There’s one question I ask every founder I work with.

And no matter how experienced, thoughtful, or successful they are, the response is often the same.

“So… what makes your brand different from your competitors?”

There’s a pause.
A hesitation.
A long answer that circles the point but never quite lands.

Not because the difference isn’t there.
But because it’s never been fully articulated.

And this is where many brands quietly get stuck.

Difference that lives only in your head has very little impact

Most founders I meet know they’re doing something different with their brand.

They’ve made intentional choices and they care deeply about how their work shows up in the world.

But when that difference can’t be clearly expressed, it creates friction everywhere.

Clients don’t quite “get it”.
Investors ask for more explanation.
Pitches feel heavier than they should.
Messaging keeps changing, but nothing clicks.

Knowing you’re different is not the same as being understood.

Why this is so hard

This struggle doesn’t come from lack of insight.

It comes from depth — and from having made deliberate, values-led choices.

There’s often a fear of sounding reductive — or of leaving something important out.

So instead of naming the difference clearly, founders compensate by adding more.

More features.
More context.
More explanation.

And paradoxically, the more they explain, the less clear they sound.

It becomes “everything for everyone” — and therefore nothing, for anyone.

What changes when difference is finally articulated

I’ve seen this shift many times — and it truly changes everything.

It’s as if a lightbulb suddenly flicks on — and everything clicks into place.

I asked Vicky two simple questions.

“Who are your ideal clients?”

“What makes you different from other coaches?”

Guess which one she couldn’t answer?

She knew she was a strong coach. She knew her work was meaningful. But she couldn’t name what made her work different and why that mattered in a way that felt confident and grounded.

Once we articulated her differentiation — not just what she did, but the value she uniquely brought — everything shifted.

She stopped second-guessing herself.
She stepped into her own authority.
And shortly after, she landed a major B2B client.

The clarity didn’t just change her messaging.
It changed how she saw herself — and how others responded to her.

Differentiation lives at the intersection of the tangible and the emotional

Another client came to me with a new, non-alcoholic beverage.

They could list the tangible benefits with ease: ingredients, production methods, health aspects.

But what was missing was the emotional reason the brand existed.

Together, we articulated something deeper — connecting back to the African roots of the drink, and the moments of joy and celebration it represents.

That emotional difference transformed how the brand showed up:
not just as a beverage, but as an elevated experience that represents inclusive celebration.

The product didn’t change.
The articulation did.

Why competitors can copy assets, but not meaning

This is also why some brands remain distinctive even when their visible assets are copied.

Think of Airbnb.
Plenty of platforms can replicate the functionality of booking a place to stay. What’s far harder to copy is the idea of belonging anywhere — the emotional promise that shapes everything from the product to the storytelling.

Or Oatly.
Plant-based drinks existed long before them. What made Oatly stand out was not the category, but the unapologetic point of view — challenging the food industry with clarity, humour, and conviction.

In both cases, the differentiation wasn’t just about the product, but a clear point of view that makes them stand out.

From knowing to communicating

Clarity doesn’t come from inventing something new.

It comes from naming what’s already there — with precision, confidence, and intention.

This is the work at the heart of Clarify Your Impact:
helping founders articulate what truly sets their brand apart, so that their value can be understood, felt, and chosen.

Because knowing you’re different is powerful.
But communicating it is what creates real momentum.

A gentle invitation

If you want support articulating what truly sets your work apart, this is exactly the kind of clarity I help founders create.

And it doesn’t require reinventing your brand.
Only finally naming its essence.

P.S. This reflection has also helped me reach a new level of clarity in my own work — and from here, the conversation naturally starts to move toward what creates meaningful disruption.