From timing your investment in brand to navigating the uncertainty of startup life, being a founder is a masterclass in resilience.  

In Part 1, SendVia founders Matt Jordan and Maria Mateo Sarpong walked through the journey to building their brand. Now, we’ll unpack the lessons they learned in the process.  

Lesson 1: When it comes to investing in brand, start with “why” 

For SendVia, brand wasn’t just about aesthetics—it was about trust. “Since we’re working in financial services, healthcare and cross-border commerce, we needed to look professional. That needed to be part of the trust equation,” said Mariah.

They knew their customers were being asked to share money and sensitive information to support family abroad. If the company didn’t feel legitimate, they wouldn’t get a second look. For SendVia, branding wasn’t optional—it was foundational. 

Lesson 2: Trust your gut 

The startup world doesn’t come with a playbook. Matt and Mariah both emphasized how much of their journey has involved making decisions in the gray. “You have to move forward without having all of the information, and just kind of go on your gut sometimes,” Mariah said. 

It was true of their product direction, their branding choices, even the decision to invest in brand in the first place. As a founder, you can’t wait until everything is clear. Instead, you make the best call you can and then keep moving. 

Lesson 3: Find your North Star, then follow it  

What has grounded SendVia through every shift is a simple idea: sending care. 

“My advice would be to really understand the core values of your business and why you’re doing it. For us, it wasn’t necessarily about branding insurance. It was that bigger vision of helping Filipinos take care of their family back home, and the care that’s involved in that,” said Matt. 

Having a clear, human-centered North Star meant that even as their product evolved, the brand remained relevant. That consistency has helped them scale, experiment and still feel grounded in who they are. 

As Mariah put it, “You need to decide where brand comes in. Can it develop over time, or does it need to be there from the beginning? For us, it needed to be there.”

Conclusion 

If you’re building a brand, ask yourself: What does your customer need to believe before they believe in you? If the answer is trust, emotion or connection, then brand isn’t an add-on. It’s your foundation. Just ask SendVia. 

Are you grappling with decisions around branding your business? Read Part 1 to see how SendVia approached branding a startup.