Why I'm starting Brand New
When the old story no longer fits, you write a new one.
Hey there.
It’s been a while since I hit “send” on this newsletter.
If you’ve been around since the Good Boss, Bad Boss days—thank you. That project still lives close to my heart. I’ve got more stories to tell about leadership, values, and how work shapes us.
But I’ve grown.
And so has what I want to write about.
About a month ago, I lost my job. Just three months in.
It was a role I was genuinely excited about—a shiny new opportunity after five beautiful years in my previous company. I’d written my own job description. The mission felt aligned. The brand was beloved. I thought I’d finally found “the one.”
Spoiler: I hadn’t.
The culture I stepped into didn’t match the story I was sold. The values on the wall didn’t show up in behavior. The energy felt off, and I felt the misalignment in my nervous system.
Coming from a company that actually walked its talk, the contrast shook me.
But it also gave me clarity.
It made me pay attention. To what I believe. What matters to me. What is now non-negotiable in how I work—and who I work with.
My values and identity have shifted and clarified.
And this calls for a rebrand. Of myself.
That’s where Brand New comes in.
It’s not just a new name for this newsletter.
It’s a new chapter—for me, and maybe for you too.
A space for me to think out loud, share what I’m learning, and explore what it means to build something real—when you’ve outgrown old versions of yourself.
Brand New is a newsletter about brand, work, and becoming—especially in a world being reshaped by AI, burnout, and shifting values.
You can read the full backstory here.
It’s a letter about the two versions of me I used to compartmentalize—and how I’m learning to bring them back together.
But here’s the short version:
It’s for people who are building something—or becoming someone—and want the inside to match the outside.
I’ll be writing about what happens when the story we’re telling no longer fits—and how we create new ones that do.
Sometimes that’ll look like reflections on content and brand strategy.
Sometimes it’ll be personal. Sometimes messy. Always honest.
You can expect thoughts on:
Starting over in your 30s
How to create content that actually feels like you
Why you can’t build a real brand with fake values
What AI can’t fake (and why brand is your real moat)
And how we rebrand ourselves—again and again—through the choices we make
If that sounds good to you, I’d love for you to stick around.
If not, no hard feelings—you can unsubscribe anytime.
But if you’re building something, rethinking everything, or quietly trying to become someone new…
I hope this space helps you feel a little more seen.
And a little more okay with not having it all figured out.
Because we’re all a rebrand in progress.
Big love,
Joei
P.S. If anything in this post resonated with you—hit reply or leave a comment.
I read every single one. I only have 76 subscribers 😂.
Oh I so feel this! Also hi new subscriber here :) You describing the role you had that you were excited about and the culture not matching what you were sold reminds me a lot of my experience at this French company I joined for 2-3 months when I first moved to Paris. It was beyond awful and made me rethink a lot of myself, but it led to a lot of beautiful changes when I look back now. Wishing you all the best as you enter this new season 🤍
Hi Joei! I’m a random follower of your insta, just wanna leave a comment. I actually listened to your podcast episode on accidentally being a manager after I accidentally became a manager. It was helpful and I am glad to know what I was going through was so common and normal. From your rich experience in building content and connection within a team, I’m interested to know more about your experience in building vision and mission, because it is such a difficult task not being discussed enough.