Ladies! Sometimes the biggest business breakthroughs happen in the most ordinary places. Like a toy aisle where the pink and blue divide tells a story you refuse to accept. Pink aisles full of dolls and play kitchens for girls, blue aisles filled with superheroes and trucks for boys. The stereotypes were glaring, and the future they implied felt limiting.
For Jana Black, Founder of SeeMeBe Toys, that was her spark to build a business that inspires change. SeeMeBe Toys is a purpose-driven company creating diverse plush dolls that show kids they can be astronauts, firefighters, veterinarians, anything they dream.
3 brand moves that change everything:
Your story isn't about you (and that's why it works)
When you start talking about why your business matters, it might feel self-centred at first. Here's what shifts everything: realise your story belongs to the problem you're solving and every person you'll help. Jana’s frustration in that toy aisle wasn't just her experience, it was every parent who'd stood in that same spot, wanting better for their kids. When you frame your origin story this way, sharing it becomes service, not self-promotion.
Build your community before you build your customer base
Here's the tension most founders wrestle with: you know personal branding accelerates everything, but stepping into the spotlight feels exposing. Meanwhile, you're hoping your brilliance will sell itself - it’s like trying to sell a secret. The truth is, people buy because of the meaning you give them, buyers remember brands and make decisions on how you make them feel. You don't need perfection to build your brand, you need the courage to start showing up consistently.
Strategy without visibility gets you nowhere
Here's the uncomfortable truth: You will never scale a business beyond your self-worth. And part of building that self-worth means recognizing when you're the problem, not the solution.
Mandy learned this lesson after ugly-crying through a book about buying back your time. She realized she was creating chaos in her business because she felt comfortable there - it made her feel needed and important. But feeling needed isn't the same as being valuable.
The breakthrough question: "Just because you can doesn't mean you should." Every task you insist on handling personally is a ceiling on your growth. Your job isn't to do everything; it's to ensure everything gets done by the right person.
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About Jana Black
Jana Black is a well-known former broadcast journalist and the founder of SeeMeBe Toys, a Brisbane-based company designing diverse, inspired plush dolls to spark conversations about possibility and potential for children everywhere.
🎧 Hear Jana's journey and insights on this week's Resilient Entrepreneurs Podcast.
Until next week, founders! Remember, entrepreneurship isn't about having all the answers - it's about backing yourself when the answers aren't clear yet.
If you, like us, love to lean in and keep growing, we'd love to see you at our next free masterclass on Thought-Leadership & Personal Branding.
Vicki Abraham and Laura Ann Bell
Resilient Entrepreneurs Podcast | RE: Women Founders Circle
