Read the Room

May 26, 2025

By Corey Jeppesen, Bahlr

One of the biggest, most expensive, and most frustrating mistakes I see—across the board, no matter the industry, no matter how big the name—is entrepreneurs and business owners failing to read the damn room.

I don’t care if you’re a celebrity with a household name, a high-earning entrepreneur, or someone grinding to get a local business off the ground—this issue shows up everywhere. People get so wrapped up in what they like, what they think looks good, and what they want to say… that they forget who they’re trying to talk to in the first place.

I’ve seen it firsthand. I’ve worked with all of them—famous faces, millionaire CEOs, passionate small business owners—and here’s what they all seem to have in common: they get in their own way. They make it about them, and in doing so, they completely miss what their audience actually wants to see, hear, and feel.

Now let me be clear—I’m not saying you shouldn’t care about your own taste. You should. It’s your business. It should reflect who you are. But if your vision doesn’t connect to your audience, it’s just a passion project. And that’s fine—unless you’re trying to make money.

If you want to build something that works in the real world, you need to learn how to step outside of yourself. You need to put your ego down for a second and listen. Look. Pay attention. Read the room.

You need to understand your customers aren’t walking around with the same knowledge, context, or years of experience you have. They haven’t studied your industry. They don’t understand the terminology. And they sure as hell aren’t going to read between the lines of your branding or your five-paragraph mission statement. They want to know one thing: Why does this matter to me?

And that’s where most people blow it.

They talk over people’s heads. They lead with technicalities. They obsess over color palettes and taglines that mean something to them—but nothing to the person on the other side of the screen.

It takes a different kind of thinking to fix this. A Bahlr kind of thinking.

What we do isn’t just creative—it’s empathetic. It’s strategic. We learn you. We learn your customer. And then we shape the message in a way that connects the two of you, like a translator who speaks both languages.

Because it’s not just about grabbing attention. It’s about building trust. It’s about slowly walking someone through an emotional and visual journey that leads them to a decision. And more importantly—a relationship.

That’s the part people miss. It’s not enough to throw out a logo or a few videos and expect people to get it. You have to guide them. Educate them. Inspire them. And sometimes, that means letting go of your need to make it exactly the way you pictured it in your head.
That takes humility. It takes patience. And it takes people who know what they’re doing.
So while you’re focused on doing what you love—building, creating, leading—we’re behind the scenes making sure your message lands. Making sure your audience doesn’t just notice you… but trusts you, chooses you, and invests in you.

That’s what we do. That’s what I do. Because if you’re not reading the room, you’re not reaching anyone.

And I don’t care how cool your brand is—if no one understands it, it doesn’t matter.

Ready to Elevate Your Brand? Let's Talk.

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