I think your branding also has an impact on that as well. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Um, you know, the way people perceive you then drives how much they are willing to pay. Your services. Yes. So, and that can mean any number of things. You know, I've had clients do sliding scales, I've had clients do all, all sorts of things. Um, you know, depending on what type of client they're serving or customer they're serving and all of that needs to be. Conveyed. Yeah. I often tell my clients that your pricing is there to support your brand. Right. Mm-hmm and whatever you're, even if you're a discount brand or whether you're a luxury brand, your pricing is there to, to, um, support that and to communicate and manifest that to your clients and help them understand where they belong. Yes, yes. Yeah. So what's next for you? Um, You know, I'm digging more into, into my work these days. My daughter is just about to be six. So it's just been very recent than I've been able to have more of my mental space, you know, being able to, I remember those days, my work . So, um, I, I absolutely love the work that I do. So it's continuing with my work, um, working closely with clients and diving into. Their stories and continuing to learn. Awesome. And is there any, is there a direction, or is there something that's been really kind of peaking your interest that you would love to dig further into? Um, You know, books always have fascinated with me. So that might be a book, maybe something that, uh, would be in the future. Um, you know, as we return more to in person events, that's something I would love to do something in person, um, with different business owners. I think that collaboration is really powerful. Mm-hmm and sharing space with someone in person, um, is so different. And I think a lot of us crave. So, especially after the last couple of years, that's for sure. Oh my goodness. Yes. but an interesting social commentary, I think when we get our heads up and out of all of this, it's gonna, there's gonna be some pretty interesting, um, uh, stuff to consume about what happened, right? Yeah. What happened to us socially and economically and anthropologically, right? Yeah. Yeah. I I'm always looking forward, you know, always looking, thinking. Being ahead of trends and looking at, you know, what that looks like both for me and, and for other businesses. So thinking about, you know, different ways to communicate and different ways to connect. So I feel like I can set goals, but then as I move forward, that tends to change and shift. And so, yeah, just, um, thinking about what feels right and, and the new connections coming. Awesome. I have a question that I ask everybody just before we finish up. Um, there's a lot that goes on out there, especially in the online business space. And I always feel like there's a little bit of a gap right. Between what's real and what we sort of see and here, especially for you're a new business owner. So to, in your opinion, what is the difference between what's real as a business owner and what we hear as messaging out there in the world? Mm. I think that what's real is what you experience in your daily life and acknowledging that, that, that reality is okay. It's very easy to get caught up in what other people curate and show, but knowing that your reality is valid and that's okay. And. You get to decide what you share with other people in the online space, just as you do in your daily life. And it can be some combination of, you know, what one person shares and what another person shares. I just think don't think there are any rules, right? There are no rules, the only rules I think. And this is what I tell my daughter honor your own feelings and don't hurt anyone else. Yes, those are the only rules. So along with that side, what feels right for. Awesome. I love it. Okay. We're coming up on time. Um, can you tell everybody where they can find you and we'll put all of the links in the show notes as well? Absolutely. So you can find me on Instagram at Jamie Di Dio and you can also find me on my website at studio Aiuto.com. I love it. Okay. Well, we're, we're, we're at the end of our time together, but I wanna thank you so much for, especially coming internationally and taking the time to speak with me today. I always love connecting with you. I think on Instagram, we're always talking and seeing your content. Um, and I'm so glad we had the opportunity to chat today and hear more about how your business came to be and your experience along the way and what the future for your business entails. And I can't wait to see where you end up in the next few years. And thank you for tuning into this episode of the Real People, Real Business show where we get the real entrepreneurial stories and journeys that you can relate to. The show notes, resources and special offers from this episode are available on my website and social media platforms. Thanks again for joining us today. And if you've enjoyed today's content, I would love for you to give us a review on whatever platform you're on to help us share these genuine stories with an even bigger audience till next time. Keep building, keep dreaming and keep being real.