This is for brands that refuse to blend in.
If your brand technically works but feels interchangeable, polite, or painfully familiar. If you’ve ever felt like your brand is good but not landing, this newsletter exists to fix that.
I help you escape sameness with disruptive positioning, so you become the obvious choice instead of just one more name in the lineup.
Not louder.
Not trendier.
Different. (in a way that actually matters.)
I’m Jessica. I’m a Level C–certified brand strategist.
And this is where I show you how brands break out of crowded categories without relying on hustle culture, growth hacks, or beige storytelling.
What this newsletter is really about
This Substack is about how brands win when best quality and great ingredients are no longer enough. Different categories require different ways to break through. I work with four:
Challenger Branding
You confront the category’s lazy assumptions and give people a better side to join.Disruptor Branding
You change the rules—new model, new mechanism, new standard, and the brand makes that obvious instantly.Anti-Branding
You reject polished “brand theatre” and use honesty and voice as differentiation without the fake “messy minimalist” act.Cult Branding
You build belonging, rituals, identity, so your customers don’t just buy, they become the type of person who buys.
Different tools. Different wars. Same goal:
Make the brand unforgettable and impossible to ignore.
This isn’t branding as aesthetics.
This is branding as strategy, leverage, and long-term advantage.
You’ll learn how to:
Carve out a space your competitors can’t claim
Write messaging that hits fast and sticks
Create demand without begging for attention
Build a brand people can spot from a mile away
Use story(s)telling as a growth tool for your brand
This publication is where I share how I actually think, work, and build.
Not the polished version. The real one.
Why I’m qualified to teach this (and why I don’t romanticize it)
I didn’t start as a strategist.
I started as a founder who got it wrong.
I once built a me-too brand.
Good product. Clean design. Decent intentions.
But, slow sales. Weak messaging. No emotional pull.
I copied competitors. I talked about features.
And… it failed big time.
I just thought I wasn’t cut out for business.
But the truth?
I didn’t fail at business. I failed at positioning myself.
After shutting that brand down, I fell deep into brand strategy, got certified, and rebuilt my entire understanding of how brands actually work in the real world.
What you get as a free subscriber
Free subscribers get:
Deep dives into disruptive positioning and brand strategy
Breakdowns of challenger/disruptor/anti-brand/cult moves in the wild
Messaging and story(s)telling tactics that make people care
Full transparency as I build my own skincare brand from the ground up
And yes, I share the real stuff: the decisions, the pivots, the wins, the misses.
No glossy girlboss life cosplay.
You’ll see:
The decisions I make and why
The frameworks I use
The wins and the missteps
How strategy actually plays out under pressure
If you like learning by watching real brands being built, not just talked about.
You’ll feel at home here.
What free subscribers miss out on.
Free readers learn.
Paid members build.
If you stay free, you’ll miss:
hands-on templates and workbooks you can apply immediately
swipe files and frameworks for hooks, storytelling, and messaging with bite
workshops that walk you through brand-building step by step
custom tools (including GPTs) built specifically for brand strategy
access to deeper strategy, feedback, and implementation support
Free is for learning.
Paid is for building.
Why become a paid subscriber
Most brands don’t struggle because they lack effort.
They struggle because their message is unclear, their position is soft, and they’re stuck copying what already exists.
Paid members get access to:
Brand-building bootcamps
Disruptive positioning strategies
Templates, playbooks, and workbooks
Tools that help you make confident brand decisions without spiraling
Inside the paid tiers, I help you:
Figure out why your brand blends in
Choose a clear direction that fits your market
Sharpen your messaging so people instantly understand your value
Stand out using disruptive branding, not hustle culture
I don’t sell motivation or vague inspiration.
I give you systems, tools, and direction—and I show you how to apply them step by step.
The outcome?
More clarity.
More visibility.
More confidence in what you’re building.
And yes, more money, because selling becomes easier when people actually get you.
Upgrade to Paid
If you’re done collecting information and ready to use it,
Upgrade to a paid subscription and start building a brand that actually stands out.
Paid tiers (choose your depth)
Paid — Builder
Everything in free, plus:
Canva brand templates
Notion workbooks
Hook swipe files (including story-selling hooks)
Storytelling prompt systems
GPT prompts for brand-building clarity
Perfect if you want to sharpen your brand without outsourcing your brain.
Paid — Strategist
Everything above, plus:
Live and recorded workshops
Custom hooks and taglines
Custom GPTs:
Brand-building DIY
Hooks with bite
Brand voice with teeth
This is where your brand stops sounding “nice” and starts sounding dangerous.
VIP — Inner Circle
Everything above, plus:
50% off full 1:1 brand strategy
50% off lifetime membership
Access to my Brand OS system
Paid brand-building community
Done-With-You bootcamp
Full access to courses and workshops
This tier is for founders building brands meant to last, not just launch.
What I deliver (and how)
New posts every week
Additional drops for paid subscribers (workshops, tools, templates)
What you can find here
Disruptive branding (how brands break category patterns)
Positioning (how to claim a clear space in the market)
Brand messaging (hooks, stories, taglines that land)
Strategy over aesthetics (why clarity beats polish)
Built-in-public (my skincare brand journey, end to end)
What you’ll get
Written posts (free + paid)
Notion workbooks & playbooks
Canva templates
Swipe files
Workshops (live or recorded)
Custom GPT tools for brand-building
Community + done-with-you bootcamps (VIP)
If you’re here, you already know this
Your product isn’t the problem.
Your brand just hasn’t been given a role to play yet.
Join as a paid subscriber if you want positioning power.
Upgrade when you’re ready to stop being an option.
Find me elsewhere
Website: www.brandwithilm.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandwithilm/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandwithilm/
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