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I left my heart in Deposit, NY

Writer's picture: Danielle HughesDanielle Hughes

Yes, Deposit, NY is a real place

Picture this: I'm driving back from a nice weekend after dropping Owen off at college. My tears have dried and my ex and I are an hour or so into our journey home when... ...my trusty, reliable 2012 Subaru Forester makes an alarming sound. I pull over, smell burning and see a hint of smoke. Mind you, nothing lit up on the dash and there was no indication over the weekend of any issue. A few months prior I'd had the oil changed and put in new struts and brakes. My girl was humming along. Until she wasn't... We broke down on a Saturday afternoon (as my brother said, why does this never happen on a weekday at like 11 when everything is open?) in a town called Deposit. It's a very long story that also involves a tow truck, the nicest service station in NY and a bus ride to Port Authority from Binghamton (there was also a Barbie pink SUV), but I basically deposited my trusted Subaru in Deposit and went home.


Moving on up

I'd been hoping to give Sonic (that was her name) to Owen and had invested quite a bit of money into maintaining her. She had about 107K miles, which for a Subaru should have meant she had another 100K or so in her. But in the immortal words of Kenny Rogers, you gotta know when to fold em. And it was time to fold em. There was no way I was going to tow the car back to Queens and putting in a new engine (which is what she needed because she had burned all her oil!) would have cost thousands. It was time to admit it I needed a new car.


Nicer than my apartment

Now, because my car was 11 years old, anything relatively new would be quite the upgrade. I never buy brand new because it makes no sense, and I debated leasing since I was so scarred by this experience and didn't want to be responsible for any further outsized expenses. But the idea of paying thousands down and a payment that never ends just felt even more fiscally irresponsible to me. So I decided to find something used.


After test driving several vehicles and exploring all my options, I found a 2022 Hyundai Tucson with less than 7K miles on it. And while the base model would be too base for me, I also didn't need top of the line. Somewhere in the middle would be just fine (call me Goldilocks). After some negotiation and research into warranties (Hyundai has the longest there is), I got my new baby - Lucy.


Fancy AF




Lucy is fancy. Lucy has things I didn't know I needed and things I didn't know existed.


I can lock the door with a wave of my hand (like a Jedi).


She has a wireless phone charging pad.


The cruise control adjusts to the speed of the car in front of you automatically.


She has digital screens.


Of course she has a back up camera, lane assist and other safety features too.


She's quiet! And smooth.


She makes me feel proud and cared for.


What's been very interesting about this whole experience is that I was quite content with Sonic (she was silver and Owen named her when he was 7).


She did the job.


She was no fuss, no muss.


She was reliable (or so I thought.)


Sure, she had countless dings and scratches.


Sure, she was noisy.


But she delivered consistently.


And I could treat her less carefully because I didn't worry about more scratches.


But I also I didn't cherish her and maybe even took her for granted.


She mattered less because I was no longer investing in her.


And perhaps didn't take her as seriously.


More than a feeling

This isn't about the Boston song, although it's a classic, this is about how elevating your brand makes you treat your own business. And impacts how others see you.


If your brand is simply "ol' reliable" that's great, until it isn't. Because ol' reliable can't command higher fees. Ol' reliable might get noticed for the wrong reasons (it's pretty banged up). But it's not going to get parked out front by the valet. It will be put in the back lot you didn't even know was there. And when you hand the valet your keys, there won't be pride. You won't tell him or her to take care of your baby (unless you're kidding). Because while ol' reliable might make it to the restaurant, it might not make it home. And you probably don't give ol' reliable a second thought.


But when you have something shiny and new, when you feel as good in it as you feel as good talking about it, people notice. You sit up straighter. There's an air of elegance and refinement. You feel fancy, but in the sophisticated way, not the douchey way.


And you take more care. You worry about where you park. You buy a Bumper Bully (and hate yourself for it). You check the car for scratches. You ALWAYS fold in the side mirror. You want her to look good. You want people to notice.


Closer I am to fine

So while your brand might be doing just fine, is fine good enough?


Is fine the message you want to send?


Is fine getting you the right clients who value you?


Is fine commanding the fees you want and deserve?


What would it feel like to be more than fine?


What would it feel like to embrace elegant, sophisticated and luxurious you?


What would it feel like to have pride in what you do, who you are and who you help?


No dings. No scratches. Shiny. New. And Fancy AF. But with a 10-year warranty!


Because investing in your brand means longevity, care and support. And you deserve all of that.


Here are some ways to make that happen...

 

Speaking of shiny and new...


What would you pay to have a bio that felt like driving a new car? A bio that made you feel proud, made you feel fancy but in the best way?


I'm excited to run another bio building workshop with Women Talk Design. My last workshop sold out, so if you're considering it, don't delay. Since this is a condensed version of my typical Kick Ass Bio Workshop, the price is not to be beat and I'm throwing in a BONUS ask me anything session for additional feedback post workshop. This is the steal of the century.

 

Get your brand over 100,000 miles



Consistency is the key to any brand endeavor. Most people struggle putting their message and their business first. I get it and that's totally natural! But consistent marketing leads to consistent revenue. I've got a program for that.



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