There’s a moment in every extraordinary brand journey where the fog lifts.
Not with fanfare.
Not with funnels.

But with one, clear, quiet word.

On a recent episode of The Luxe Leap, I interviewed Jill Schulman—a United States Marine Corps veteran, Ivy League-trained psychology nerd, and powerhouse leadership consultant. Her story is rich with battlefield grit and boardroom brilliance, but there was one moment that stopped me cold.

She’d spent months immersed in positive psychology research at UPenn, digging into the science of fear, fulfillment, and what actually creates a braver life. She had notebooks full of data. A capstone paper steeped in insight. And a brand? Still floating in the void.

Until her husband looked at her mid-ramble and said,

“Your brand is bravery.”

That was the quiet catalyst. The moment her brand clicked into place.

This Is What We Miss When We Try To DIY Our Identity

As women consultants, we’re taught to prove everything. Overthink everything. Intellectualize the thing we intuitively know. We have Google Docs full of strategy notes, post-its full of podcast ideas, and a brand voice that still sounds like a watered-down version of who we really are.

We want the legacy.
We want the impact.
But we’re stuck in the Busy Box.

Jill’s story reminds us: when you’re too close to your own brilliance, clarity often comes through someone who sees you without the baggage.

It wasn’t Jill’s data that defined her brand.
It was the soul of her story, distilled into a single word: Bravery.

The Science of Fear Isn’t Just Academic—It’s Brand-Defining

What Jill discovered (and now teaches) is that fear isn’t the enemy. It’s the threshold. And the women who learn to walk through it—who brand through it—are the ones who build uncommon wealth.

Because when your brand is built on conviction, not confusion, your authority becomes undeniable.
And your dream clients?
They cross the river of fear with you, because you’ve shown them the bridge.

You’re not just another option in their inbox.
You become their only choice.

An Extraordinary Brand Shatters Glass Ceilings

Let’s be clear: Jill’s brand didn’t become extraordinary because she “niched down” or found the right Canva template.

It became extraordinary the moment she owned her story as a Marine, a mom, a consultant, a psychologist—and packaged it into something deeply human.

That’s what we do inside the Luxe Leap. We bring women leaders to the mic who are building brands that defy templates, dismantle fear, and design success on their own terms.

Your Turn: What’s the One Word?

If you’re circling your brand identity, stuck in loops of overthinking, ask yourself:

• What’s the heartbeat behind what I teach?
• What would someone who loves me say I stand for?
• What word keeps showing up in my client feedback, my story, my wins?

That word might be your quiet catalyst.
And it might just be the beginning of your extraordinary brand.

🎙 Ready for more bold brilliance?
Listen to Jill Schulman’s full story on The Luxe Leap podcast—and hear how the science of bravery can change your life and your legacy.

Listen now to The Luxe Leap: The Bravery Effect with Jill Schulman