I’m acquainted with a professional artisan who does no advertising. She doesn’t have a blog, a Facebook fan page, Etsy shop or Twitter account. She has studio staff and has grown a successful small business.

Want to know her secret?

She does everything deliberately.

The proof is right in front of you
Encounter her at a show and it’s obvious—her work is beautifully designed and expertly executed. Her booth is elegant, well-lit, and professional. There are no stools or chairs in the booth—no one lounges around eating a sandwich or reading a newspaper. Price tags are visible, but unobtrusive. Her carefully-chosen packaging works perfectly with her business cards, her display, and her product.

There’s no hard sell. As a customer, you’re greeted with a relaxed smile. If you need a special order, there’s no hemming or hawing—you’re told how long the order will take, and it will be delivered on time.

You get executive class treatment.

No one has to tell you it’s executive class. The proof is right in front of you. In fact, if that message was presented to you literally, it would take away from your experience.

Your reputation is your brand
This artisan makes beautiful, high-quality work and provides excellent customer service. The feeling you get when you walk into her booth, the visual appeal of her work, the feel of it in your hands, the way she interacts with you—all these elements have helped her establish an excellent reputation.

The total experience she gives her customers establishes that reputation—in other words, it builds her brand.

I’ve had the opportunity to talk with her about how she started out. She approached her business with unflinching intention. She got good training. She knew what she wanted to do, and was sure enough of what she was creating, both in her art and her professional practice, to confidently ignore some pointed advice from a mentor. She learned how to present her work in its best light and how to keep her customers happy.

She goes to the right venues. She knows not every show is a good show. She takes the time to find out which shows are good for her, and which ones to avoid.

She treats her customers the way she expects to be treated, and her standards are high.

Yes, you can
You may have noticed I haven’t identified the artisan by name or medium. There are two reasons for this: first, she’s a private person and I don’t have her permission to say who she is, so I’m not telling. Second, and more important, identifying her medium opens the door for yes-buts. Yes, but everybody likes… yes, but the price is…

Nope.

I know people doing different kinds of work who are equally successful. Medium is not relevant to this discussion.

Set your intention
The biggest takeaway I can give you is this: there is absolutely no sense of hesitation. Everything is done with purpose. Everything. Design, execution, display, packaging, public interaction, even communication with staff. The intention behind every business decision does not waver, and it’s obvious.

You can achieve the same results in a way that aligns with your own work. If you’re eco-conscious and have no budget, you can make packaging out of newspapers and twine. You don’t apologetically or hastily crunch it around your work—you fold it beautifully to create packaging that will delight your customer.

You decide you want something special, and you figure out how to do it. You give that to your audience. You figure out a way you can afford to do it in terms of both materials and time (and you price everything properly). You don’t fret and say, “I can’t possibly…” and list a dozen reasons why you will fail—you say, “I’m going to learn how to make this work.”

You set your intention, you maintain your purpose, you follow through. People notice. You build your brand.

Over to you: does this case study change the way you think about a brand? Where do you look for examples of creatives who really set the bar?