The In-Between Report
A Look At The Work Behind The Work
by Aliya Banks
Welcome to The In-Between Report. My bi-weekly check-in on what I’m learning as I build my personal brand and stay creative. These are the small insights, shifts, and reminders that usually show up in the quiet moments. Maybe something here finds you where you are.
📈Episode 3, Q2
👋🏾Hey, you! 🫵🏾Glad to see you again!
I'm still out here in these internet streets building my brand!
I know, I know…it's been a long time. So let's catch you up about what's been going on in between the spaces of life and brand building.
I'm going to say something really cliché, but I want you to take it in, really take it to heart: Your Health is your Wealth.
I’ve learned many lessons ( I actually keep a business journal). I’ve been building for a year, but I took it seriously 6 months ago, and in that time, the thing that either broke me or kept me afloat was my health, both mental and physical. When building a personal brand, you’d think it was your talent or financial savvy, maybe your grand idea. Nope. Health is your foundation. Period.
2024 late August, I was diagnosed with Meniere's Disease. It's not a disease per se, but an inner ear condition that causes extreme vertigo, hearing loss, and a few other things, with inflammation being the main trigger for these symptoms. In most cases, it's manageable with diet and some medications.
Well, I had a few days where the room was spinning, and all I could do was lie in bed and wait for it to stop. The spinning can last anywhere from 2 minutes to 12 hours.
There were times when I was in bed all day. I literally lost time.
I had to ground myself in the reality that, despite the illness,I was still on time for whatever was to unfold for me as a freelance copywriter.
And somewhere in the lying still and waiting for the room to stop spinning, things actually got clearer.
Building felt fun despite the challenges. I taught myself a list of skills along the way. And for a while, I was pointed towards brands. Wellness brands, mental health brands, e-commerce brands. That was my niche because healthcare was my background. Except I was pitching the company, not the person behind it.
Here's what I know now: I'm not trying to talk to a logo.
Duh, right?
But that was a real lesson for me. Who was I trying to be online?
And then there's the age thing.
I want to sit with this one for a second because it took me longer than I expected to get honest about it. I'm a woman of a certain age, and for a while, I was sidestepping that. Not lying about it, just not leaning into it.
Like, I could build a brand without letting that part of myself come through.
Now, I want to talk to her. The woman who's in the middle of something. Who's building something new and can't quite find the words for it yet. Who's been in a career, a version of herself that no longer fits, and is now doing the brave, uncomfortable work of figuring out what comes next.
I'm talking to women founders in midlife transition. That's who I'm here for. And getting specific about that, like really specific, felt like finally telling the truth.
The truth is, the women I most want to work with are women who look like me. Who've lived some life. Who've had whole careers, whole identities, and are now rebuilding intentionally, on their own terms. Women who know exactly who they are, and even those looking for a new version of themselves, and just trying to find the language needed to define their business properly.
I can't speak to that woman authentically if I'm hiding the part of me that is her.
So I stopped hiding it.
Everything shifted when I did. My freelance business felt more honest because I got honest with myself. My positioning got clearer. My services even felt more defined. The whole thing started to feel less like a pitch and more like a conversation.
Here’s what I learned this month (and last month, too)
Take care of health and control what you can to stay healthy so you can give your business the time it deserves.
Lean into those parts of yourself you’re not quite comfortable with. It’s freeing and you will find yourself, your people and the business relationships that align with you.
No matter what holds you back temporarily, you’re always on time for what’s meant just for you.
Good luck out there… and keep building, brand building!
~Aliya
This has been The In-Between Report
With Aliya Banks
