Bios and brands and stories, oh my! with Caroline Mays of Switchblade Lemonade

Today I'm chatting with Caroline Mays, the founder and creative mind behind Switchblade Lemonade, a defiantly unorthodox image crafting and bio salon based in Portland, Oregon. We know that storytelling and bios and brand stories are trendy AF right now, and we chat about why we—as copywriters and marketing minds—need to do a better job of defining and education our audience about what, exactly, those words mean... and how to use these tools to your advantage.

On this episode of the Brazen Podcast, I welcome Caroline Mays, Founder of Switchblade Lemonade, to talk about her signature approach to writing bios and why we should look at the tangible benefits of having a killer brand message and bio. Caroline has created Your Epic Credential, which is a merging of the power of story and the practicality of bios to create the foundation of your business and credibility. 

It’s true, the letters after your name are not enough to build a brand from. As entrepreneurs, we’re always told to “tell your story” and sometimes we think our story is too boring, traumatizing, or mainstream. Presenting brand stories in a more three-dimensional way is what Caroline does (despite her hatred for the term “story”). Caroline and I speak on how people interpret terms like brand and messaging differently, sharing our individual thoughts on what a message is and how to deliver it to cultivate credibility. She then shares her candid thoughts on copywriting and storytelling, while emphasizing the importance of finding the language that makes your mission and purpose clear. 

“If you are… any kind of marketer… you have got to use your marketing skills and come up with your own language and step out of the madness and start educating on what you mean.”

—Caroline Mays

How do you measure the return on investment (ROI) of your brand copy? It’s not as simple as calculating a few numbers… it depends on the energy you’re willing to put into it. Avoid getting lost in the intangible benefits of your brand story. Tune in to hear Caroline differentiate tangible from intangible benefits and break down what you’ll walk away with after establishing Your Epic Credential. 

About Caroline Mays

Caroline Mays is the founder of Switchblade Lemonade, a defiantly unorthodox image crafting and bio salon. Switchblade Lemonade is the result of one writer's bullheaded insistence that any paragraph crammed with titles, accolades, vapid musings, or arbitrary facts we hope sound good on paper is not only a boring square we're attempting to squeeze ourselves into.

It's a (coffin shaped) box we've agreed to lie down in. This explains why writing about the self is so difficult - conformity is ill-fitting. Stiff. Dead on the inside. But a story like the robust, complicated, often feral thing you're packing around? It's very much alive. It hates the confines of tight spaces. And it will open doors for you…if you open the lid you keep on it.

To get her witty, no-nonsense, and inspirational emails, visit: www.switchbladelemonade.com

About Ashton Robertson

Ashton Robertson is a curious entrepreneur who lives for combining strategy and creativity in how we talk about ourselves & our work—especially as womxn business owners, a community that’s growing without precedent.

Like many women, she used to believe that not questioning authority or assumptions made her a ‘good girl.’ Now, she realizes that the world doesn’t need more good girls. It needs more women who have come alive. Today, she uses her communications strategy and writing skills to help other women speak up and start movements. She believes that confidence, clarity, and connection are the three keys to creating the life, business, or change you crave, and you can learn more about her courses and services at brazenstory.com

Connect with Ashton

Visit my website: www.heybrazen.com

Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/ashtonwhitney

Want to learn how to connect with clients and collaborators every day and have more conversations like this? Join the Verve waitlist: brazenstory.com/verve

About the podcast

On the Brazen Podcast, she’s diving into the question: how can we break the rules we didn’t know we were following… especially as entrepreneurs and freelancers? She’s chatting with women who are shaking up perspectives and industries as they create something amazing: a life and livelihood all their own.