Overcoming Shame and Hardship to Build a Successful Brand with Ivan Estrada
When he was a child, Ivan Estrada was told he wouldn’t be successful because he “wasn’t smart, was Mexican, and was gay.” Understandably, that left a lasting impression on Ivan, though he’s overcome plenty en route to becoming a business leader and top-ranked real estate entrepreneur.
Ivan’s sharing his tips for building a timeless brand in his new book, Brand With Purpose. He’s also on a mission to give away 7,000 books to children, inspiring the next generation of leaders.
Ivan sat down with Good People, Cool Things to chat about the importance of loyalty, how branding starts with personal awareness, and why more people should seek mentorship.
What do you want readers to take away from Brand With Purpose?
What I want readers to take away from Brand With Purpose is to know that anything and everything is possible. My story — and that of my interviewees — is a testament to that. We are all examples of how hard work, diligence, openness, and eagerness for growth will put you in a situation to succeed — no matter what your definition of success is. Each of us has built something from loving and believing in ourselves, and I want the reader to be inspired and motivated to do just that. That is why I had many interviewees and put different exercises in the book so the reader could get inspired by people from various walks of life and practice how to start taking steps in the right direction. I want people to be more aware of their gifts and find their true purpose.
Why does branding start with personal awareness?
Branding starts with personal awareness because having a solid brand is all about having a brand that is entirely representative of you. Therefore, you must know who you are and what you want to attract. It’s best to be realistic about what you are willing to sacrifice — and when — in order to make your brand successful. The best example of this is figuring out what you are good at and what you are not good at. By doing so, you can capitalize on your strengths and find ways to work on the areas that need growth. Personal awareness allows you to accept those areas in need of development, which is the first step to improvement.
Additionally, you are the foundation of your brand, meaning your story and your differentiators will tie into that of your brand. Your foundation will also enable your brand to pivot with consumer trends and stay relevant. Lastly, personal awareness is a perpetual activity that I recommend all brands, companies, or people practice because it is about working hard to fill the void between who you currently are and your potential.
The book offers tools to help entrepreneurs create timeless brands. What’s a tool or two (whether physical or digital) that has helped you in your career?
The first tool that helped me in my career is brand pillars. Brand pillars are 3-8 terms or phrases that are the cornerstone themes of your brand. They help me understand what my brand stands for and who I am as a brand. They also help me in creating consistent content for my marketing strategies. It was essential for me to pick brand pillars that I am passionate about because that makes it easier to express them in and through your brand.
The second tool that helped me was constantly reminding myself to have a growth mindset. No matter what position you are in, you must always be a student and ask questions, even if it is just, “why?” Again, tying back to personal awareness, you must be curious about what you know you don’t know because your curiosity will make you and your brand better. I highly recommend working on yourself and learning through networking groups, putting yourself in challenging situations, reading books, listening to podcasts, and having and leaning on mentors.
Why is mentoring so important?
Mentoring is important to me because I couldn’t imagine where I would be without it — I definitely would not be where I am today. Mentoring provides me with additional education and resources that help me in my business. My mentors have brought out and instilled in me the killer mindset I have nowadays. I’ve always had the attitude, but it was locked inside of me, and my mentors helped bring it out.
Mentorship is also important because it reminds you that you have someone in your corner rooting for you and helping you succeed. A mentor can provide a new perspective to different challenges and obstacles you may face, igniting a fire in you to find the best possible solutions and grow in all situations.
Lastly, and most importantly, a mentor keeps you accountable. A good mentor isn’t going to force you to do anything but will motivate you to be determined to attack and complete any task you decide to do.
You’re also aiming to give away 7,000 books to young readers. What is that campaign all about?
The campaign is about bringing awareness to the obstacles I talk about in my book, which are the barriers I overcame in my youth. Obstacles such as overcoming shame, lacking mentors and role models, and having an outsider mentality. All of which were difficult to overcome given the resources at my disposal growing up. The biggest reason I wrote this book was to write it for my younger self, wishing that I had something like this when I was younger. I am someone who is looking from the inside out when it comes to struggling growing up, internally and externally. So, I can relate to the children who might not have the resources to get this book. That is why I started this campaign because I knew at their age, I wouldn’t have access to this knowledge, and I want to change that for them.
What’s next for you?
The next part of this journey is to bring personal growth and awareness to underserved communities, especially my Latino community. I want to end the stigma in communities where personal development and mental health are not a priority. I want to make personal development education part of the education process for the youth in the Latino, and other underserved, communities. I think this is immensely important because you have more room to grow, take risks and chances, and are more open to different mindsets as a child.