When is it actually time for a rebrand? It’s not just when you’re bored with your colors or feeling kinda blah about your website!
After spending over a decade in this space and working with literally hundreds of business owners, I’ve noticed there’s a big difference between wanting a rebrand and needing one. Sometimes we get caught up in what everyone else is doing or feeling like we need a change when what we really need is clarity on whether our current brand is actually serving our bigger business goals.
So today, I’m going to walk you through eight questions that will help you figure out if you’re really ready for a rebrand.
Is your brand aligned with where you want your business to go in the next 3-5 years?
This goes way deeper than just what your website says about you right now. I talk to so many health and wellness professionals who are still rocking the same brand they created when they first started – maybe when they were fresh out of school, or when they were still finding their footing, or even when they were charging half of what they charge now.
And here’s what happens: Their brand is telling the story of who they were, not who they’ve become. I had a client recently who was still using the same website she built when she was mainly doing one-on-one coaching, but now she’s speaking at conferences, running group programs, and even working on a book. Her brand was telling the story of a new dietitian looking for her first clients, when she’s actually become this incredible authority in her field.
This is why I always tell my clients to think bigger than just right now. When we’re working on a rebrand, I’m not just thinking about what they need their website to do this month or even this year. I’m thinking about how this foundation we’re building is going to support their growth for years to come.
When you think about your big goals – maybe it’s writing a book, launching a podcast, speaking on bigger stages – does your current brand feel aligned with that vision? Because you don’t want to wait to do a rebrand in February just so you can finally start a podcast or write a book in June.
I see this particularly with my nutrition and fitness professionals who’ve niched down over time. Maybe you started as a general dietitian, but now you’re specifically focused on gut health or hormones or athletic performance. Your expertise has deepened, your approach has become more refined, but your brand is still telling that general wellness story from years ago.
When you look at your competitors, do you feel your brand stands out or blends in?
I need to be real with y’all for a minute. There’s this thing happening in the health and wellness space where everyone’s websites are starting to look exactly the same. You know what I’m talking about – the soft beige colors, the minimal design, the same stock photos of women laughing with salads. I’ve started calling it the “bland wellness brand academy” because seriously, it’s like everyone graduated from the same course on how to look exactly like everyone else.
And I get it! These designs are pretty. They’re safe. But here’s the problem – when you look exactly like everyone else in your industry, you’re making your potential clients work way too hard to understand why they should choose you.
I’ll have a client come to me and say, “Jess, I know I’m different. I have a unique approach, I get amazing results for my clients, but for some reason that’s not coming across on my website.” And when I dig deeper, it’s usually because they felt pressure to fit into this cookie-cutter mold of what a “professional” wellness website should look like.
But think about the health and wellness professionals who really stand out to you. The ones who are booking out months in advance, getting featured in major publications, building waitlists for their programs. I guarantee they’re not blending in. They’re not trying to look like a carbon copy of everyone else in their field.
This isn’t just about having bold colors or a unique logo. It’s about having the courage to let your true expertise and perspective shine through in every aspect of your brand. Maybe you’re the straight-talking dietitian who’s tired of diet culture. Maybe you’re the fitness coach who’s revolutionizing how we think about strength training. Whatever makes you different – that’s what should be front and center in your brand.
Ask yourself: If you removed your logo, would someone be able to tell your website apart from your competitors’?
Because when you blend in, you’re basically telling potential clients that you’re interchangeable with everyone else in your field. And if you’re interchangeable, guess what becomes the deciding factor? Price. And I know you didn’t build your expertise to compete on price.
Are you consistently attracting your ideal clients, or are you finding that you’re settling for clients who don’t truly align with your offerings?
I don’t want you to just have enough clients, I want you to have the right clients.
Here’s what happens way too often: You’ve got a website that’s bringing in leads, maybe even a good number of them, but you’re spending way too much time on discovery calls with people who aren’t the right fit. Or worse, you’re taking on clients who drain your energy because you feel like you need to say yes to everyone who comes your way.
I had a client last year – she’s a hormone health specialist – and before we worked together, she was getting tons of inquiries from people looking for basic weight loss coaching. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s not her specialty and definitely not what lights her up. Her brand wasn’t clearly communicating her true expertise, so she was attracting the wrong audience and then having to spend time either turning them away or trying to make it work.
Every time you take on a client who isn’t quite right, you’re actually taking up space that could’ve gone to your ideal client. Not only that, but you’re probably not getting the amazing testimonials and results that you get with clients who are perfectly aligned with your approach.
This is where your brand plays such a crucial role. A strategic brand isn’t just about looking good – it’s about attracting the right people and repelling the wrong ones. Yes, I said repelling. Because a good brand should actually turn some people away. If everyone loves your brand, you’re probably not being specific enough about who you serve and how you serve them.
And let’s be honest – as health and wellness professionals, you need your energy for serving your clients, not for trying to make it work with people who aren’t the right fit. Your brand should be doing that filtering for you.
Have you made significant shifts in your business (e.g., new offers, pricing, or audience), and does your brand reflect those changes?
Because if there’s one thing I know about health and wellness professionals, it’s that you’re constantly growing, learning, and refining your approach. But too often, your brand gets left behind.
When you first started, maybe you were doing general health coaching or one-on-one nutrition counseling. Then you noticed that your clients were getting amazing results with a specific issue. You’ve developed specialized programs, you’ve gotten additional certifications, you’ve completely refined your approach… but your website still looks like it did when you were a generalist.
I had a client a few years ago who started as a general health coach, and over three years, she became THE go-to expert for women athletes over 40. But her website? Still had the same generic “let me help you get healthy” messaging from when she first started. She was literally underselling herself every single day because her brand hadn’t caught up with her expertise.
Every time you level up in your business, or even level up personally, but your brand stays the same, you’re creating a disconnect. You’re making it harder for your ideal clients to recognize you as the expert you’ve become. And you’re probably feeling that disconnect every time you send someone to your website or share your links.
Your brand should be as dynamic as your business. It should grow with you, evolve with you, and always reflect where you are right now – not where you were a year ago or even six months ago.
Is your brand helping you charge what you’re worth, or is it making you justify your prices?
Yes, we’re going to talk about money. Specifically, let’s talk about how your brand either supports or sabotages your pricing.
Here’s what usually happens: You’ve developed this amazing expertise, you’re getting incredible results for your clients, you know your services are worth premium prices… but something interesting happens when people land on your website. They either get sticker shock, or worse, they don’t even book a call because your brand doesn’t match your level of expertise.
Let’s get real and ask yourself:
- Do you find yourself over-explaining your prices on discovery calls?
- Are you getting a lot of “I’ll think about it” responses when you share your rates?
- Do you feel the need to immediately explain all the value they’re getting, before they even ask about the investment?
- Have you been hesitant to raise your prices because your brand feels too “basic”?
Think about it this way: When you go to a high-end restaurant, you expect to pay high-end prices. Why? Because everything about their brand – from the atmosphere to the menu design – signals quality and expertise. Your brand should be doing the same heavy lifting for your business so when clients see your prices, they think “yes, that makes sense” instead of “wow, that’s expensive.”
When potential clients find you through Google instead of social media, do they see an authority or just another option?
I mean honestly, what happens when someone finds you without seeing all your perfectly curated Instagram posts first? Because here’s the reality: the clients who find you through Google are often your warmest leads. They’re actively searching for solutions, they’re ready to invest, and they’re not just scrolling for entertainment.
But here’s what’s happening: you pour your heart into social media content, building this amazing presence on Instagram… and then their website feels like an afterthought. So when someone searches for “hormone health dietitian in Chicago” and finds your website, they’re not seeing the expert you really are.
If someone had never seen your social media, would your website alone convince them you’re the expert?
Here’s the truth: You can’t control how people find you. But you can control what they find when they get there. Your website needs to be strong enough to convert cold traffic – people who’ve never heard of you before – into warm leads who are ready to work with you.
Because let’s be honest, do you really want to be tied to social media forever? Your website should be working just as hard as you are to position you as the authority in your field.
If a journalist or a news channel wanted to feature you tomorrow, would your current brand position you as the expert you truly are?
This question always makes people pause, and it should. Because it’s not just about a hypothetical media feature – it’s about being ready for bigger opportunities when they come knocking. And trust me, they will come knocking. It might be Amy Porterfield, it might be Gary Vee, it might be your local news, or it might be a random conference in Sweden!
Journalists, podcast hosts, conference organizers – they’re all vetting you online before they reach out. And sometimes, they’re deciding not to reach out based on what they find. Your brand isn’t just about getting clients – it’s about positioning you for these bigger opportunities that can take your business to the next level.
The truth is, most health and wellness professionals are way more qualified than their brand suggests. You’ve got the certifications, the client results, the unique methodology – but if your brand isn’t communicating that effectively, you’re missing out on opportunities you might not even know about.
If you couldn’t use social media for a month, would your brand still effectively communicate your value?
Let’s imagine Instagram disappeared tomorrow. How would you feel about your website being the only way people could learn about you and your services?
I see so many health and wellness professionals treating their website like a fancy business card, while putting all their energy into social media. They’re writing novels in Instagram captions but their website copy is basically “hey, book a call!” They’re sharing incredible client transformations in Stories but their website doesn’t showcase any of these results.
Here’s a wake-up call I had with a friend of mine recently: She realized she was spending 15+ hours a week creating social media content, but potential clients were still confused about her services when they got to her website. She was basically using Instagram DMs as a band-aid.
Your website should be strong enough to sustain your business on its own. Social media should be the amplifier, not the foundation.
If you’ve been feeling a little called out by some of these questions – good! That means you’re starting to recognize where your brand might be holding you back.
The first step is recognizing where the gaps are. Maybe your brand worked perfectly when you started, but you’ve outgrown it. Maybe it’s doing an okay job, but you know it could be working harder for you.
Here’s what I want you to take away from this episode: Your expertise deserves a platform that matches it. Your clients deserve to understand exactly how you can help them without having to piece it together from your Instagram grid. And you deserve to have a brand that works as hard as you do.
If you’re ready to dive deeper into this, let’s work together!
Remember: Your brand should be working for you, not the other way around.
