IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Eight brand habits address the cost of building a business that cannot function without its Founder.

Texas City, TX - Espresso Mischief Publishing announces the release of The Brand Habit Playbook: How to Build, Scale & Step the Fuck Back by Phyllis Williams-Strawder, the Ghetto Country Brandmother®. Drawing on lessons from building and closing Bigmista’s BBQ, the book talks about how Founders create brands with the structure, assets, and relationships to grow beyond their daily involvement.

For Founders whose businesses depend on their name, expertise, and constant availability, growth can deepen the obligation to stay involved. Williams-Strawder challenges readers to examine what remains valuable when they are no longer the person delivering the service, making every decision, or maintaining every customer relationship.

“A brand that can't function without the Founder isn't a business, it’s a bottleneck,” Williams-Strawder writes in the book.

The playbook draws from her experience building Bigmista’s BBQ with her husband, Neil. What started in farmers’ markets expanded into catering and two restaurants, with customer loyalty closely tied to the couple’s presence. When they wanted to step away, that attachment exposed gaps in the systems, transferable knowledge, and brand assets needed for continuity. Williams-Strawder is transparent about their missed opportunities in productization, licensing, and succession that informed her approach to brand architecture.

Organized around eight Brand Habits, the book explores:

Separation: Defining boundaries between the Founder’s personal identity and the business brand.

Delegation: Preparing others to uphold the brand’s standards and make aligned decisions.

Productization: Turning expertise into assets that extend beyond direct service.

Licensing: Exploring growth and income through partnerships while retaining ownership.

Acquisition: Evaluating whether buying a business expands the brand or creates another job.

Legacy: Documenting values, processes, knowledge, and culture for continuity.

Presence: Maintaining authority without requiring constant personal visibility.

Loyalty: Building customer attachment to the brand beyond its Founder.

The book connects these habits to Williams-Strawder’s Founder-First Brand Architecture™ approach, which positions the Founder as the cornerstone of a business capable of developing its own identity and continuity. A closing Brand Habit Audit asks readers to assess their boundaries, assets, delegation, and readiness for an eventual transition.

Written for Founders who want room to grow, change roles, or eventually exit, The Brand Habit Playbook puts the ability to step back into the conversation before exhaustion makes the decision for them.

“Your business and brand should reflect you, not consume you,” Williams-Strawder writes.

Learn more about The Brand Habit Playbook at Brandma’s House.

Author: Phyllis Williams-Strawder

Publisher: Espresso Mischief Publishing

Publication date: April 15, 2025

Paperback ISBN: 979-8-9893431-6-4

Hardback ISBN: 979-8-9893431-9-5