Jason Vana

Marketing Director

SHFT Agency

We transform B2B service companies into the ONLY choice for their ideal customers. Our clients see a 20%+ increase in revenue with our brand and content strategies. 

Here's how we help:

◼️ Brand Strategy (customers, uniqueness, messaging, touchpoints, story)
◼️ Brand Design (logos, colors, fonts, collateral)
◼️ Content Strategy (demand gen, content creation)
◼️ LinkedIn (strategy, content, profile audits)

Interested in learning more? DM me or book a discovery call below.

Founder & CEO

Ignite Student Ministries, Inc.

Leading the team at Ignite Student Ministries, an international non-profit operating in the USA and Czech Republic, focusing on creating vision, developing partnerships, training leaders, public speaking and developing business plan to grow ministry. This also involves developing marketing materials and writing all online and print copy for promotional items and faith-based resources.

Founder / Executive Director

Fusion Tech Integrated Inc.

Develop and execute a strategic plan for growing Fusion Tech, including inbound and outbound marketing, event marketing, lead generation and sales funnels, creative direction, and developing campaign-specific content.

Notable Achievements:

Increased company revenue by $3.5 million and market share by 35% in 1.5 years.
• Researched product market to determine marketing strategy.
• Designed brand deliverables, including creatives and content style.
• Developed inbound and outbound campaigns to drive leads, including LinkedIn marketing, content marketing, advertisements, tradeshows, training seminars, white papers, ebooks, catalogs, and Google Adwords.
• Established KPI’s and marketing analytics.
• Trained and assisted sales team in developing content to close deals.

Developed company as a top brand in the food processing industry.
• Identified trends within the industry to focus sales and marketing tactics.
• Created strategic plan to grow marketing and sales effectiveness.
• Developed relationships with industry publications to publish company supplied articles and photographs.
• Implemented content marketing strategy to establish the company as the leader in service and support.

Graphic Designer and Brand Consultant specializing in logos, marketing and advertising pieces, web and print copywriting, social media creation and design, print design, digital design and branding strategy.

Marketing Consultant / Graphic Designer

Sweet Fish Media

Providing content and ideas for various businesses, organizations, and churches to expand their content marketing plan, including blog posts, headlines, giveaway ideas, and more.

Freelance Writer

Northwoods Community Church

Creating visual pieces to support both all-church and ministry-specific initiatives, spanning print, web, mobile and video. Administering websites, social media, online messages, mobile apps and related tools. Writing copy for various pieces, including web, social media, church blog posts, marketing materials, and more.

Communications Associate

Carl Sandburg College

Part of the Marketing and Public Relations team at Carl Sandburg College responsible for social media, internal event promotion, partial graphic design and first impressions for visitors.

College Ambassador

River of Life International Church

Part of the Pastoral Staff at River of Life International responsible to plant and oversee a college ministry, develop student leaders, preach, coordinate public service projects and handle all marketing projects.

College Pastor and Marketing Manager

United Campus Housing Management Group

Leading the team at The OC Student Living responsible for managing nine employees, developing and implementing marketing plans, handle all leasing, set and maintain operating budget, payroll and coordinate all open house events.

Managing Director

GateHouse Media

Led the Advertising Sales team for the McDonough County Shopper responsible for analyzing sales trends, planning promotions, supervising sales team, oversee account list and hitting sales goals.

Assistant Advertising Manager

Attract the RIGHT customers to your business | Brand & content strategist | Founder at SHFT | Known as #sassyjason

Struggling to attract the right clients?

You have a brand strategy issue.

Attracting the right people requires understanding why they should buy from YOU, when there are 1000’s of other options easily accessible through Google.

In order to attract, convert, and retain the right clients, you need to:

- Know what makes your business unique
- Communicate what makes your business unique
- Create an experience that shows what makes your business unique

It’s all about highlighting your uniqueness.

That’s where my agency steps in.

Through collaborative workshops, research, design, and content we will help you uncover, communicate, and build an experience around your uniqueness.

Working with us typically looks like:

- strategy workshops 
- design (logos, website, templates)
- content (strategy, creation, LinkedIn)

All of this so you will become the ONLY choice for your ideal customers.

And make a lot more money.

Want to learn more?

Send me a message.
Or book a call at shft.agency/discovery 

No one gave me money yesterday for being sassy.

Or for sending an encouraging text to a friend.
Or for helping make my mom's dinner.
Or for volunteering at my church.
Or for giving a friend advice.
Or for praying for someone.
Or for being responsible.
Or for going hiking.
Or for kayaking.

Why?

Being authentically you doesn't make you money.

🤯

If it did, I would be handed cash whenever I was sassy.

And I would be a multi-trillionaire by now.
With my own private island.
And pet sharks that attacked anyone who sent a pitch slap.

People give you money because of what you DO.

→ the problem you solve
→ the perspective you bring
→ the revenue you bring into their company

NOT for who you are.

Yes, you have to be authentically you.
Yes, your personality matters.

But no one gives you money to be yourself.

Remember that when building your brand.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

I sell $12k-$100k offers through LinkedIn.

All without:

- using pods
- chasing likes
- posting selfies
- being vulnerable
- sharing sob stories
- engaging 6-8 hours a day

My strategy is simple:

I teach my ideal customers.

To the point where they could build a brand strategy themselves.

That's easier said than done.

Because I took years to:

→ Know my ideal customers
→ Understand their pain points
→ Develop a differentiated POV
→ Hone my brand strategy skills
→ Distill complex topics into easily digestible posts

You don't need gimmicks to sell high-ticket offers.

Know your sh*t.
Be different.
Educate.

Do that for years.

I promise you'll win.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Authenticity is NOT a differentiator.

Is it important? Yes.
Is it part of a brand? Yes.
Should you be authentic? That's a dumb question.

But it's NOT what makes you different in the market.

For one single reason:

People don't buy authenticity alone.

Don't believe me?

Ask yourself this question:

Would you pay someone $10K for:

→ an offer that doesn't solve your problem?
→ a process that doesn't deliver on what was promised?
→ a product that doesn't align with your needs?

Simple because the person was authentic?

I hope the answer is a resounding NO.

(If not, you're driving your business into the ground)

A differentiator is a reason people buy from you.

Authenticity should SUPPORT your differentiation.

But ain't nobody buying your authenticity alone.

Stop being surface-level with your brand.

Find a differentiation people actually give you money for.

You'll make far more money that way.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

1 simple test to see if your brand is unique:

It's called the Thumb Test.

1. Go to your website or LinkedIn profile
2. Cover your logo or profile picture
3. Ask yourself: would this message, design, or content work for anyone else?

If the answer is yes...

...YOU'RE BLENDING IN.

And it's a sign that your brand strategy is way off.

Because the goal of a brand is to be unique.

Not just to stand out for the sake of standing out.

But that every interaction they have with your business screams YOU.

→ tone of voice is YOU
→ design is YOU
→ point of view is YOU
→ messaging is YOU
→ offer is YOU
→ style is YOU
→ experience is YOU
→ feeling is YOU

If any of that works for someone else, your brand is off.

Because you're likely listening to #fluffluencers who give you templates to replicate their "amazing" results, but all they really do is make you sound exactly like them, which in turn means there's no reason to choose you.

Or you use AI to write your messaging and content.

Gross. 🤮

Stop blending in.

Perform the thumb test today to see if you stand out.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

4 types of competitors to position against:

1. Direct
They solve your customer's problems with a similar solution.

If you optimize warehouses, they optimize warehouses.
If you create IOT systems, they create IOT systems.
If you do business consulting, they do business consulting.

Positioning tip → focus on what you DO differently.

2. Indirect
They solve your customers' problems with different solutions.

If you optimize warehouses, they optimize logistics.
If you create IOT systems, they provide support scheduling.
If you do business consulting, they do sales coaching.

Positioning tip → focus on the benefits your type of solution provides.

3. DIY
The customer decides to solve the problem themselves.

They DIY a solution.
They hire someone internally.
They acquire a company to fix their problem.

Positioning tip → create DIY resources they can use.

4. Avoidance
The customer decides not to solve their problem.

They don't want to spend the money.
It doesn't feel painful enough.
It's not a priority yet.

Positioning tip → preach on the dangers of not solving the problem.

4 different competitors.
4 different ways to attack.

This is why positioning is nuanced as fu*k.

Direct competitors are only 1/4 of the equation.

And some of you act as if they are your only competitors.

Fools.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

20 signs your company needs a brand strategy:

- you get 0 referrals
- PPC ads aren't working
- you have a high churn rate
- you have a long sales cycle
- your website isn't converting
- revenue growth has stagnated
- your profit margins are declining
- you have high employee turnover
- you can't seem to nail down pricing
- prospects are bored on your demos
- you aren't generating inbound leads
- you lack clarity when making decisions
- your ideal customers aren't choosing you
- you struggle to know what content to create
- the leads you bring in can't afford your offer
- people love your content but still don't buy
- you don't know who your ideal customers are
- your marketing and sales departments are siloed
- you don't know what motivates customers to buy
- you can't seem to create demand for your service

☝🏼 If any of those are true of your business, a brand strategy is the answer.

Not another offer.
Not a sales funnel.
Not more content.
Not a new website.
Not an updated logo.
Not another damn ad campaign.

Fix the REAL issue.
And everything else will fall into place.

Or, you know, keep wasting money on tactics that won't work.

Maybe this next one will be the magic bullet.

(Hint: it won't)

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Opinions solidify your brand.

They give your brand depth and dimension.

And help your ideal customers connect with you.

Let me give you an example 👇🏼

SHFT holds some key opinions:

- Most LinkedIn advice is sh*t
- Brand is not a marketing tactic
- Being yourself is not a strategy
- Practical content builds brands
- Differentiation is nuanced as furk
- Brand is a whole-company initiative
- Being different is better than being better
- Content is an extension of your brand strategy
- If you need to post a selfie, your content is sh*t
- Differentiation is something you DO, not something you ARE
- Knowing your ideal customers is the foundation of your business

☝🏼 Those opinions tell you a lot about SHFT.

And help prospects know if they want to work with us.

Because that's what brand opinions do.

Align you with the right people.
And move you away from the wrong people.

Prospects who want brand to fit under marketing won't work with us.
Neither will those who want to create fluffy LinkedIn content.
Nor people who want to skip customer research.

I don't need to qualify prospects on those issues.

SHFT's brand does that for me.

Define your brand opinions.

Share them everywhere.

And watch the RIGHT people flock to you.

(aka - those willing to give you money)

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Want to charge a premium for your offer?

Be different.

Most businesses focus on being better.

Which communicates one thing to their prospective clients:

→ We offer the same thing
→ The same results
→ In the same way

We're just a bit better at it.

So if someone comes in slightly cheaper.
Or provides a slightly better experience.
Or has a larger ad budget.

They can steal prospects away from you.

Different is the way to go.

It moves you AWAY from your competitors.

And communicates:

→ We're the ONLY place to get this solution
→ We're the ONLY ones to provide this result
→ We're the ONLY ones doing it this way

Only is where you want to be.

Because when you're the ONLY...

You
Can
Charge
Whatever
The
Hell
You
Want

And people still pay for it.

(within reason, of course)

That's how I've been able to double my rates this year.

And still have a line of people wanting to work with us.

I explain more in my recent conversation with Alex B Sheridan.

Watch the whole episode here: https://lnkd.in/eBd5wtvj

If you want to charge more for your service, that is.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

The biggest mistake you're making in your business:

Not talking to your ideal customers.

Your business exists to serve them.

So, get to know them.

→ understand their problems
→ get to know their fears and pains
→ know what motivates them to buy
→ talk through how they make buying decisions

Everything you need to grow is locked away in their minds.

The best way to get that information?

TALK. TO. THEM.

→ arrange a Zoom call
→ take them out for coffee
→ talk to them on the phone
→ corner them at a networking event

It's really not that complicated.

The more time you spend with them...
...the more you'll know them.

And the more you know them...
...the easier it is to attract, convert, delight, and keep them.

What are you waiting for?

Stop scrolling and set up a time to talk to your ideal customers.

It's the smartest, most productive thing you can do for your business.

WAY smarter than reading another damn LinkedIn post.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

PS. Join 2500+ other founders who got to know their ideal customers with our free guide → https://lnkd.in/egRPHYZr

Marketing is subservient to your brand.

Before you start:

- creating content
- designing your website
- creating Google ads
- hiring a ghostwriter
- planning a tradeshow
- mapping out that webinar
- building SEO
- creating marketing materials
- launching a podcast
- posting videos on YouTube

Do this 👇🏼

- nail down your purpose, vision, mission, and values
- research your ideal customers
- research your competition
- uncover your differentiation
- nail down your positioning
- craft a brand persona
- create your key messaging
- develop your visual brand

To do any marketing tactic from the first list correctly...

...you need the brand strategy in the second list nailed down.

Otherwise you'll spend time and money to confuse the hell out of the wrong people.

And have nothing to show for it.

Except a sh*t show.

Want to avoid that?

Start with a brand strategy.

I might know a guy who can help.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Differentiating on who you are?

That's a clear sign your brand is sh*t.

And you are one lazy-arse business owner.

Here's why ↓

No one searches for a personality to solve their problem.

They don't go to Google and type in "Sassy"...
...and hope to find a solution to their growth problem.

People buy what you DO.

- your offer
- your results
- your experience
- your deliverables

Differentiate what you SELL.

If your offer is similar to your competitor's offer.
If your results are similar to your competitor's results.
If your experience is similar to your competitor's experience.

And personality is the only thing that makes you different?

YOUR. BRAND. IS. SH*T.

Work on differentiating what truly matters.

You'll make way more money that way.

#SassyJason out.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Join 200+ Sassy Sh*fters who found a differentiation that actually makes them money → https://lnkd.in/ex2taHYD

Actions speak louder than words.

☝🏼 That's why your brand is far more operations than marketing.

Don't believe me?

Take a look at State Farm.

They try to position themselves as a good neighbor.

It's their slogan, their jingle, it's in all their marketing and ads.

"Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There"

That's what their marketing says.

Their operations, though? 

That says something different 👇🏼

You see, my family home had been insured by State Farm since 1964.

We made 0 claims on the house from 1964-2018.

From 2018-2024, 3 claims were made: roof, hot water heater, siding.

All of our vehicles were insured by State Farm.
All of our trailers.
All of our boats.
All of our rentals.

We were loyal State Farm customers.

Until we made that 3rd claim.

That's when State Farm said something different.

"We can no longer insure you."

I don't care what their marketing says.

The State Farm brand in my mind is "3 Strikes and We'll Drop You."

Because actions speak WAY louder than words.

There's a lesson there for all of us.

What you DO is far more important than what you say.

Don't ruin your brand over a bad policy.

Build from your operations.
Then, align your marketing.

Or you may just tell people you're a good neighbor...

...and treat them like sh*t.

#SassyJason out.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Strategy ≠ plan

☝🏼 Confusing these two will stall your growth.

A strategy is simply a statement.

One that provides direction for everything you do.

A plan is execution.

It tells you how to bring that strategy to life.

Most entrepreneurs skip strategy to "just get started."

Because they think it's some complex and convoluted process.

And build out a plan that is... 

→ not aligned
→ not feasible
→ not effective
→ not ROI focused

Then, they wonder why nothing works.

Content, marketing, Google ads, SEO, cold emails, business development, campaigns, pitch decks, cold calls, lead magnets, website conversions, tradeshows, webinars, communities...

None of it gels without a strategy.

Stop wasting time and money on tactics that won't work.

Nail down your brand strategy.

Your business will grow once you do.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

-----
I have room for one more SMB looking to nail down their brand and content strategy this month. DM me if that's you and we'll get a strategy and implementation plan for you.

I spend at least 10-16 hours with each client.

That's a minimum of five 2-hour workshops and 2 hours of competitive analysis.

All to create and finalize their brand strategy.

Here's the breakdown 👇🏼

- Competitive Analysis (my team)
Looking at your competitor's strengths, weaknesses, brand awareness, and angle to find gaps in the market.

- Offer Workshop
Deep dive to understand and streamline your offer and sales process.

- Customer Workshop
Defining and gaining a deeper understanding of your ideal customers.

- Differentiation Workshop
Uncovering and owning the unique value you bring to the market.

- Strategy Proof Review
Review the strategy, messaging, and touchpoints we recommend and make adjustments.

- Brand Strategy Consultation
Presenting your homepage review and tactical plan, with an additional hour to pick my brain on any aspect of your company.

The results?

→ Clarity
→ Direction
→ Confidence
→ Excitement

Oh, and revenue growth.

Anywhere from $250K to $60M.

Depending on your business, offer, and market.

That's the power of a solid brand strategy.

It drives E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G else in your company.

Including revenue.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

----
This post was inspired by the epic Joel Sousa.

Most Brand Strategists: "You can't productize brand strategy."

#SassyJason: "Watch me"

😎

Brand strategy is incredibly nuanced.

Try it sometime.

Uncovering a business' differentiated idea.
Crafting messaging to communicate it.
Designing touchpoints for customers to feel it.
Aligning the whole company around it.
While creating an identity to carry it out.

☝🏼 That sh*t is not easy.

But that doesn't mean it can't be productized.

See, most brand strategists say it's too nuanced to have a process.

How can you possibly create a template for a brand strategy?!

Simple.

Open up a damn Google Doc and start typing.

Cheeky? Of course. 
True? You bet.

I have templates for every step in the branding process.

- Finding purpose? ✅
- Crafting values? ✅
- Interviewing ideal customers? ✅
- Uncovering differentiation? ✅
- Creating a personality? ✅
- Crafting messages? ✅
- Creating touchpoints? ✅
- Writing a one-page strategy? ✅
- Designing a logo? ✅
- Brand strategy guide? ✅

My outputs aren't templated.

And I would rather pluck my eyes out than use ChatGPT to create a strategy.

(Your lawyer will agree, especially when that tagline AI wrote for you is trademarked)

But the process?

100% templated.

Because the process to create a brand doesn't change.

No matter the industry, product, company, or ideal customer.

And I think like a business owner.

I'm not going to drop 1000s of dollars on a strategy...

...with someone who doesn't even have a process to create it.

And you shouldn't either.

Your brand is far too valuable for that sh*t.

Ready to create a profitable brand strategy?

I've got a process for that.

One that's built 125+ profitable brands.

And made their owners a sh*t-ton of money.

If you're into that sort of thing.

✌🏼

#shftyoubrand

I am a chronic overplanner.

Try taking a trip with me, and you'll see this first hand.

I pack way more than I need.

I plan out the itinerary down to the minute.

I make sure all of my important documents are in one place.

I even ask 100 questions (minimum) to know what to expect.

Event planners find me annoying.

But my clients love it.

I've systemized the brand strategy process for our clients so they know what to expect.

I've created forms and documents they can easily follow.

I diagnose their core issues almost instantly.

And I create a strategy and action plan that makes them a sh*t ton of money.

They get a step-by-step plan to grow their business.

All because I'm a chronic overplanner.

Why am I sharing this with you?

That trait you think is annoying isn't always bad.

Sometimes, it's the very thing people give you money to do.

Chronic overplanner → brand strategist

I like my new title better.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Teach what you know.

☝🏼 That's my core marketing strategy.

→ content
→ podcasts
→ seminars
→ conferences

No matter where you find me, I will teach you something.

Because when you teach, you are seen as an expert.

Last week, I was honored to lead a workshop with members of The HoLT.

Teaching them to uncover, test, and own their differentiation.

It was a blast.

But I took it a step further.

And gave them copies of every exercise I use with my clients.

Meaning, they can find their differentiation...

...without
...paying
...me.

🤯

Most entrepreneurs would call me crazy.

I gave away the "secret sauce" for free.

That right there is the point.

I don't know if anyone from the workshop will hire me.

But they know me now.
They know what I provide.
They know my level of expertise.

And when they or someone they come across needs my help...

...who do you think they'll recommend?

Stop being stingy with your expertise.

TEACH IT ALL.

It's the fastest way to be seen as an expert.

And generate referrals.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

----
PS - I finally got to meet Lea 🌈 Turner face to face after 4 years of knowing each other. She's as awesome as I expected!

PPS - Want to learn what I taught the members of the HoLT? Get my Find Your Differentiation course here → https://lnkd.in/ex2taHYD

PPPS - Even my hands are sassy in that pic 😅

Brands are built by what you DO.

→ the experience you provide
→ the problems you solve
→ the process you follow
→ the results you deliver
→ the feeling you evoke
→ the content you post
→ the emails you send
→ the calls you make
→ the tone you use

For one simple reason:

Actions speak a hell of a lot louder than words.

Or than 'being yourself.'

Remember — if I don't know you, I don't know if you're being yourself.

So that authenticity you built your brand on?

It's fake.

Until you prove it's not.

But your actions?

They don't lie.
They don't pretend.
They don't slap a filter on your thirsty selfie.

Lead with what you DO.

Your brand will be far more trustworthy.

And make a sh*t ton more money.

If you're into that sort of thing.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

Here's something you might not know about me.

I'm a basic white gurl at heart.

Sipping on a pumpkin spice latte while rocking flannel and vibing with this fall weather.

Is there anything better?

No. No there isn't.

#SassyJason and #BasicWhiteGurlJason out.

✌🏼

The ultimate goal of building a brand?

Becoming the ONLY choice.

→ Not a choice.
→ Not another choice.
→ Not one of 100 choices.

The ONLY choice.

One that your ideal customers choose...

Again and
Again and
Again and
Again

Think of it this way.

Being the ONLY choice means your ideal customers drive PAST your competition on their way to you.

→ they see the alternatives
→ they know what else is out there
→ they understand others can solve their problem

But they choose YOU.

If customers aren't throwing money at you...

YOUR. BRAND. IS. BROKEN.

The best way to become the only choice?

→ uncover your unique value
→ communicate that sh*t everywhere
→ ignore everything else

That's what profitable businesses do.

And they make a sh*t ton of money.

Go figure.

✌🏼

#shftyourbrand

PS. Join 125+ Sassy Sh*fters who turned their brands into revenue-generating machines → https://lnkd.in/gyJ3b8ry

Taplio

Jason Vana's Linkedin Analytics

What is Jason talking about?

Who is engaging with Jason

's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?