Your Brand Feels Off But You Can't Explain Why: A Troubleshooting Guide For Brand Misalignment
- Hannah Garrison
- Nov 2
- 10 min read
Updated: Nov 2
I Spent a Year Building the Wrong Business
Last year, I was building a business that looked perfect on paper but felt completely wrong. I kept seeing designers everywhere talking about surface pattern design. Passive income! Creative freedom! Use your design skills to make money while you sleep! And honestly? It made total sense to me. I love design. I've been drawing since I could hold a crayon, so this felt like the next logical step.
So I jumped in. Created patterns. Set up the business. Posted the pretty things on Instagram. And at first? It was kind of fun.
But then something started to shift.
I found myself scrolling endlessly trying to figure out what patterns were trending and what would sell. I was focusing on what the algorithm wanted to see. I was creating based on what was marketable instead of what had meaning. And slowly, without really noticing it happening, the work started to feel... forced.
Every time I sat down to create a new pattern, I felt this low-level dread. Every Instagram post felt performative. I couldn't quite explain what was wrong because on paper, everything looked right. I had the right skills, other designers were successful with it, and the patterns were pretty. But something was off.
And then came my aha moment.
I decided to rebrand the surface pattern business. You know, give it a fresh look, clarify the messaging, really nail the positioning, so I sat down to work on it. Mood boards. Strategy. Brand personality. Messaging framework. The whole process.
And suddenly, I felt it. That feeling of coming home. The energy. The flow. The absolute feeling of thriving.
I was having more fun rebranding the pattern business than I ever had actually running it.
That's when I finally had to admit the truth I'd been avoiding for months: Being a surface pattern designer wasn't for me. It looked perfect and made logical sense at the time. I could even see other people were killing it. But it wasn't my thing.
The work I actually loved? The strategic thinking. The brand building. The discovery process of figuring out who someone is and how they should show up. Creating something with purpose, something that means something.
When I let go of surface pattern design and fully leaned into brand strategy, everything clicked. The "off" feeling finally had a name: misalignment.
The difference between what looks good and what feels right
On paper, being a surface pattern designer checked every single box:
I had the design skills. Check.
There was proven income potential. Check.
Other designers were successful with it. Check.
I technically enjoyed the creative process. Check.
But it was missing the ONE thing that actually mattered to me: purpose.
When I design for brands, I'm discovering the who and the why. There's a clear purpose behind every decision. A strategic goal. A real human on the other end whose story I get to help tell. When I create a brand system, I know exactly why that blue instead of that blue. Why this font communicates approachability while that one communicates luxury. Why this tagline lands and that one falls flat.
Surface patterns? They were pretty, but they felt empty to me. And my brand felt empty trying to force them in.
This is exactly what happens when your brand feels off. You might be doing things that look right. Posting consistently on Instagram. Using trendy colors and fonts. Following the "rules" of good design. Copying what successful people in your industry do.
But if it doesn't align with your purpose, your values, your actual strengths? It will always feel off. Always.
Something can be good and still be wrong for you.
Following what works for others vs what works for YOU
When I was doing surface pattern design:
I followed what others were doing successfully
I created based on trends and what might sell
Every post felt performative and forced
The work drained my energy over time
I constantly felt like I was trying to convince myself this was right
Now that I'm fully focused on brand strategy:
I lean into what I'm uniquely good at
I create based on strategy and purpose
Everything feels authentic and aligned
The work energizes and thrills me
It makes strategic sense AND feels right
Everything is beautiful with intention
Every client project feels like coming home
One looked good on the outside. The other feels good on the inside.
One followed a proven model. The other follows my model.
One was about what I could do. The other is about what I'm meant to do.
How this might show up in your brand:
Your brand might look good on the surface.
You might be following all the "right" advice.
Your Instagram might have a cohesive aesthetic.
Your website might use all the current design trends.
Your messaging might sound like what you think it's supposed to sound like.
But if it doesn't reflect who you actually are and what you actually offer, it will always feel like you're wearing someone else's clothes.
The goal is to build a brand that actually is you. Because when you show up as yourself, success becomes inevitable.
When "doing it right" still feels wrong
Think about it like this. Imagine you walk into a stunning home. It's gorgeously decorated, perfectly styled, Instagram-worthy in every single corner. Everyone who sees it says, "Wow, this is gorgeous!"
But it's not your style.
The kitchen is designed for someone who loves to cook elaborate meals, but you're a takeout person. The home office is styled for someone who works from a pristine desk, but you think best sprawled on the couch with papers everywhere. The color palette is trendy and beautiful, but it doesn't make you feel peaceful or inspired.
You could live there. You could make it work. But it will never feel quite like yours.
That's what surface pattern design was for me. A beautiful business model that worked for other people. Stunning on the surface. Successful for those it fits. But it wasn't my house. I was trying to live in someone else's blueprint.
When your brand feels off, this is often why. You've built something that looks right based on what you see other successful people doing, or what you think your industry expects, or maybe even what a template or course told you to do.
But it's not designed for how you actually work, or who you actually are, or what you actually value.
You don't need to tear down the whole house. But you do need someone to help you redesign it around your life, your workflow, and your goals. That's what brand strategy does. It takes the beautiful elements that make you you and reorganizes them around what's true for you.
What brand misalignment looks like
So if your brand feels off, if you're doing all the "right" things but nothing feels quite right, you're not being picky or overthinking it. Something is off.
You might be experiencing some of these symptoms:
Procrastinating on posting because nothing feels authentic anymore. You know you should be showing up consistently, but the thought of posting makes you feel exhausted.
Explaining your business completely differently in person than your brand materials do. When someone asks what you do at a networking event, the words flow easily and people get it immediately. But when they visit your website, they're confused. There's a disconnect between the real you and the brand you.
Feeling energized by the work but drained by the marketing. You love what you actually do. Your client work lights you up. But promoting yourself? Showing up on social media? Writing website copy? It feels like pulling teeth.
Looking at competitors and feeling like everyone else has it figured out. Their brands look cohesive. Their messaging sounds clear. Meanwhile, you're over here changing your Instagram bio every few weeks trying to "get it right."
Avoiding website updates because you don't know what to say anymore. Your services have evolved. Your ideal client has shifted. But updating your website feels overwhelming because you're not sure how to articulate what you actually do now.
Having a pretty aesthetic but no consistent strategy behind it. Your Instagram looks nice. Your colors are on trend. But there's no deeper thread connecting it all. It's pretty, but it doesn't actually communicate what your business is about.
Feeling confident in your skills but not in how you show up. You know you're good at what you do and your clients love working with you, but your brand doesn't reflect that expertise. There's a gap between how good you are and how good you look.
How to troubleshoot what's off
Step 1: The Energy Audit
Pull up your Instagram, your website, or your last few client projects. Go through each one and notice your gut reaction. Not what you think about it, but how it makes you feel.
Does it energize you or drain you? Does it feel like you or like someone you're trying to be? Would you be excited to share this with a friend, or does it feel like homework?
Write down what lights you up and what makes you cringe. The cringe list? That's your roadmap to what needs to change.
Step 2: The Coffee Shop Test
Imagine you're at a coffee shop and someone asks what you do. What comes out of your mouth? Now go read your website homepage or Instagram bio out loud.
Do they match?
If you explain your business completely differently in real life than your brand materials do, that's misalignment. The way you naturally talk about your work is probably closer to the truth than the "professional" version you wrote for your website.
Step 3: The Comparison Trap Check
Make a list of three to five businesses or brands you find yourself constantly comparing yourself to. The ones that make you think "Why can't my brand look like that?"
Now ask yourself: Do you actually want what they have, or do you just think you should want it?
For me, other surface pattern designers had beautiful businesses. But when I really sat with it, I didn't want what they had. I wanted what I thought success was supposed to look like. Big difference.
Step 4: The Values vs. Reality Gap
Write down your top three business values. The things that actually matter to you, not what sounds good.
Now look at your brand honestly. Does it reflect those values, or does it reflect what you think will sell? Does it showcase your actual strengths, or the strengths you wish you had?
My values were purpose, strategy, and meaningful work. But my surface pattern business valued trends, aesthetics, and passive income. No wonder it felt wrong.
Step 5: The "Would I Buy This?" Test
Pretend you're your ideal client. You stumble across your brand for the first time. Be brutally honest: Would you be excited to work with this person or buy the product? Does the brand make you feel understood? Does it make you want to click, follow, or reach out?
If your own brand doesn't excite you as a customer, it's not going to excite your actual customers either.
What I learned from my surface pattern detour
The problem wasn't that I wasn't working hard enough or wasn't that I didn't have the skills. The problem was that I was building someone else's brand instead of mine.
And that's probably what's happening with you, too.
You're smart. You're talented. You've researched. You've put in the work. But you've been following a blueprint designed for someone else's business, someone else's personality, someone else's strengths.
Most business owners I work with don't need more ideas or more inspiration. They don't need another course on Instagram strategy or another template for their website.
They need clarity. They need someone to help them separate what looks good from what's actually right for them.
This is exactly why I created the Brand Starter Kit.
It's about getting strategically clear on:
Who you actually are, not who you think you should be.
What you’re uniquely great at, not what's trendy.
Who you're meant to serve, not just the masses.
How you should show up, not just how others do.
What happens in one week
The Brand Starter Kit is a one-week intensive designed to take you from "something feels off but I can't explain why" to "this is exactly right."
Discovery: We dig into what's actually off. Where are you forcing it? What feels like wearing someone else's clothes? What are you doing because you think you should?
Define: We build your brand foundation. The positioning that fits your actual strengths. The messaging that sounds like you when you're explaining your business to a friend over coffee. The strategy that matches how you actually work, not how you think you're supposed to work.
Design Direction: Visual identity that matches the strategy we built. Not what's trending or what looks good in your saved folder. What's true for your brand.
You will walk away with a brand that finally feels like coming home.
But what if I've already invested in my current brand?
I get it. I had already invested a year in surface pattern design. I spent time creating content and building products. I spent too much time and energy trying to make it work. Letting it go felt like failure.
But you know what would have been worse? Spending another year building something that would never feel right.
The investment isn't wasted if it teaches you what doesn't work.
Give me one week to take you from "something feels off" to "this is exactly right." When you have strategic clarity, decisions get easier. You will stop second-guessing every Instagram caption. And you will stop avoiding those website updates you been meaning to do. You will start thriving.
So what's next?
If you're ready to figure out what's actually off and fix it strategically, you have options!
Option 1: Start with the Brand Check-In. If you're not ready for a call yet, download my free Brand Check-In. It's a 15-minute assessment that helps you identify exactly where your brand feels off and what might need attention. Sometimes just naming the problem gives you clarity on the solution.
Option 2: Book a free discovery call. We'll spend 30 minutes diagnosing what's off with your brand and whether the Brand Starter Kit is the right solution. No pressure. No sales pitch. Just clarity about where you are and what you actually need next.
Option 3: Learn more about the Brand Starter Kit. Not ready to take action but want to understand how this works? Check out the full Brand Starter Kit details and see if it resonates with where you are right now.
You don't have to keep forcing it
When I finally admitted surface pattern design wasn't for me, I felt immediate relief. Because I could finally stop forcing something that didn't fit and start building something that did.
Your brand doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to be yours. And if it feels off right now, that's not a problem. It's information. Let's use it.
Because you deserve a brand that feels like coming home, not like wearing a costume. You deserve to show up as yourself and watch that be enough. You deserve clarity instead of constant second-guessing.
Let's figure out what's actually off. And then let's fix it together.
Digital Rose Design is a brand strategy studio helping women-led small businesses show up with clarity, confidence, and intention.
