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Badass Your Brand: The Impatient Entrepreneur's Guide to Turning Expertise into Profit
Forget everything you think you know about branding and “starting a business,” and throw out your “how to write a business plan” workbook. It’s never been easier to capitalize on the knowledge and expertise you already have, and with a few simple steps you can start making more doing what you love like the Badass that you are. Whether you are still employed and dream of being your own boss, or you’re self-employed but have always struggled to find clients, Badass Your Brand is the quickest way to start attracting high paying clients and building a reputation that will afford you the freedom of lifestyle that you want— without the startup costs. This step-by-step guide to turning your expertise into profit with no startup costs • How Pia & Steve went from $40,000 in debt working 100 hours per week, to making $500,000 in the next 12 months just selling their services, and without paying for advertising • How to stand out from the competition and stop being a me-too brand • How to stop chasing business, and instead focus on doing what you do best as a way to attract your ideal, top-tier clients • How to charge more than your competitors and still win the business • How to price your services to achieve freedom This isn’t some get rich quick scheme, these are tried and true principles presented in a uniquely tangible and easy to follow format. The formulas, worksheets and mind-bending questions in this book will make you completely rethink your business and get you on a clear path to success. REVIEWS "Pia Silva has created an extraordinarily insightful book that will help any small business owner differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace. If you want to attract more clients, raise your fees successfully, and enjoy a better quality of life, do exactly what she says." - DORIE CLARK, Author of Reinventing You and Stand Out, and adjunct professor, Duke University's Fuqua School of Business "Finally, a book that tells you how to put up a velvet rope in front of your business and get more of the clients you want and deserve! Whether you're building a services business or a personal brand, this book provides a roadmap to making bank, in a smart and authentic way. Pia is a total pro (and a laugh riot). I can’t wait to recommend this book to every entrepreneur who feels stuck. Pia got unstuck, and so can you." - JULIA PIMSLEUR, Author of Million Dollar Women and founder of Little Pim Badass Your Brand gives the reader in-your-face strategies to stand out, build your brand, and be more profitable. Full of creative ideas, Pia shares her journey from debt to success as she discovered how to be a badass by thinking differently, pricing differently, and designing the life of her dreams.. This is the one book every start-up or seasoned entrepreneur must read. - DIANE DIRESTA, Author of Knockout Presentations and founder of Diresta Communications Pia has struck the perfect chord for small business owners, or those attempting to market themselves. I was so impressed by this Badass Brands book, I plan to re-brand my own business. As a marketing agency, we’re all vanilla, even the specialty firms like mine. Her 4-legged approach is perfectly laid out, understandable and interest-peaking. Following this format can definitely separate the porcupines from the fish.
196 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 16, 2017
321 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
January 8, 2018
I almost didn't buy this book because of the title, and a number of people I recommended this book to said the same thing. (Badass as a verb... it feels like a huge cliche, and didn't resonate at all)
I ended up taking a chance after reading an excellent article Pia had authored, and I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed the book, and felt it was really more about productizing your service offerings than about branding.
I actually feel like the title is a bit misleading, and perhaps even keeping her from making more sales (if conversations with my peers was any indication)! The tagline is a bit more accurate: how to translate your expertise into profit.
She gives a really great high level breakdown of a system that you can follow to implement your own productized service offerings, and I found it pretty useful. It's worth a read if you're thinking about your own brand, positioning, and service offerings.
I ended up taking a chance after reading an excellent article Pia had authored, and I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed the book, and felt it was really more about productizing your service offerings than about branding.
I actually feel like the title is a bit misleading, and perhaps even keeping her from making more sales (if conversations with my peers was any indication)! The tagline is a bit more accurate: how to translate your expertise into profit.
She gives a really great high level breakdown of a system that you can follow to implement your own productized service offerings, and I found it pretty useful. It's worth a read if you're thinking about your own brand, positioning, and service offerings.
March 19, 2018
The book was actually great. The workbook was worth the time investment to download it and answer the questions.
I’m changing things in my business because of reading this book.
You should read it, but you shouldn’t waste your time with the webinar you’ll get pitched eventually. It’s 20 minutes recapping the beginning of the book with a 20 minute pitch for a $1500 product. If you look harder, you may find that it’s a $900 product on her site the next day.
If you stick with the workbook and book, you’ll get a bunch of tools to help you build a brand and product flow that will help you make more sales, provide more value to your customers, and have more freedom in your business.
So just stick with the book.
I’m changing things in my business because of reading this book.
You should read it, but you shouldn’t waste your time with the webinar you’ll get pitched eventually. It’s 20 minutes recapping the beginning of the book with a 20 minute pitch for a $1500 product. If you look harder, you may find that it’s a $900 product on her site the next day.
If you stick with the workbook and book, you’ll get a bunch of tools to help you build a brand and product flow that will help you make more sales, provide more value to your customers, and have more freedom in your business.
So just stick with the book.
April 14, 2017
As someone who just started a freelance business six months ago, Badass Your Brand couldn't have come into my life at a better time. Pia does an incredible job of laying out the blueprint for taking your brand from bland to badass in an approachable way. The concepts in this book are crystal clear, and the examples within show that they can be applied to basically any industry. Normally, when I finish a business-related book, I feel overwhelmed and wary. But after reading Badass Your Brand, I felt energized and PUMPED to tackle each actionable item in this book.
October 16, 2019
One of the best books I've read on business. Think you've heard it all before? You haven't - at least, you haven't heard it explained like this. Right now, I'm in the process of applying what Pia says and revolutionising my business, moving away from the labour intensive, client-scrounging, low paid grind towards a totally different way of doing things. Thank you, Pia!
July 18, 2018
Great book. It´s an excellent walk through for entrepreneurs on how to build a powerful brand with a great sense of humor.
August 13, 2018
So many books on branding rehash the same stuff. They say, "Be different. Be unique." Then they proceed to tell you EXACTLY how to be the same as them, or worse, everyone else! I don't think this is deliberate, honestly. People like to be liked by everyone! Then, when people share their systems, people follow them, just like a recipe - and that can be good, until you realize you're trying to make your own touches that are not even possible if you don't know what those touches are! What I love about Pia is she is not only exemplary toward differentiating, she tells you HOW to find your differences, and it's not always by being nice to everyone! When you are online, being a generalist just doesn't work. If you are local, it can be good to be a jack of all trades, but this is the worst thing you can do online. I especially see this with spiritual solopreneurs who all sound the same and have the same "I do everything" approach, and thinking that pricing is the only way to differentiate. Not everyone CAN be different, so if you don't like to be different, go local and build relationships that way. If you ARE different, get Pia's book, you won't regret it! I keep rereading parts of it to further hone my focus and therefore defining my utterly unique expertise and approach. Thanks Pia!
January 4, 2019
Pia gives a complete Badass book and opens up the mindset and the possibilities of growing your business to a greater level than it is. With some of her own examples and using her clients' reference, Pia has managed to break free the common misconceptions surrounding your business and shake your traditional beliefs to bring out the Badass personality you are hiring.
Owning your true identity and learning from practice, will open up doors to maximized income potential. She shares her tidbits on how to design your business so that each minute you spend on it, is monetized to the T.
She gives powerful insights on how to change an existing mindset hampering the progress of the business and how saying NO becomes important after a certain point of time.
I thought this was a powerhouse book loaded with eye-opening information and I made sure, I used her insights into my business's benefits. This was an easy read for me.
Owning your true identity and learning from practice, will open up doors to maximized income potential. She shares her tidbits on how to design your business so that each minute you spend on it, is monetized to the T.
She gives powerful insights on how to change an existing mindset hampering the progress of the business and how saying NO becomes important after a certain point of time.
I thought this was a powerhouse book loaded with eye-opening information and I made sure, I used her insights into my business's benefits. This was an easy read for me.
January 1, 2022
This book is a fun, short, informative read, with some pages that had me saying, "yup, I tried that, and you're right, it didn't work!" eagerly awaiting the next page.
Takeaways:
- focus on one thing and be known for it- turn people away who don't fit that (they'll refer you for that one special thing later, or at least not for the thing you don't really specialize in)
- how taking all kinds of clients dilutes your brand value b/c you cannot use their testimonials across the board
- sometimes it's a shorter-term high ticket item, people can pay for a faster turnaround time
- be spicy with your copy- it will only repel non-ideal clients
- wwoof.org (willing workers on organic farms) sounds like a fun stint!
- book recs for scaling- the e-myth and 4 hr work week
- take a networking meeting each morning for a month (then you'll "never have to do this again" - noted!)
Takeaways:
- focus on one thing and be known for it- turn people away who don't fit that (they'll refer you for that one special thing later, or at least not for the thing you don't really specialize in)
- how taking all kinds of clients dilutes your brand value b/c you cannot use their testimonials across the board
- sometimes it's a shorter-term high ticket item, people can pay for a faster turnaround time
- be spicy with your copy- it will only repel non-ideal clients
- wwoof.org (willing workers on organic farms) sounds like a fun stint!
- book recs for scaling- the e-myth and 4 hr work week
- take a networking meeting each morning for a month (then you'll "never have to do this again" - noted!)
January 2, 2018
I got the Kindle version of this book for free and read it in a couple hours. I thought it offered useful advice for solopreneurs on how to frame their brand to focus on differentiating themselves in the eyes of their ideal clients. I also liked the examples of how to carve out a niche where you provide outstanding value to your clients, and create a "lead product" to serve as both brand building and a profitable product (no loss leaders). Her examples are a little over the top (including her own story) but they offered me a few good ideas of how to implement her badass framework.
June 30, 2018
An excellent marketing book if you run an agency or service based business. I particularly liked Silva's focus on creating packaged services with high profit margins. The workbook that comes with the book is also helpful. I tend to identify more with the direct response school of marketing. This was the first book I read about branding that impressed me. There were a few times when I wanted to see further details in the stories and examples. Transformation is great but I want to see how it is done step by step in past examples.
September 8, 2020
Love, love, love this book.
I came across it when I was trying to figure out my way around building my own business. The similarities between Pia's Design Agency and mine (digital agency) were what really made this book relatable.
And the best part - her strategies are for 1-3 person businesses. Perfecto!
Once in awhile you come across a book that feels like it was 100% written for you.
If you're a freelancer thinking of taking the next step, I strongly recommend that you read this book for a shot of inspiration, and a game plan to build a truly badass brand!
I came across it when I was trying to figure out my way around building my own business. The similarities between Pia's Design Agency and mine (digital agency) were what really made this book relatable.
And the best part - her strategies are for 1-3 person businesses. Perfecto!
Once in awhile you come across a book that feels like it was 100% written for you.
If you're a freelancer thinking of taking the next step, I strongly recommend that you read this book for a shot of inspiration, and a game plan to build a truly badass brand!
December 31, 2017
Very good and quick read
This book pleasantly surprised me with the amount of valuable and actionable advice in it. Chapters are laid out nicely with principles, real world examples, and actionable advice. If you're short on time or impatient to get information on a project or business you're working on. Read this book and then explore some of the other similar resources that go further in depth.
This book pleasantly surprised me with the amount of valuable and actionable advice in it. Chapters are laid out nicely with principles, real world examples, and actionable advice. If you're short on time or impatient to get information on a project or business you're working on. Read this book and then explore some of the other similar resources that go further in depth.
December 20, 2017
Wow, this book is awesome!
I've read tons of nonfiction books about entrepreneurship and business startups. Many are equally useless with the same vague information regurgitated, but this book truly has valuable content! It has new and fresh ideas, practical ways of implementing systems for success, and plenty of inspiration and humor. A must-read for entrepreneurs and wannabes!
I've read tons of nonfiction books about entrepreneurship and business startups. Many are equally useless with the same vague information regurgitated, but this book truly has valuable content! It has new and fresh ideas, practical ways of implementing systems for success, and plenty of inspiration and humor. A must-read for entrepreneurs and wannabes!
January 23, 2020
I totally loved this book. The author's style is a little bit cheeky and I loved that. The examples and the information is completely useful. This book helped me to change my way of thinking about my coaching business and how I should allocate my time to it.
Definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an easy read and useful information on branding.
Definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an easy read and useful information on branding.
March 9, 2024
As a brand expert who owns a business, I like to read books about branding and business. I'm always looking for fresh takes to improve my own approach and Pia Silva delivers.
Her suggestion to use a lead product is not new, but she presents it her way and owns it. Any small business owner will likely find some gold nuggets here.
Her suggestion to use a lead product is not new, but she presents it her way and owns it. Any small business owner will likely find some gold nuggets here.
July 24, 2025
It took me to the very end to see the big picture and understand exactly what she is saying when it comes to creating a bad ass brand. There are a lot of nuggets of information that you can gain from this book, and I do recommend it to all those who are trying to rebrand themselves in this ever-changing world we live in.
July 21, 2017
I think this book has some sound and valuable advice, for the right audience. It just didn't fit my own situation. For a small, service-based business trying to grow, this might be just what you're looking for.
January 21, 2018
Great advice
Awesome book, I read a lot on businesses and branding and it draws upon what I have learnt in a fresh way as well as giving lots of completely new ideas, which is rare. Recommended
Awesome book, I read a lot on businesses and branding and it draws upon what I have learnt in a fresh way as well as giving lots of completely new ideas, which is rare. Recommended
February 1, 2018
Motivating.
Inspirational.
I'm one of those people who needs a kick in the ass when it comes to my own business 0r personal brand.
I kill it when it comes to my clients and bosses but my own brand? Nope.
This book may have been the best thing I needed at the best time I needed it.
Inspirational.
I'm one of those people who needs a kick in the ass when it comes to my own business 0r personal brand.
I kill it when it comes to my clients and bosses but my own brand? Nope.
This book may have been the best thing I needed at the best time I needed it.
February 12, 2018
Truly exceptional!
Before i even finished this incredible book,i had recommended it to the badass business owners i know. Well-written and filled with great ideas and advice, this book will change your business and possibly your very life!
Before i even finished this incredible book,i had recommended it to the badass business owners i know. Well-written and filled with great ideas and advice, this book will change your business and possibly your very life!
March 8, 2020
Practical and effective
Practical, effective real world advice. This book forces you to think about what you want to create in the world and shows you a roadmap on how to go about doing it. I will go back to it again and again.
Practical, effective real world advice. This book forces you to think about what you want to create in the world and shows you a roadmap on how to go about doing it. I will go back to it again and again.
February 13, 2022
Unlike 99% of business books that are written by demon trolls who couldn’t strategize their way out of any situation without throwing money around, this book says what’s really important and stands against the “normal rules.”
It’s entertaining and helpful. Great read.
It’s entertaining and helpful. Great read.
April 9, 2024
This book spoke to me. It validated my feelings about how I should be running my business, gave me some fantastic ideas on how to pivot, and got me pumped and feeling more confident in my brand and my decisions. Highly recommended. Wish she had another book out!
June 13, 2017
Yes! Everything she said.
January 5, 2018
In the business. What a great read. Confirming, inspiring, motivating and quite honestly one of the best brand books I have read!
December 24, 2017
Awesome reading... Let's do this!!!
Get this book and become a BADASS... Stand out in the crowd!!! Recommended for anyone who want to carve niche...
Get this book and become a BADASS... Stand out in the crowd!!! Recommended for anyone who want to carve niche...
January 6, 2018
Very well written
Perfect for people with a niche service offering with very sound advice. The author seems to have the perfect body of experience to draw from.
Perfect for people with a niche service offering with very sound advice. The author seems to have the perfect body of experience to draw from.
February 28, 2018
An excellent "How to" msnual for freelancers, small businesses and more.
March 9, 2018
Short but inspiring
April 17, 2018
Great info and on target
This was a very informative read. Thanks Pia! You're right on the money! This will be extremely helpful going forward.
This was a very informative read. Thanks Pia! You're right on the money! This will be extremely helpful going forward.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews