Is Your Brand a Legacy or a Selfie in Disguise?

We all know the drill—posting on social media, trying to represent our business and brand with our face, name, and image. And hey, no judgment! We live in a world where people buy into other people as much as they buy into the actual products or services. Putting a face to the brand makes sense. But let me throw this at you: What happens if you, the “face,” step aside? Will your business thrive without you?

This is where the real magic lies: creating a brand that doesn’t crumble when you’re on holiday or, you know, gone for good. The goal is for the product, service, or brand to stand strong, evolve, and grow—whether you’re in the room or not. Now that’s success.

So, why aren’t more of us doing this?

The Narcissism of Business Leaders

Let’s bring in our psychoanalytic friends here. Freud, the big boss of psychoanalysis, might say we’re stuck in a little narcissistic loop. According to him, there’s this inherent ego ideal (Freud, 1923/1961), where we get a kick out of associating our self-image with success. We like to see ourselves as the brand—the hero, the savior, the genius who pulled it off. But this can create what psychoanalyst Heinz Kohut (1971) called a “narcissistic imbalance.” When we tie too much of our identity to our business, we neglect the more sustainable route: making sure the company stands on its own two feet, without us.

Why We Focus on Us Instead of the Customer

Lacan, another mind-blowing psychoanalytic thinker, might have something to say about this as well. In his concept of the mirror stage (Lacan, 1949), we love the reflection we see. That’s what we do with our business—we see our ideal selves reflected in it, and we cling to it. It’s hard to step away when we’re in love with our own image plastered all over LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, isn’t it?

But here’s the thing: brands that live past their creators’ reflection are the ones that focus outwardly. Instead of asking “How can I make me look good?” ask, “How can my brand make the customer look good?”

So How Do We Let Go?

Simple: focus on creating value for others. If you want to ensure your brand survives without you, build something so good that people can’t help but spread the word—whether or not your picture’s on the company website.

? You don’t have to be the face of the brand—your product should be.

? Develop your team, empower them to carry the brand forward without you hovering like a helicopter parent.

? Think long-term. This isn’t about the next post; it’s about building something that lasts.

In the end, the real win is when your brand becomes a legacy, not a selfie that needs constant likes to stay alive.

In Conclusion

Freud, Lacan, and Kohut would probably tell us the same thing: stop staring at the mirror (or, in our case, the selfie camera) and look out at the world. Focus on your customers, solve their problems, and let the brand become bigger than you. Because that’s the ultimate success—when your business thrives without you pulling all the strings.

References:

Freud, S. (1961). The ego and the id. Standard Edition (Vol. 19, pp. 1–66). London: Hogarth Press. (Original work published 1923)

Kohut, H. (1971). The Analysis of the Self. International Universities Press.

Lacan, J. (1949). The mirror stage as formative of the function of the I as revealed in psychoanalytic experience. In écrits (pp. 93-100).

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