You Can’t Rebrand What You Refuse to Face
The Brand Isn’t Broken. You Are.
by Don Draper, if he traded Madison Avenue for modern messaging
In Mad Men, when the campaign tanks, what do they do? Blame the client. The product. The economy. Hell, sometimes even the color of the packaging. But rarely—rarely—does anyone admit the truth:
The problem isn’t the pitch.
It’s the person behind it.
Same goes for you.
Your brand isn’t falling flat because the logo’s outdated or your copywriter missed the mark. Your business feels off because you feel off. You’ve outgrown the story you built. You’ve evolved—but your brand hasn’t caught up. That gap? That’s where the chaos lives.
You're trying to sell a story you no longer believe in.
And let me tell you something, sweetheart—no one buys what you don’t believe.
Step out of your own shadow.
Peggy Olson Grew. So Must You.
Remember when Peggy walks out of Don’s office for the last time? She doesn’t ask for permission. She doesn’t wait to be handed the title. She leaves because she knows she’s become something more—and staying in her old role would be a betrayal of that.
That's not just a plotline. That’s branding.
Because your business is a mirror.
If you’re stuck, confused, apologizing for your offers, or afraid to hit publish—your audience feels it.
You don’t fix that with a new brand board.
You fix it by asking better questions:
Who have I become?
What does that version of me believe in?
What story do I actually want to tell?
Archetypes of Success isn’t some cutesy personality quiz. It’s a narrative tool that digs under the polished veneer and forces you to own your truth, fully and finally. It’s what Peggy did. It’s what Don never quite managed to do.
But you? You still can.
When the Story Cracks, Everything Leaks
You’ve got the clients, the content calendar, maybe even the team. But something feels off. You’re drained, detached, and secretly wondering if the golden days of your business are behind you.
Let me be clear:
They’re not.
But only if you’re willing to rewrite the script.
That tired feeling? It’s not burnout—it’s betrayal. The self-betrayal that happens when you market a story you’ve long since grown past. When you hide behind "professional" instead of speaking like a real, living, breathing human.
Here’s the kicker: your business can only evolve as far as you’re willing to.
Stop trying to fix the surface. Dig deeper. Get honest. Do what Don never could: change.
Because once you get your story right, everything else starts clicking.
You don’t need a brand refresh.
You need a nervous breakdown with a good ending.
Want the clarity that comes after the crash?
Subscribe to the Archetypes of Success newsletter. A narrative coach will help you step out of your own shadow and build a brand that finally sounds like you. No smoke. No mirrors. Just story—clean, clear, and sharp as a suit from 1965.
