Michael Ussery, our CMO, was a guest on Business from Scratch this week, and the episode is live today.

Episode 46, Buying a Business and Making It Your Own, is a 49-minute conversation hosted by Abbye McGee. Michael appears alongside Nigel Wilson, who recently bought The Ibis, the Wilmington coffee shop and bar, and asked Brand Engine to help him figure out what came next.

Buying a Brand Along With a Building

Nigel didn't just acquire a location. He inherited an established identity, an existing team, and a loyal community of regulars. That is a very different starting point from a blank page, and it changes the design question. It's less "what should this look like?" and more "what should we protect, and what needs to change?"

The episode digs into exactly that: what Nigel chose to preserve, and what he decided had to be transformed.

Where Brand Engine Comes In

Michael talks through our discovery and rebranding process for The Ibis, including the updates to the website, the social media presence, and the in-person customer experience. That last one matters most. A brand isn't only a logo and a homepage. It's what it feels like to walk in, order a coffee, and be greeted by someone who knows your name.

Discovery is where that gets sorted out. Before anything gets redrawn, we want to know what the community already loves, what the previous owner built well, and where the new owner's vision starts to pull in a different direction. Good rebrands keep the equity and change the direction.

The Human Side of Handing Over a Business

Abbye also explores the practical and emotional side of selling something you built. It's a perspective that's easy to overlook when you're the one buying. Behind every acquisition is someone who poured years into the place, and a rebrand that respects that tends to land better with staff and customers alike.

Give It a Listen

If you're thinking about buying a business, or you've just done it and aren't sure how much to change, this one is worth 49 minutes. Listen to Episode 46 of Business from Scratch on Apple Podcasts, or find it wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks to Abbye for having us, and to Nigel for trusting us with The Ibis. Stop by and see how it turned out. And if you're facing a rebrand of your own, let's talk.