All around us there is wealth of talent among our family, our friends, our partners, our consultants and our team members. We welcome their contributions and often find that adding their voice to our own helps us find a new path or uncover a new truth. From time to time I’ll be adding these voices to mine as I continue to look for inspiration and excellence.
- It’s not about noise.
- It’s not about shock value.
- It’s about you.
- It’s about finding your path.
- It’s about staying calm and focused.
- It’s about being authentic.
Your point of distinction is what breathes life into your vision. In today’s market, as influencing dynamics continue to change at warp speed, it is critical to consistently check in with yourself, with your team and ask the question: Who Are We? Are We Being True to Our Vision?
Be honest with yourself, with your team, your partners. Are you who you think you are? A brand, your identity, is not what you say it is, it is what others say it is.
Knowing your brand is essential to the health of your business and it begins with a clearly articulated vision. If you don’t have a way to capture this knowledge and stand out in a positive manner, your ‘strategy’ may take you down the wrong path or you may simply disappear.
Through personal experience, conversations with my peers and successful business owners, we consistently discuss [and remind ourselves] the key actions that allow your business’s authentic brand to surface include:
- Recognize your strengths and own them – they are uniquely yours.
Ask yourself, ask your clients and ask your partners, what is your core company strength? It may be the relationship, the customer experience, the strategic solutions, storytelling, design, or purely the ROI. As you grow and change, remember to check in and ask again…remain authentic to whom you are today [not yesterday]. Own It!
- Create an inclusive, positive and inspiring culture.
Your team and your partners are the voice of your company and will deliver your story through everything they do, every shared experience. An employee-centric culture that centers on your values is vital to remain real. To know what you stand for collectively and individually, allows the team to share and represent the brand with confidence. While focused and listening to your team, you will find days that seem fragmented… this is opportunity for… organic change… needed change. Pay attention!
- Remain focused on follow through and delivery. Be intentional.
Always keep the customer top of mind while mindful of your culture. A better experience, a more innovative solution than your ‘friendly competitors’ and ‘not so friendly’ will insure you rise above ‘market noise’ and be rewarding to your team. Remain committed to working with people and brands invested in your professional partnership and mutual success. Cheaper, faster, and different may seem like the right solution until the experience and delivery falls short of everyone’s expectations… the client’s and the team’s.
- Appreciate the gifts in your life, the people who surround you.
Business is competitive. Business is strategic. It is not about one person. It works because of your network, the authentic support of colleagues and clients. The color of that support is directly related to your culture, performance and mutual respect.
Find your individuality, own it, and stand out!
