OUTGROWN: Branding for Small Businesses Ready to Be Taken Seriously

People aren’t just Googling you anymore. They’re asking AI. And whatever it says back is their first impression of you.

So before I hit record, I opened ChatGPT and typed in “Tell me about Dakota Hunt Studio.” Some of what came back was spot on. Some of it was outdated. And one line was a total gold mine: it couldn’t find my website at all.

In this episode, I’m reading you exactly what AI said about me and walking through how to find out what it’s saying about you, why it gets small businesses wrong, and how to clean it up this week. Then we’re going deeper, into the one part of your brand AI can never copy, and why being human is about to become your biggest advantage.

In this episode:

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What ChatGPT actually said about my business, including what it couldn’t find

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The 3 ways AI gets you wrong: outdated, inconsistent, and generic

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5 things to do this week so AI (and real humans) describe you accurately

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Why AI can copy your words but can never copy YOU

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How to use AI without letting it become your voice

This week’s question:If AI described your business to a stranger tomorrow… would it sound like you? Or would it sound like everyone else? Send me a DM on Instagram or email me at hello@dakotahuntstudio.com and tell me what AI said about you. I read every single one.

Searched yourself and thought, “That’s not me”?

Book a complimentary 30-minute Brand Clarity Session. We’ll do a quick live audit of what’s out there about you right now (your website, your Google listing, your Instagram) and I’ll tell you honestly what’s working, what isn’t, and where I’d start to make your brand sound like YOU again.

Connect with Dakota:Website: http://www.dakotahuntstudio.comInstagram: @dakotahuntstudio

Someone asks for your website, and you hear yourself say, “Oh… just follow me on Instagram.” Or, “It’s a little outdated, don’t judge it too hard.”

That tiny apology is what this episode is about.

Today we’re asking a question that sounds really simple: who actually owns your website? Lost logins, old hosting accounts, websites still under a former designer’s account, and businesses that live entirely on someone else’s platform. I’m sharing a story from an organization I’m working with right now that can only get into its website from ONE computer, and walking through exactly how to take your brand back. Plus what ownership really means: power, wealth, and being able to say “here’s my website” and feel proud saying it.

In this episode:

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How businesses lose access to their own websites, and why it happens with the best intentions

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Why living only on Instagram means you’re renting your business, not owning it

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What ownership really gives you: power, financial and relational wealth, and a brand that can grow as fast as you do

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A step-by-step checklist to take back every account your brand lives on this week

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How to tell if your website needs a patch, or if the real issue is a brand that doesn’t feel like yours anymore

This week’s Real Question:If someone asked for your website today… would you hand it over proudly? Or would you apologize first? Email me your answer at hello@dakotahuntstudio.com. I read every single one.

Does your brand not feel like it’s really YOURS yet?

Book a free 20-minute brand consultation. On the call, we’ll do a quick live audit together. You show me your website, your Instagram, whatever you’ve got, and I’ll tell you honestly what’s working, what isn’t, and what I’d look at first.

Connect with Dakota:

Website: http://www.dakotahuntstudio.com

Instagram: @dakotahuntstudio

Someone heard about you. They pull up your website… and they have no idea where to go. So they click around for a few seconds, get confused, and leave. And you never even knew they were there.

In this episode, I’m talking about how websites slowly turn into mazes, and how to turn yours back into something that actually helps people find you, understand you, and take the next step. I’m also sharing a story from my life as a parent: the time I almost passed on an incredible preschool for my daughter because I couldn’t figure out their website.

In this episode:

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How good websites turn into mazes, one page at a time

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3 signs your website is losing people: failing the 5-second test, organizing around your org chart, and talking to everyone at once

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Why websites are communication, and what a confusing one tells people about you

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Simple steps to clear the maze, including a test you can run this week

Not sure where people are getting lost?

It’s really hard to see your own website with fresh eyes. My $400 Brand Audit gives you an outside perspective. Send me your website and social handles, tell me how you see your brand, and within three business days you’ll get a recorded video walkthrough of what’s working, what isn’t, and where people are getting lost. Plus at least one thing you can fix yourself right away.

Update: The $400 Brand Audit mentioned in this episode is no longer available. Instead, book a free 20-minute brand consultation, and we’ll do a quick live audit of your brand together on the call.

Connect with Dakota:

Website:⁠⁠⁠www.dakotahuntstudio.com⁠⁠⁠

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dakotahuntstudio⁠

There was a time when the phone rang. People found you, they got it, they signed up, they referred their friends. And then somewhere along the way… it just got quiet.

In this episode, I'm talking about one of the most frustrating places a business can be: stagnant. Not failing, not falling apart. Just stuck. I'm walking through the three reasons I see this happen over and over, and sharing a story from a client I'm working with right now: an established business, led by someone with decades of experience, that went quiet when a newer, shinier option opened across town. And why that's a much more fixable problem than it seems.

In this episode:

• The 3 reasons businesses go stagnant: message drift, a changed audience, and a shift in how people see you
• How a newer competitor can make an experienced business look like "the old option," and how to fix it
• 3 things you can do this week to figure out what's really going on
• Why the fix usually isn't doing more, it's getting clear

Not sure which one is happening to you?
It's really hard to see your own brand from the inside. My $400 Brand Audit gives you an outside perspective. Send me your website and social handles, tell me how you see your brand, and within three business days you'll get a recorded video walkthrough of what's working, what isn't, and where things have drifted. Plus at least one thing you can fix yourself right away.

Update: The $400 Brand Audit mentioned in this episode is no longer available. Instead, ⁠book a free 20-minute brand consultation,⁠ and we’ll do a quick live audit of your brand together on the call.

Connect with Dakota:

Website: ⁠⁠www.dakotahuntstudio.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dakotahuntstudio⁠

Your name is the first thing anyone knows about you. Before your website, before your mission statement, before they ever meet you. And if that name is saying something that isn't true anymore? It's working against you every single day.

In this episode, I'm walking you through the five signs your organization has outgrown its name. I'm also sharing the story of the Wyoming Women's Business Center: why their name stopped fitting when they started serving everyone, how I guided them through renaming to WyoMicro, and how they kept their history alive without holding back their growth.

In this episode:

• 5 signs your organization has outgrown its name
• Why a name that excludes people can't be fixed with a tagline
• How WyoMicro renamed without losing the legacy of the Women's Business Center
• Your options when your name stops fitting: a tagline, an acronym, or a new name

Mentioned in this episode:WyoMicro: https://www.wyomicro.org/

Wondering if your name is part of the problem?My $400 Brand Audit gives you an outside perspective on your brand. Send me your website and social handles, tell me how you see your brand, and within three business days you'll get a recorded video walkthrough of what's working, what isn't, and whether your name is holding you back. Plus at least one thing you can fix yourself right away.

Update: The $400 Brand Audit mentioned in this episode is no longer available. Instead, ⁠book a free 20-minute brand consultation,⁠ and we’ll do a quick live audit of your brand together on the call.

Connect with Dakota:

Website: ⁠www.dakotahuntstudio.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/dakotahuntstudio⁠

I've been designing brands for ten years. And I'm starting this podcast by telling you about the time my OWN brand failed.

In 2020, I hired a brand designer for Dakota Hunt Studio. I spent $2,000, filled out the intake form in depth, and waited excitedly to see the first sketches. Instead, I got an email that said "Your Brand Is Here!"… and a brand that didn't fit my business at all. It sat in a folder on my computer for six years.

In this first episode of Outgrown, I'm sharing the whole story, plus the four things I look at when a brand isn't working: concept, craft, reaction, and reality. And how to tell whether yours is worth saving or it's time to start fresh.

In this episode:

• The story of my failed brand project, and what I'd do differently now
• Why a broken concept can't be fixed with better design
• 3 questions to ask any designer before you hire them
• How to know if your brand is worth saving or scrapping

Grab the free Save It or Scrap It checklist: LINKED HERE12 questions to help you figure out whether your brand is worth saving or it's time to start fresh.

Connect with Dakota:

Website: https://www.dakotahuntstudio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dakotahuntstudio/

You've grown. Your work has deepened, your programs have expanded, your clients have changed… but your brand is still standing right where you left it.

Outgrown is a podcast for small businesses ready to be taken seriously, hosted by brand identity designer Dakota Hunt, founder of Dakota Hunt Studio. Every episode shares real client stories, real examples, and exactly what to do when your brand stops fitting your business.

The first three episodes launch Tuesday, October 13:

• My Failed Brand Project (and What I'd Do Differently)
• 5 Signs You've Outgrown Your Name
• When Clients Used to Come… and Now They Don't

Hit follow so they land right in your feed.

Because serious work deserves a serious brand.

Connect with Dakota:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.dakotahuntstudio.com⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dakotahuntstudio⁠