Your brand behavior is your choice. Purpose, vision, and mission statements be damned. But know this. Some of what you call good behavior is expensive. You can call it admirable, but all your doing is training folx to undervalue you. Even if it makes you feel like a wonderful person... it's quietly making you a weak operator.

I used to be known as Mrs. Mista. At first, the name felt like power. It gave me recognition in a world that didn’t always see me. But over time, that identity turned into a cage. I was clinging to a role that no longer fit, afraid that without it I’d disappear. That’s the danger of identity clinging. What once gave you validation eventually shrinks your vision. The role you’re clinging to isn’t keeping you safe. It’s keeping you small. Idealism is the antidote. Not the bullshit.

There’s a razor-thin line between generosity and over-giving, and as a raging empath, I’ve crossed it more times than I’d like to admit. It’s why I call myself the Ghetto Country Brandmother®; an empathic bitch. That edge isn’t for show; it’s a reminder. Because if I don’t put boundaries on my empathy, I’ll keep pouring until there’s nothing left - in love, in business, in life. And here’s the truth most Founders don’t want to face: generosity isn’t killing your brand. Over-giving is.