Over the past few months, I worked with Josh Spector to overhaul his online presence.

Nothing was off limits.

Socials, website (not live yet), YouTube thumbnails, podcast cover art, and everything in between.

For Josh, it was a long time coming.

But for the past 4+ years, his visual brand remain untouched even though his newsletter, business, were growing.

For Josh, the value of his content and business were outpacing his packaging and pricing.

In fact, he was undercharging by an obscene amount.

During our process, he raised prices 2x and is still selling well.

But Josh didn't need to worry about design until later.

Should you invest in design now or later?

Josh and I are not the same, just like you and I.

He and I are wired differently. You might be more like Josh, where you can grab a template and start publishing into the world without consequence.

No logo. A white and black theme. Just go.

I wake up needing to be excited to create. I'd argue this is a defect of my personality, but it is what it is.

Josh can sit down at a desk and publish without fear.

I have a bit of fear when I publish, but having a property I'm excited to use helps minimize the fear that I have.

I'd argue I wish I were more like Josh, but the anxiety still exists.

To me, making smart design decisions will always come first so I don't have to think about it later. And I get excited to write a new newsletter or article on my site because I love the way it feels when it goes out into the world.

Like a published book with a great cover.

Josh waited until the business demanded more from him. To enable his fans to see more of his personality spilled across his channels.

To see that he approaches his work like a craftsman. He sweats the details. He optimizes his writing so his value per second is higher than anywhere else.

To take profits from the business and invest in an upgrade.

Both paths are ok.

People are drawn to both great design and great content.

But you have to pick. Then run.

p.s. We'll be releasing more from Josh over the next month, but until then, watch how to design your brand even when you don't know what your brand is.