Filed Under: Intrinsic Branding, Leadership
By Kel Barlow
Root: Go Inward
Something about the beach is deeply cathartic.
The sand collecting between your toes, the salt-laced air, the cries of seagulls overhead, the waves rolling in and washing away footprints; the beach is a sensory reset.
A reminder to breathe.
A chance to let the noise of life quiet down long enough for your inner compass to speak.
Life, like the ocean, has its tides. Sometimes events arrive gently, in a steady, predictable rhythm. Other times, they crash in like a rip current, pulling you in directions you never planned to go.
You can’t fight a rip current without exhausting yourself, and you can’t fight life’s chaos without losing something essential. The way through isn’t resistance, but flow. It’s choosing to move with the current until you find your footing again.
When we have a strong foundation, both internally and in the way we present ourselves to the world, we can withstand life’s unpredictable surges.
That foundation isn’t built overnight.
It’s shaped over time, through experiences, mistakes, and the lessons we carry forward.
I learned this firsthand when I shifted from employee to self-employed. Some needs became stronger and more resilient, while others cracked wide open, revealing vulnerabilities I had to tend to. I am not the same person I was before, and I wouldn’t want to be.
The mistakes I made along the way? They were teachers. They clarified my voice, my values, and my brand.
For me, the beach has been more than a place to unwind; it’s been a mirror. Walking along the shore, picking up shells, some chipped, some broken, all still beautiful, I see my own journey reflected back.
The beauty isn’t in perfection; it’s in the story each piece carries. That’s true for people, too.
River: Go Outward
This isn’t about starting over or creating a glossy new version of yourself. It’s about reorienting: moving forward with more honesty, fewer masks, and a clearer understanding of what truly matters.
Chaos doesn’t have to break you, or your brand. It can reveal your essence.
The trick isn’t to fight the current. It’s to become someone who knows how to swim in it.
Here are three steps for brands to embody this approach:
- Audit your truth. Review your brand story, values, and promises. Identify where language or actions feel performative rather than authentic, and strip away what doesn’t match who you truly are.
- Engage with radical transparency. Communicate openly with your audience about challenges, changes, and lessons learned, positioning them as part of your shared journey, not hidden behind polish, trend or flash.
- Design for resilience, not perfection. Create systems, messaging, and offerings that adapt to shifting circumstances while staying rooted in your core purpose, so chaos strengthens rather than derails you.
When life gets turbulent, I turn to my compass. My values, my truth, guide me as I listen for what the universe is trying to tell me. And I invite you to do the same.
Not to fear the chaos, but to see it as a wave that, if navigated well, can carry you exactly where you need to go.
P.S. This was written at the beach.
