ROBBYF.COM

About Me

The story behind my passion for “life-giving brands.”
HEY THERE!…

I'm Robby Fowler, Champion of Life-giving Brands.

What the heck is a life-giving brand? And how am I its crowned champion? Good questions.
I never set out to do this. But I've 'MacGyvered' my zagging path into a Swiss army knife that is my life and business.
I never set out to do this. But here I am.

I've “MacGyvered" my multifarious interests, eclectic experiences, and nerdy librarian-like passion for learning into a single Swiss army knife that is my life and business. (No, I’m not Swiss. I do lover Roger Federer though.)

All the strange turns, detours, and adventures in how I got here play a critical role in my passion for helping others build life-giving brands and profitable personal brand websites.

Eventually, my journey led me to create my Life-Giving Brands Manifesto! (Fear not. I'll explain below.)
If you'd rather skip the journey and cut to the chase, here are the 'MacGyvered' Swiss army knife blades I use most to help personal brands:
  • Sharp Creativity to think differently about your problems and new solutions
  • Pristine Clarity in coaching, teaching, copywriting, and simplifying complexities
  • Sage Strategy to help you take the right next step and implement action
  • Radical Empathy to connect with you and your customers
  • Leadership Development to grow leaders, not just dollars

Am I Non-Profitable?

“We’re going to have to let you go. We just don’t have the budget.”

It was one week before Thanksgiving when I heard those piercing words. They came swiftly in a 1:1 meeting for the non-profit I helped build for over a decade.

As if the initial sting wasn’t enough, the follow-up meetings were worse.

I was told three piercing things by the new leader. Each landed like a dagger. Over seven years later, I still feel their embers in the pit of my stomach:
  1. “Your leadership was not effective”
  2. “You may not be called to leadership”
  3. “You are the problem”

Ouch!!! Whoever thought sticks and stones hurt worse than words hasn’t lived real life.

There I was. In my early 40’s. Three kids. My title for nearly half my working career? Gone. My role? No more. My value? TBD.

Soul searching began. For work, I quickly pivoted back to my freelance business I started way back in 2001. Thankfully, I’d kept it as a side hustle the past decade.

For (What) Profit?

As I tried to get my bearings running my own business full-time again, I needed to make a profit.

More than that, I had to figure out what kind of profit.

The deep pain of my experience and evaluation helped me realize three things:
  1. The areas I led were actually some of the strongest parts of the organization.
  2. The people moved into leadership following my exit were those I attracted, equipped, and developed.
  3. I wasn’t perfect for sure…but I wasn’t THE problem, I was a threat.

Having been stripped of my title, role, and perceived value, I asked myself this question when considering how I would build my Personal Brand business:
What’s worth giving my life to?

My answer—Life-giving brands led by Life-giving leaders.

Pivoting back to my freelance design business while reflecting on my “non-profit” strengths made me realize what I’m great at:
  • Marketing,
  • Strategy,
  • Teaching,
  • and Leadership Development

Fast forward to today. I help individuals and businesses make more than money. I help them build life-giving brands.

What Is The Life-Giving Brand Manifesto?

If there's one thing I've learned from working with personal brands, being in corporate America, and serving in a non-profit—we all need help.

But there's help, and then there's help!

In two decades of business, I've developed some core beliefs. They shape how I help others, what I help them become, and why I do it.

Particulars come and go. Today’s answers become tomorrows headaches. But the Life-Giving Brand Manifesto is the unchanging foundation for who, why, and how I help personal brands.
I've never been too interested in answers. I'm far more interested in learning the best process for HOW I can arrive at the right answer.

*If you're wondering why a church would experience troubles and tribulations, it's no mystery. Churches are imperfect communities, filled with imperfect people (including me!), following imperfect leaders (including me!), banking on a perfect Savior.