Altitude Makes You Earn It
Why the best branding, design, and marketing don’t come from the comfort zone
Three weeks in the French Pyrenees watching my daughter train at altitude did more than just get us out of the UK for a bit. It reminded me of something we see all the time in branding and marketing, but rarely talk about honestly:
The good stuff is hard.
And that’s what makes it good.
No shortcuts at 1,800 metres
Athletes train at altitude because it pushes their bodies to adapt. Less oxygen = more effort. Every run, every rep, every breath takes more out of you. But when you come back down, you’re stronger for it.
It’s the same with branding, design, and marketing.
Everyone wants the performance - but few want the pressure.
They want results without the process. Engagement without strategy. Growth without consistency.
And just like in sport, it doesn’t work like that.
Canva won’t get you to the podium
We live in a world of quick fixes. There’s a template for everything. A cheap logo. A ChatGPT-written strapline. A free font that “sort of” works.
But if you’re serious about building something strong, something sustainable, something that genuinely reflects who you are and who you serve, then it’s going to take more than a sprint session on Canva and a couple of recycled LinkedIn posts.
That kind of DIY marketing might feel like progress. But it’s just activity, not impact.
Earn your edge
What we saw in Font-Romeu was dedication. Not just talent, but sacrifice. Purposeful, painful, rewarding effort. You can’t fake it.
And in our world, that’s what strong brands are made of:
Clear positioning rooted in truth, not trend.
Visual design that’s considered, distinctive, and consistent.
Marketing that respects the audience and works hard to earn trust.
None of that happens overnight. But when you commit, to the process, to the strategy, to the craft, your brand performs better. Just like the athlete who trained harder than everyone else.
If you want your brand to breathe easy, put the work in where it’s hard.
If you’re ready to take your brand out of the comfort zone and into high-performance territory, we’ll meet you there.
And as for me, I’m grateful for the reminder that the most worthwhile things take time. We covered almost 3,000 miles on the road trip, from the north of England to the very edge of the French Pyrenees. I got to watch my daughter push herself in a world-class training environment with some famous athletes, spend proper time with my family, and take in a lot of French scenery (plus a few croissants and baguettes) with Olive the black Labrador curled up in the back seat.
Totally worth the journey.
Just like good branding.
Author: Lance Corrigan
Creative designer with a passion for visual communication and brand development, and a vision to make a positive impact on the world through design.
