Screw-ups make great brands.

How your flaws, fumbles and failures can actually build trust, if you own them.

Let’s be real. Most brands out there are polished to death. Perfect visuals. Smooth copy. No cracks in sight.

And yet... it’s the messy ones we remember. The ones that feel real. Human. Unfiltered and hardcore Honest.

Because deep down, we don’t want perfect. We want relatable. We want brands that have lived something, and are not afraid to show it.

You don’t build trust by looking flawless

You build trust by being clear. Consistent. Real. You don’t have to spill your trauma and get too emotional. But when you pretend you’ve got it all figured out, you disconnect.

Vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s resonance.

Your flaws are fuel (if you know how to use them)

Your brand doesn’t need to be shiny. It needs to be sharp. It needs friction. Edge and Story.

That moment you messed up a project? That launch that flopped? That phase where you were winging it?

There’s power in that, if you turn it into meaning. People don’t remember the smooth ride.They remember the turning point.

What makes a brand magnetic?

Not perfection. But perspective.

The brands that stick are the ones that:

• Embrace their process

• Share what they’ve learned

• Speak like people, not like pitch decks

• Dare to say: “We’re figuring this out, but we’re in it with you”

  
  

Real talk: I’ve been there too

I’ve made branding decisions based on fear. I’ve underpriced myself. Over-explained. Held back. Tried to sound “professional” instead of just saying what I meant.

None of that worked. What did work? Tuning in. Stripping it back. Speaking in my own Rotterdam Realness voice.

That’s what I now help others do, without the gloss.

Your story, with the scars and all, is the brand

If you’re done performing and ready to build a brand that actually feels like you, let’s talk.

→ Book a Personal Brand Booster Session or Strategy Sparring Hour Let’s find the power in what went wrong. Let’s turn that into something unforgettable.