Growth Advance is a business and lifestyle magazine and app. We wanted to build a mixture of the Hero and Explorer Brand Archetype into the brand strategy.
2. CONTENTS This brand standards document
explores the message, visuals, and
expression of your brand.
1. Brand Message
2. Design & Visuals
3. Words & Content
4. Live Your Brand
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
3. MOODBOARD
The moodboard was
curated to express the
“mood” of the brand and
to inspire the visual
decisions. The images
chosen convey a sense
of exploration and the
journey mixed with the
reality of modern
entrepreneurship.
5. POSITION
CORE IDEA
Growth Advance is here to give entrepreneurs the
confidence to take the next step in their journey. We also
want to empower them to think more holistically about the
place that their business serves their life and their
community.
OUR GOAL
We help entrepreneurs get into action. Our goal for the
brand is to attract more magazine subscribers and
members.
HOW WE ARE DIFFERENT
Our brand isn’t about the hustle & grind. We want to help
entrepreneurs build a business that fuels an amazing life -
not one that is at the expense of their lives.
WHAT WE DELIVER
Our brand is experienced through our magazine, website,
and membership programs.
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BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
BRAND MESSAGE
6. PERSONALITY
HERO & EXPLORER
PERSONALITY ARCHETYPE
Our goal is to help entrepreneurs grow their authentic,
fulfilling business that gives them more freedom and a
better life. We do this by teaching them the skills and
mindsets they need to master their businesses.
We are motivated by a desire to find our own path in
life, to discover more about ourselves, and to make an
impact in the world.
We are driven by a sense of personal responsibility and
the knowledge that our impact doesn’t just affect our
own lives, it affects everyone around us.
When they encounter our brand, our audience FEELS
confident, motivated, empowered, self-aware, &
equipped.
We are:
• Practical
• Living by example
• Contagiously confident
• Driven to take action
• Aware of our own power
• Approachable
• Open-minded to change
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BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
BRAND MESSAGE
7. POINT OF
VIEW
A whole new league of Entrepreneurs is rising up.
We no longer have to sell our time (our lives, really) to the
highest bidder who will define the worth of an hour of our
lives. No more. These Entrepreneurs understand that we live
in a time of unmatched opportunity for anyone who is willing
to work for it, to create a successful, meaningful business
AND a life they love living.
The business world is changing.
It is awakening to a whole new level of consciousness – a
realization that bottom-line profits, while certainly desired
and an important part of success, are no longer the
greatest measure of success. Business should serve our
lives and the greater community around us.
Real success is multi-faceted.
Real success comes when you build profitability with a
holistic approach – while protecting your health, empowering
great relationships, staying connected spiritually, taking
responsibility for your impact on the planet, remembering to
have fun and adventure, and doing something that matters
to you and brings positive change to the world.
Hard work is necessary.
Having a dream isn’t enough. You can create whatever you
are willing to work for. We all have a personal responsibility
to honor our gifts and talents by sharing them with the
world. We need to step up into our own best selves. The
power is within ourselves to build the business and life that
we want.
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BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
BRAND MESSAGE
8. We use entrepreneurship to build a
meaningful life through meaningful
contribution.
MANIFESTO
9. UNFAIR
ADVANTAGE
Your unfair advantage is that you’ve
lived through the transition that you are
helping others go through. You’ve
moved your business from a place of
hustle and grind to ease and flow. Your
brand will guide others to do the same.
You also have the teams, people,
network, and resources in place to
make this brand truly great. You are
invested in its success - your
commitment is crucial to driving this
brand forward.
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BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
BRAND MESSAGE
11. LOGO
02
VISUAL IDENTITY
Your main logo is clean, and
straightforward. The icon
(alternate logo) is a recognizable
icon that can be used for the app
and as a photo watermark.
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
12. PRIMARY
COLORS
VISUAL IDENTITY
Your primary brand colors are
a mix of Hero and Explorer.
The blues evoke a sense of
community and camaraderie.
The bright green creates a
sense of action and urgency
(and a bit of fun!)
#014276
20% 40% 60% 80%
#1f2145 #8ebe1f
20% 60% 20% 60%
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13. SECONDARY
COLORS
VISUAL IDENTITY
Your secondary colors have been built
around your primary colors to give
your brand some depth. The bright
yellow is used as a “Call to Action”
attention grabber. The neutral grey
and whites give us some balance with
the more saturated colors.
#e7d501 #9aa7ab #e7e7e5
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
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14. COLOR
RULES
01
VISUAL IDENTITY
Header: #1f2145
Signup/Login text: #8ebe1f
Call to action bar: #e7d501
Login button: #e7d501
Social media icons: #004276
Middle video block background:
#9aa7ab
Font colors on light backgrounds:
H1: #1f2145 (Nexa bold, all caps,
1px letter-spacing)
H2: #9aa7ab (Nexa bold, all
caps, 1px letter-spacing)
H3-5: #1f2145 (Nexa bold, all
caps, 1px letter-spacing)
Body: #1f2145 (Nexa light)
Font colors on dark backgrounds:
H1: #FFFFF (Nexa bold, all caps,
1px letter-spacing)
H2: #FFFFF (Nexa bold, all caps,
1px letter-spacing)
H3-5: #FFFFF (Nexa bold, all
caps, 1px letter-spacing)
Body: #FFFFF (Nexa light)
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
15. PATTERNS
VISUAL IDENTITY
The patterns your brand uses help
communicate the brand message.
The triangle shapes create a sense
of movement and energy. The
colors are bright and saturated.
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16. TYPOGRAPHY
HEADLINES:
NEXA BOLD
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
1234567890
!@#$%^&*()
VISUAL IDENTITY
Body: Nexa Light
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890
!@#$%^&*()
Accent: Pacifico
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890
!@#$%^&*()
The font used in the vast majority of
your communication is Nexa. If Nexa
isn’t available, Proxima Nova or
Source Sans Pro are good
alternates. These are very modern
and clean fonts. The script font
(Pacifico) will be used sparingly as an
accent.
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
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17. FONTS IN
ACTION
HEADLINE LEVEL 1
This is a description paragraph. It explains the purpose of
the page and describes the title to the left.
1. Example
2. Example
3. Example
4. Example
“This is a quote from a very impressive person.”
-IMPORTANT PERSON
HEADLINE LEVEL 2
This is a description paragraph. It explains the purpose of
the page and describes the title to the left. This is a
description paragraph. It explains the purpose of the page
and describes the title to the left.
• Example
• Example
• Example
VISUAL IDENTITY
Main font color: #1f2145
Links: #8ebe1f
Accent (headline 2): #9aa7ab
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19. IMAGE
DO’S
VISUAL IDENTITY
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
Images of actual entrepreneurs you
are profiling or who wrote the article
Images of your ideal reader
working as an entrepreneur
Nature images with bright greens
and blues
“Real life” shots of events & activities
your entrepreneur would be
participating in - not staged looking.
When choosing images
for your brand, pick ones
like these.
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20. IMAGE
DON’TS
VISUAL IDENTITY
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
No dudes in V-neck shirts. Stock images of concepts that
aren’t found in real life.
Nature images that are outside
your main color scheme
Images of people working that are
too “corporate” - big office buildings,
large meetings, teams, etc.
When choosing images,
avoid ones like these.
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21. ICONS
01
I curated and edited
these icons to fit your
brand with your colors.
Use them throughout
the magazine and
website to add design
interest.
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
VISUAL IDENTITY
23. TONE OF
VOICE
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
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BRAND COMMUNICATION
Content and communication from your brand should
sound direct, motivational, and practical. You’ll want
your brand communication to always be moving
people forward into action by giving them the tools
and the mindset needed to take the next step.
Examples should include real-life stories from your
own life and other entrepreneurs that open your
ideal reader/member’s eyes to the possibilities of
entrepreneurship.
You’ll sound:
• Confident but not overzealous
• Optimistic but not silly
• Approachable but not too casual
• Helpful but not enabling
• Smart but not all-knowing
• Motivational but always with substance
We want to be the guide to our entrepreneur’s
journey. We aren’t their guru, therapist or mother.
Honor their journey and highlight their successes
whenever possible.
We also want to throw in bits of real-life fun into our
language. Business is not meant to be so serious.
24. WORD
BANK
• Own who you are
• Wake up to your impact
• Honor the process
• Contagious confidence
• We have the power within ourselves
• Business for good
• Journey
• Process
• Growth
• Self-actualization
• Meaningful lives / meaningful contribution
• Your unique voice
• Working in your best space
• Fully engaged with life
• Ripple effect of good/impact
• Positive change
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
BRAND COMMUNICATION
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25. TAGLINE Where Business Fuels Your
Amazing Life
OTHER OPTIONS
Find your voice & mission in the world.
Your impact ripples out into the world.
Wake up to your impact.
Honor the process forward.
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
BRAND COMMUNICATION
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26. MEMBERSHIP
• Guided Growth Membership
• Growth Insiders
• Growth Crew
• Growth Team
• Growth League
• Growth Guild
• Academy of Growth
• Action Alliance
• Action-Takers Alliance
• Advance Alliance
• Advance Academy
• Advanced Membership
• Ascension Member
• Elevate Membership
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
BRAND COMMUNICATION
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I brainstormed a few options
for your membership program
that moved away from the
“Royal” feeling “Elite” to focus
on the growth and the journey
of the entrepreneur.
27. BIOS SUPER SHORT (SOCIAL, BY LINE)
Growth Advance helps entrepreneurs build businesses that
fuel amazing lives.
MEDIUM (PROFILE, BLURB)
Growth Advance is a magazine and membership site for
entrepreneurs who are on the journey to build their business
for good. We think your business should fuel your amazing
life, not stop you from living it. Make your meaningful impact
in the world!
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
BRAND COMMUNICATION
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28. STORIES
LOW TO HIGH
Your low to high origin story is how you are a recovering busy
‘workaholic’ and how your business actually improved and
grew when you gave that habit up.
WHY STORY
Your why story is reading that Editor’s Letter about how we
worship the hustle & grind of entrepreneurship instead of
honoring how it can serve our best lives.
HUMAN ELEMENTS
Share your travels, anecdotes about your family, and
examples of how you “balance” or integrate business and
life so your readers can get to know the person behind the
brand.
CLIENT STORIES
Client stories and testimonials will become very important in
selling the membership product. Build it into your process to
collect testimonials (experience before, during, and results
after) with each training.
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
BRAND COMMUNICATION
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29. CONTENT
TOOLS & STRATEGY FOR GROWTH
Give entrepreneurs the practical “how to” to growing their
business. Give them the specific steps they need to take
action.
MINDSET FOR GROWTH
Share your values around a healthy business/life freely and
help entrepreneurs stop being so “busy” and invite more
flow into their life.
ADVANCING YOUR LIFE
Cover topics related to the “other stuff” that affects
business but *isn’t* business. Things like health, relationships,
self-identity, and community involvement.
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
BRAND COMMUNICATION
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Everything needs to relate back
to your ideal entrepreneur’s life
— ESPECIALLY when you are
‘off topic’ talking about fitness,
home topics, or relationships.
Keep your content focused
through the lens of the
entrepreneur.
31. ACTION
STEPS
UPDATE BRAND PRESENCE
Update website, email marketing, social media profiles, and
web applications with the new brand visuals.
FOCUS SOCIAL CONTENT
Social media content needs to be aligned with the brand
goals. Focus on topics that are relevant and create graphics
that match the new visual identity.
UPDATE MEMBERSHIP SALES PAGE
I recommend a redesign of your membership sales page to
break up the long page of text. It would be great to see
what types of content (webinars) will be covered in the
upcoming months.
IMPLEMENT LEAD GENERATOR ON
HOMEPAGE
Replace social media feed with a lead generation offer. A
growth checklist or cheatsheet would do well here.
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BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
LIVE YOUR BRAND
32. BRANDEMIES
IDEA ENEMIES
• Being busy for the sake of busy
• “Manifesting” your dreams but not working
towards them
• Selfish business that is purely for profit instead of
focusing on the good it can do
• Sacrificing health, relationships, or well-being for
the sake of business success
NOT TO DO LIST
• Share content that doesn’t tie back to
entrepreneurship
• Give people ideas without implementation steps
WE ARE NOT
• A cheerleader. We’re equipping entrepreneurs to
take action.
• The “high end” option for business and personal
development. We are accessible to
entrepreneurs on every step of their journey.
BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE
LIVE YOUR BRAND
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