The Life Review Practice That Doubles as a Powerful Brand Strategy Tool
Something I heard this week lit a spark in me, the kind of spark that makes you sit up, rewind 10 seconds, and think, “Oh… this is about to hit me right in the values.”
I was listening to a podcast with Dr. Diana Hill, author of Wise Effort. The whole premise of her book is essentially: do less of what drains you and more of what fuels you. I know. Revolutionary and yet wildly obvious at the same time. But she didn’t lose me there. Oh no. She got me with the next part.
The interviewer asked her about a writing prompt exercise from the book, and Dr. Hill described something so simple, so spicy, and so brutally honest that I immediately grabbed my Notes app.
She invites you to write a five-star review of your life.
And then… wait for it…to write a one-star review of your life.
Gulp.
The five-star review surfaces the moments you’re proud of, the parts of your life you want more of, the things that actually matter. The one-star? That one shows you where you’re out of alignment. What’s draining you behind the scenes. What’s been quietly nibbling away at your energy like a mouse in a pantry.
When I tried it, I immediately imagined a life where I was working weekends, being half-present with my kids, always “catching up,” never traveling, never nurturing relationships, always “busy” but never being fulfilled. That vision alone was enough to give me hives.
And as I sat with it, something clicked in that very satisfying “oh, of course” way:
This exercise is brand strategy.
Like… the whole thing. The heart. The messy middle. The honest parts. The parts most people skip so they can jump to choosing colors and fonts like kids skipping dinner in favor of cookies.
But brand strategy done right? It’s this kind of reflection. It’s truth-telling. It’s values work, not vanity work.
And yes, I’m absolutely going to walk you through how to use this exercise for your brand… but first, let’s talk about why this matters so much.
Why Honest Self-Review Is the Secret Ingredient in Brand Strategy
Your brand is only as strong as your self-awareness.
People spend so much time thinking brand identity begins with colors, logos, and typography. Listen, I love a clean sans-serif moment as much as anyone, but fonts won’t fix misalignment.
No palette will solve a positioning crisis.
No logo will rescue a business running on burnout.
No tagline will save a brand from hiding behind vague messaging because the founder is afraid to say what she really thinks.
The review exercise cuts straight through the noise.
A five-star review forces you to articulate what makes your business meaningful, special, uniquely yours.
A one-star review exposes what’s draining you, frustrating your clients, or quietly suffocating your creativity.
That gap is where brand strategy lives.
Brand strategy is simply creative direction rooted in truth; not trends, not aesthetics, not what your business “should” be doing.
But okay, let’s get to the fun part.
Try the Five-Star / One-Star Brand Review Exercise
Grab a sheet of paper. Not Google Docs. Not your phone. Your brain behaves differently when your hand is moving across a page, and this exercise deserves your full presence.
You’ll use the front and the back.
Step One: Write a Five-Star Review of Your Business
On the front of your paper, write the most glowing, aspirational, honest-to-your-core five-star review your business could ever receive. Think of it like your dream client is absolutely gushing about you online, but it’s not fantasy. It’s based on the business you want to build, the work that lights you up, the experience you’d be proud to deliver.
Write about things like:
What it feels like to work with you
The impact you make
The clarity you help your clients gain
How you run your business
Your client experience
Your communication
Your values in action
Your boundaries
What you’re known for
You can also write it as a letter to yourself: “Here’s what I’m most proud of in my business.”
This part usually flows more easily because we’re naturally inclined to talk about what we want. It energizes us.
But now… the flip side.
Step Two: Write the Worst One-Star Review You Can Imagine
Flip the page and prepare your nervous system. This part is tough and wildly illuminating.
Write the most brutally honest one-star review of your business you can imagine.
Think about:
A frustrated client after a miscommunication
Your burned-out self after a 60-hour week
A project that ate your soul
A moment where you felt behind, scattered, unclear, or overwhelmed
The parts of your business you avoid confronting
The inconsistencies
Systems that don’t exist
Write it all. No holding back.
And when you’re done, take a deep breath and look at the difference between the two sides.
What the Gap Tells You (This Is Where the Magic Happens)
The space between your five-star vision and your one-star fear is the exact location of your brand work.
This is where:
Your values live
Your clarity lives
Your differentiation lives
Your boundaries live
Your future positioning lives
This exercise points you directly toward what truly matters to you and what you want your business to stand for. Not what you think it should stand for. Not what you think will look impressive on a website. The real stuff.
This is how you uncover:
1. Your Brand’s True Direction (Creative and Strategic)
If your five-star review is full of “deep connection, clarity, spaciousness” but your one-star screams “chaotic scope creep and Sunday-night panic”… well. There’s your direction.
Your brand identity should support the clarity you crave, not the chaos you tolerate.
2. Your Messaging Priorities
If your five-star mentions collaboration, ease, transformation, and expertise, guess what? Those phrases become anchors for your messaging.
And if your one-star reveals “confusing process, inconsistent boundaries, unclear deliverables,” that tells you exactly what to fix.
3. Your Boundaries and Operations
Brand strategy isn’t just external. It’s internal. Your brand cannot communicate ease if your process feels like herding cats. The gap shows you operational priorities, too.
4. What You Want to Be Known For
Most entrepreneurs struggle to articulate this because the answer feels too big or too vague. But when you compare the two reviews, your “known for” becomes obvious.
Usually, it’s hiding in the five-star, whispering for attention.
5. Where to Direct Your Energy
Dr. Hill talks about doing less of what drains you and more of what fuels you. Brand strategy is the exact same thing.
The gap tells you:
What drains your energy
What fuels your energy
What deserves your time
What can be released
What’s misaligned
What’s waiting to be claimed
That gap is your roadmap.
Brand Strategy Starts Here — Not With Colors and Fonts
Here’s the truth I wish more founders understood:
Brand identity (the visuals) is simply an expression of brand strategy (your clarity).
When your strategy is rooted in honesty and alignment, the creative direction becomes obvious.
But when the strategy is missing? Everything feels slightly off. Pretty, but hollow. Consistent, but forgettable. Polished, but not persuasive.
And this is the kind of thought work I do with every brand strategy client I partner with. It’s not always comfortable. It asks you to tell the truth.
But it’s always, always worth it.
Examples of How This Exercise Shows Up in Real Brand Strategy
Let’s go deeper with a few examples so you can see how this plays out beyond theory.
Example 1: The Over-Delivering Service Provider
Five-star review says:
“Working with her is seamless. She anticipates needs, communicates clearly, and her process makes everything feel easy.”
One-star review says:
“I had no idea what was happening when. I felt like she was juggling too much. I needed more guidance.”
The gap reveals:
→ The process needs clarity and structure
→ Messaging needs to communicate expectations
→ The client journey needs refinement
Brand strategy outcome:
A reputation for clarity and leadership replaces the pattern of confusion.
Example 2: The Founder Who Outgrew Her Brand
Five-star review says:
“She’s a leader. A visionary. Her insights changed my entire business.”
One-star review says:
“Her brand feels generic and outdated. It doesn’t reflect her expertise at all.”
The gap reveals:
→ The visuals and messaging aren’t aligned with her growth
→ The brand identity is communicating past versions
→ She’s ready for a rebrand grounded in who she is now
Brand strategy outcome:
A new brand identity that matches the evolution she’s already embodied.
Example 3: The Handmade Jewelry Maker Who’s Outgrown “Cute Side Hustle” Energy
Five-star review says:
“Her pieces feel like heirlooms. The craftsmanship is gorgeous and intentional, the packaging feels luxurious, and every order arrives with a story. You can feel the heart behind the brand, and the whole experience reminds me of why I love shopping small.”
One-star review says:
“I waited forever for my order. It seemed like she was scrambling behind the scenes. The pieces are beautiful, but nothing about the experience felt special or clear.”
The gap reveals:
→ Production and delivery aren't matching the premium quality of the product
→ The brand’s messaging and visuals still feel like “maker energy” instead of “artisan brand”
→ The customer experience and packaging aren’t cohesive
→ The shop is operating at the level of the founder’s old identity, not the caliber of work she’s producing now
Brand strategy outcome:
A shift toward clearer product positioning, elevated visual identity, and a brand experience that matches the craftsmanship. She stops operating like a one-woman Etsy shop and starts communicating like a boutique jewelry designer.
Your Brand Deserves Honesty, Not Performance
Branding is not about pretending to be more impressive than you are. It’s about getting honest so you can build a business that supports your life, not the other way around.
This exercise is simple, yes, but don’t underestimate it. It’s clarity on a platter. It strips away posturing and gets you back to the truth of who you are and what you want to be known for.
And if there’s one thing I know after years of doing this work, it’s this:
Your best brand decisions come from aligned, courageous clarity.
Not from frantic guessing, trend-chasing, or color palette Pinterest boards.
Your five-star and one-star reviews are giving you the map.
Now you get to decide what to do with it.
Let’s do it
If this exercise lit something up in you and you’re craving deeper clarity around your brand identity, creative direction, and positioning, grab my free resource:
👉 Getting to the Soul of your Business
This is the exact starting point I wish every founder had before designing anything. It will help you take everything you uncovered in your reviews and add the brand traits to turn it into a clear direction forward.
Go get ‘em!