It was a moment that could define the next American President.
The second night of the Democratic Convention – biggest basketball arena in the country packed with bright lights and blue signs.
Second Gentleman of the United States, Doug Emhoff, stood in front of a room full of people, giving what felt like a casual, affectionate chat rather than a formal speech.
And in the middle of it, he casually called his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, a “joyful warrior”.
Two words. That was all it took to sum up her complexity in a way that felt real and memorable. Those two words didn’t just describe her—they branded her.
This idea of a two-word brand might sound too simple, but simplicity is often the point.
Two words can capture so much about who you are or what you do, with a kind of clarity that’s impossible to forget.
And sometimes, when the stakes are high, and you need to make an impression most, two words might be all you get.
“So, what do you do?”
Hands up if you’ve struggled a networking event when someone asks you what you do? I know I have.
If you’re like most, you launch into a string of explanations: your job title, your latest projects, your career highlights.
You’ve entered what I like to call verbal quicksand. The more you explain yourself, the more you sink. And by the end, the person asking has already checked out. You’ve drowned them in details.
Why does this happen?
According to Professor John Sweller, cognitive load theory says that our brains are wired for simplicity. It has limited power to process information, so it wants short words and easy sentences.
When you give people too much information, it overwhelms their brain and they tune out. But if you can distil who you are into two words, suddenly, you stick.
But why two words?
Two words force you to be concise, but they also leave enough room for contrast.
Contrast is memorable because the brain likes patterns, but it loves breaking them. A two-word brand often thrives on contrast.
Take Kamala Harris as a “joyful warrior.”
Those two words are opposites—joyful is light, warrior is fierce. That friction between the two makes the phrase interesting. People remember things that challenge their expectations.
That’s why two-word brands are so powerful. They’re small enough to be digestible but packed with enough tension to be intriguing.
How two words help in the fight for attention
Everyone is fighting for attention, whether you’re a startup founder, an executive, or even just trying to get a new job.
You can’t afford to blend in. People won’t remember you unless you give them something clear and distinct to latch onto.
And it’s not just about being remembered. Your two-word brand also communicates your values.
It’s a signal, a guidepost, that shows the world what you care about, what drives you. It tells people who you are before they even really know you.
How to find your two-word brand
It starts by looking most people avoid—your discomfort. The things you don’t like in yourself, your weaknesses, the aspects of your personality you try to downplay.
Chris Do, the ‘Loud Introvert’ from The Futur calls these shadow traits.
This is where the magic lies. Most weaknesses, when reframed, are actually strengths. The things we try to suppress are often the things that make us unique.
Start by writing down a few words that make you uncomfortable. Maybe you’ve been told you’re too sensitive, too stubborn, or too quiet. Good. These are your shadow words.
Now add a transformer—another word that flips the negative connotation on its head. For example, if you’ve been labelled as “sensitive,” your two-word brand might become “Empathetic Leader.” If you’re “stubborn,” it could be “Relentless Creator.”
This process forces you to own the parts of yourself that you’ve been hiding. And in doing so, you create a brand that’s not just memorable—it’s true to who you are.
When I teach, I like to make sure my students feel challenged and pushed, but also, feel safe and supported. It’s often said that empathy can dampen ambition (think the drum teacher in Whiplash). But used right, it’s actually an asset. For example, when people feel safe, they take risks they otherwise wouldn’t.
It’s two opposing forces—on one side, ‘support, empathy, safety,’ and on the other, ‘pushy, challenging, fiery.’ A good phrase for my two-word brand might be “Friendly Pusher” or “Compassionate Challenger.” Got ideas? Let me know.
A Step-by-Step Guide:
• Step 1: Identify your “shadow traits” (your perceived weaknesses).
• Step 2: Pair each trait with a positive trait.
• Step 3: Test it with a few trusted colleagues or friends.
• Step 4: Use your two-word brand in your next introduction.
At the risk of be vulnerable
Creating a two-word brand is risky because it requires vulnerability.
You have to be willing to lean into the things you’re most afraid of showing the world. But this is where the real power lies. When you risk being vulnerable, you unlock authenticity, and authenticity is magnetic.
Take Kamala Harris again.
There’s something vulnerable about being described as both joyful and a warrior. Joyful is soft, warrior is hard. But that’s why it works. It’s the combination of those traits that makes her memorable and relatable. People connect with her because she’s not just one thing. She’s allowed to be both.
Your two-word brand will have that same kind of power if you let it. It will reflect the tension between your flaws and your strengths, and that tension is where the connection happens.
The key to a two-word brand is that it forces you to embrace who you really are, not who you think you should be.
Too often, people let the world define what’s acceptable. They hide their boldness or their quietness because they think it’s not what the world wants. But the truth is, what the world really wants is real people.
If you’re bold, be bold. If you’re quiet, let your stillness speak for you. Whatever it is that makes you you, don’t shy away from it. Lean into it. When you show up as who you are, you cut through it like a laser.
When Kamala Harris ran for president in 2019, her past as a prosecutor was a weight around her neck. In a crowded Democratic primary, being seen as a former “top cop” didn’t sit well, especially when there were protests against police happening right outside.
But in 2024, with no packed primary and a criminal opponent, that same background turns into an advantage. Now she can step into the role of a warrior. Even her laugh, the very trait Republicans have tried to weaponise against her, becomes a symbol of joy, offering a sharp, memorable contrast to the grim tone of the race.
Anchor back to your two-word brand
Once you’ve found your two-word brand, it becomes the foundation for everything you do.
It becomes the lens through which people see you. Every interaction, every piece of content you put out, should tie back to those two words. They become the shorthand for who you are and what you stand for.
So, what’s your two-word brand? What are the shadow words you’ve been avoiding? What parts of yourself have you been afraid to show?
When you take those parts and turn them into strengths, that’s when you’ll find your two-word brand.
Once you have it, it will guide you in everything—from networking conversations to how you present yourself online. It will give people a quick sense of who you are, without overwhelming them.
And when someone asks, “What do you do?” you’ll have an answer – in two words – that makes people want to know more.
