Forget Playbooks. Start Thinking B.R.A.V.E.

You’ve studied their moves. You’ve followed their playbooks, watched their webinars, and implemented every “hot” growth hack they endorse.

But let me ask you something—if doing what all the hip, cool, seemingly successful brands do was the key to success, wouldn’t you have broken through by now?

The truth is, legendary brands don’t achieve legendary status by copying someone else’s playbook. It's not what they DO that leads to their breakthrough. It's how they think.

The Problem with Playbooks

Here’s the thing about playbooks: they really only drive major success for the people who create them.

Why?

Because those playbooks were built around the specific circumstances, challenges, and vision of that brand. They were created in a different time, for a specific opportunity, and for a unique audience. And because a that person or brand wrote the playbook, that means no one else had done that thing before. It was new and audacious.

If you follow that playbook, you're transferring it out of that special moment where it was successful. You're applying it to your own time, you own audience, and your own situation. And - most importantly - you're removing one really important element: the audacity of doing something that has never been done before. 

No amount of copying and pasting will lead to your breakthrough. In fact, the more you try to follow someone else’s path, the more you distance yourself from the creative thinking and bold decisions that could actually get you there.

Your brand is entirely different. Doesn't it deserve it's own breakthrough story?

So What Does It Take to Break Through?

The brands that transcend—the ones we all look up to—share one key trait: Something I call thinking B.R.A.V.E.

B.R.A.V.E. Thinking means:

• Brand: Every decision strengthens the long-term value and positioning of the brand.
• Relationships: The focus is always on build long-term trust with the right audience, not just gaining a flash of attention from any audience.
• Audacity: They hold space for bold, creative ideas instead of playing it safe.
• Values: Their actions reflect and uphold the brand's core values—always.
• Energy: They chase positive energy instead of grinding through out of pressure or obligation.

B.R.A.V.E. isn’t a formula. It’s a mindset. It’s not about doing what others do—it’s about thinking how they think.

Why This Matters

Legendary brands aren’t built by a single campaign. And they certainly aren't created through short-term thinking or hacks. They’re the result of thousands of small, deliberate decisions made over time. They know that each decision made by every member of the team - not just the CEO - either moves them closer to or farther from that coveted breakthrough.

Here's the truth, though: Any decision made that isn’t B.R.A.V.E.—if it doesn’t align with the brand, build trust, embrace creativity, uphold your values, AND chase positive energy—will fail.

Without brand alignment, you risk being forgettable.
Without relationships, you'll lose the affinity and trust of the people you need most.
Without audacity, you’ll play it safe and blend in.
Without values, you’ll lose trust.
Without energy, you’ll lack momentum.

The Path Forward

Stop looking for shortcuts. Stop relying on someone else’s playbook.

Instead, start thinking BRAVE. Ask yourself:

• Is this aligned with my brand?
• Will this deepen relationships with the right people?
• Am I being bold and creative?
• Does this reflect my core values?
• Does this feel right?

The brands that break through don’t follow formulas—they write their own.