Listening > Knowing: What Hiring Taught Me About Building a Brand That Connects

This week, I brought someone new on board to help finish Entensa’s website and kick off our social media. She’s a digital marketer—sharp, thoughtful, funny, and honestly, she probably understands our ideal customer better than I do.

I’ve done the research, built personas, and conducted interviews. But she is the kind of woman Entensa is built for. And that kind of lived experience? You can’t fake it, and I certainly can’t out-research it.

As we talked about fonts, colors, and layout, she kept asking what I thought, what I liked. I kept saying the same thing: it doesn’t matter what I like. I care if it makes her—our customer—pause, feel something, maybe even feel seen. That’s what matters.

In the “About” section of this site, I wrote:

“Whether it’s true or not, always having the mindset of being the dumbest person in the room is rarely a bad thing.”

And I stand by it. It’s not about playing dumb. It’s about being honest with yourself about your strengths, your blind spots, and open enough to see what others bring to the table.

Because whether I’m the smartest person in the room or not (hey, it’s happened), I’ve learned that nobody wins when you pretend you’ve got all the answers. And people tend to shut down when you act like you do.

Sure, once in a while someone will try to take advantage of that mindset. And yes, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve for moments like that. But most of the time? I’ve found that progress comes faster when I listen more than I talk.

If Entensa is going to matter to the people it’s meant for, it’s not because I chose the right font. It’s because I knew when to trust someone else’s eye, and made space for it.

By the way, her name is Wendy. And I think you’re going to love what she’s bringing to Entensa.