"You need to work on your branding."
If you're a small business owner, you've probably heard this advice more times than you can count. But what if most of what you've been told about branding is actually holding you back?
In this conversation with marketing veteran Dennis Lewis, we challenge conventional wisdom about what branding means for small businesses. Drawing from decades of experience helping companies make real market impact with limited resources, Dennis shares refreshingly honest insights about what actually matters — and what's just corporate theater.
Whether you're just starting out or looking to refocus your marketing efforts, these seven key takeaways might just change how you think about building your business's identity.
Spoiler alert: it's probably not what you expect.
Meet Dennis: Marketing Veteran & Thrive OG
Let's kick things off by introducing our guest. Dennis has spent decades helping small businesses cut through the marketing noise and make real connections with their audiences. He's got a knack for showing companies how to make a big impact with small budgets — like that time he helped a tiny Spanish doll company turn a $100 press release into $8 million worth of publicity (more on that wild story later).
Full disclosure: Dennis is Tony's dad and one of Thrive Themes' first-ever customers. He's been around since 2014 and, as he puts it: "I'm proud to still be a paying subscriber."
In fact, he was the one who taught Tony how to use Thrive Content Builder (Thrive Architect’s predecessor) back in the day.
What makes Dennis's perspective so valuable is how he bridges old-school marketing wisdom with today's digital landscape. He's seen what works, what doesn't, and most importantly — what small businesses should stop wasting their time on. His take on branding? It might ruffle some corporate feathers, but it could save you a ton of time and money.
7 Key Takeaways from Dennis Lewis: Market Your Business the Right Way
Dennis's key business principles can be broken down into 7 core takeaways. Keep reading to learn how to create and market a valuable business in your industry:
1. You Don't Need Corporate Branding: You Need a Clear Message
There's a common misconception in business that you need to invest heavily in branding from day one — the perfect logo, a comprehensive style guide, and a meticulously crafted brand identity.
But Dennis actually challenges this notion, suggesting that small businesses often waste valuable resources trying to emulate corporate branding strategies that don't serve their immediate needs.
Dennis Lewis
"Too often they wanna make us all do the corporate marketing dance. Branding is great for Coca-Cola, it's great for Nike, it's great for these big corporations. But small businesses, they really don't need to do branding. You're never going to have a brand."
Dennis specifically points out that while branding works for giants like Coca-Cola and Nike, who have massive budgets and decades of market presence, small businesses operate in a different reality. Instead of focusing on visual identity and brand guidelines, your energy should be directed toward clear, direct communication with your audience.
But, we’re not saying scrap your visual identity completely – no. Do focus on your logo, and brand colors, and building a solid website – but also understand that there’s more to focus on beyond this.
Focus on creating a message for your target audience that they will understand immediately. Because as a small business, what matters most at the end of the day is finding your tribe and building strong relationships with them.
As mentioned in the interview, "Just don't think about it like a brand. Think about it as communicating consistently."
What This Means for You
2. See Being “Small” As Your Biggest Advantage
Being small in business isn't a disadvantage — it's actually your secret weapon.
While large corporations get tangled in bureaucracy and cautious decision-making, small businesses can move quickly, take bold stances, and connect directly with their audience. This agility and freedom to be authentic is increasingly valuable in today's market.
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"Every day it's more of an advantage because you can say whatever you want. You can change your mind. You can pivot and you're agile; you don't have to go through a committee to decide what your next campaign strategy is." -- Dennis Lewis
The interview highlights how large companies often struggle with taking public stances or making bold moves because they're trying to please everyone.
But, small businesses can afford to alienate some people to deeply connect with others.
At the end of the day you aren’t here to please everyone.
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“You shouldn't start off with all the baggage in your head that the big companies may have to have, you know, because you're losing the advantages of being small. Don't forget that being small is an advantage.”-- Dennis Lewis
But, this isn't about being controversial for controversy's sake — it's about having the freedom to be genuine and direct in your messaging.
What This Means for You
3. You Can't Afford to Be Boring
In a world flooded with corporate messaging and overly-polished marketing, being small means you have to stand out differently — through authenticity and emotional connection. Dennis emphasizes that while big companies can afford to be bland, small businesses must create content that grabs attention and resonates deeply with their audience.
This isn't about having the highest production value or the slickest presentation. Instead, it's about creating genuine connections through your messaging, whether that's through email, video, or your website.
Here, Dennis points out that even seemingly "boring" businesses can find interesting ways to tell their story. For example, if you run a dental practice, you could find ways to highlight the positive aspects of your business – like focusing on people’s great smiles.
What This Means for You
4. You Need to Target Specifically
One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make is trying to appeal to everyone. But, this only ends up diluting their message and prevents them from forming deep connections with ideal customers.
The real power comes from understanding and connecting with a specific audience, rather than casting a wide, generic net.
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"90% of the time when I sit down with an entrepreneur, they want to talk about their products... I almost always have to sit down and say, shut up. Stop. Nobody cares. It's not about your products... They want to know what you can do for them." -- Dennis Lewis
Dennis uses a compelling metaphor about eyebrows throughout the conversation to make an important point: people don't care about your features or your company — they care about their specific problems.
If someone is insecure about their eyebrows, for example, they'll ignore an ugly website if it promises to solve their exact problem.
What This Means for You
5. You Must Create Meaningful Content
Small businesses often obsess over the wrong aspects of content creation. They focus on professional filming equipment, perfect lighting, or expensive editing software — yet miss the fundamental purpose of content: to create a genuine connection with their audience.
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"If you don't have a budget, you've got to substitute budget for something else. At the very least, it has to be something that surprises me, that sparks my curiosity, that keeps me, that makes me laugh, that makes me smile, that makes me cry... emotions don't cost money." -- Dennis Lewis
With the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, many businesses hope to streamline their content creation. While these tools can be powerful allies in crafting and refining messages, Dennis emphasizes they're only as good as the insights you feed them:
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"I'm reluctant to say that it's gonna figure out who you really want to be talking to because you're the one who should know that... if you've got to go to a chat bot to understand whose problem you're solving, you've got a bigger business problem." -- Dennis Lewis
The key is to first develop a deep understanding of your audience and message — then use AI as a tool to help articulate and expand upon these insights. The most meaningful content starts with genuine understanding, which no AI can replace.
6. You Don't Need Big Budgets
In the video, Dennis shares a fascinating recollection of when he worked with a small doll manufacturer and turned a $100 press release into $8 million worth of publicity.
They didn’t achieve this through a massive marketing budget or sophisticated branding — it was accomplished by taking a meaningful stance and telling a compelling story about breastfeeding education through dolls. Yes, breastfeeding education. If you want to hear the full story, check out the video interview here.
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"We took a $100 press release and turned it into an $8 million worth of free publicity... Overnight, we had tens of thousands of followers on Facebook. We had a special Facebook group of people supporting our product (the breast milk baby). And where people were criticizing the idea, our real target audience was defending us." -- Dennis Lewis
The story demonstrates that tapping into something meaningful for your audience turns them into passionate advocates.
The controversy surrounding their product didn't hurt the company — instead, it rallied their true audience around them and created a passionate community. This kind of authentic connection and word-of-mouth marketing can't be bought with any size budget.
What This Means for You
7. Take a Stand: Don’t Shy Away
A lot of people balk at the thought of “taking a stand” because they associate it with being deliberately controversial – but that doesn’t have to be the case.
“Taking a stand” simply means having the courage to express clear convictions about what you believe in. Small businesses actually have an advantage over large corporations in this area, as they can afford to be more decisive and clear in their positioning without worrying about pleasing everyone.
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"Maybe your advantage is that you don't have that problem. You can afford to piss someone off... As long as there's enough that are with you, you're gonna have business. You're gonna be okay." -- Dennis Lewis
Small businesses can — and should — be more direct. This isn't about creating controversy for its own sake; it's about being clear about your values and accepting that not everyone will align with them. When you do this effectively, you often create a more passionate, loyal customer base.
What This Means for You
Next Steps: Where Do You Go From Here?
There's a lot to take away from this interview — and this is just the written summary. You can watch the full conversation between Dennis and Tony right here:
If there's one clear message running through everything we've covered, it's this: you have permission to stop playing the corporate branding game. Instead of getting caught up in perfect logos and brand guidelines, start by answering these simple questions:
- What specific problem do you solve, and for whom exactly?
- What's the real story behind why you do what you do?
- What can you say that bigger competitors are too scared to say?
Then, take one small action today. Write an email that sounds like you actually wrote it. Share a story that matters to your specific audience. Take a stand on something you believe in.
Dennis Lewis
"Go back and look at some of the advertising from way back when. Look at how they did it, look at the format, look at the structure of how they did their marketing and you'll be surprised those same concepts are valid today.
You don't have to copy any of them but look at what they were doing and how they were structuring the storytelling that they were using and you'll come up with a good way to tell your story."
Remember: your small size is your advantage. You can move fast, speak directly, and connect authentically — all without a committee's approval or a massive marketing budget.
The best time to start being meaningful instead of just polished? Right now.
Good Branding Still Has Its Place
Let's be clear: this isn't about having no brand presence at all. Your business should still look professional and consistent — it just shouldn't be your primary focus or where you spend most of your resources starting out.
Once you've nailed your message and know exactly who you're talking to, then yes, make sure your visual identity supports and strengthens that message. But keep it simple. Use tools that let you focus on what matters (connecting with your audience) rather than getting lost in design details.
That's exactly why we built Thrive Suite — to give you professional-looking templates and branded elements that you can quickly customize, letting you create a consistent look without the endless tweaking. This premium WordPress plugin bundle handles the visual details so you can focus on what really moves the needle: creating meaningful connections with your audience.
Ready to build a brand that actually matters? Start with your message, then let Thrive Suite help you deliver it with style.
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