I was completely new to sales and marketing, which led to a lot of mistakes. Looking back, the biggest one was thinking I knew enough just because I had spent six months reading books and planning. I decided to hire outside marketing consultants, but I quickly realized they didn’t fully grasp what I was trying to achieve. The real issue was that I hadn’t clearly articulated my vision or the key themes that would set me apart. As a result, I ended up wasting money on marketing consulting before I had even figured out my branding.