Featured Model: Justin Main @mainmodelnp
“Start with why” - Simon Sinek
Why would I follow you? Lately I’ve been having many conversations with clients about the importance of “brand” and refining your message. This one thought keeps coming back to me as we seek to acquire more “followers” to our social media profiles:
“Why would I follow you?” And “Where are we going”? These are the 2 questions that
your audience subconsciously answers or dismisses when they see a post or visit your profile.
Any marketing professional will tell you that engagement is everything. How can we attract people to us and what gets them to “stick”?
If a visitor to your page or post can’t understand what you are all about in an instant, and if nothing pulls them deeper into your world then they will swipe, scroll or back out.
Let’s back-up. How did we get here... to the place where we have incredible content that nobody gets to see or amazing content that people just double tap and scroll right past.... the place where we aren’t really achieving the impact we’d like and consequently are not growing our audiences the way we’d like. How did we get to the place where we debate going on or throwing in the towel on our creative, passion-driving endeavors & businesses.
Your “why” is either absent or suppressed in your daily thoughts and actions.
Start with “WHY”! If you google “the golden circle” you’ll find a really cool chart that moves you from “why” to “how” to “what”. Starting with “why” is vital to your success and endurance in any task worth undertaking. I always ask clients: “why do you want to be a model”? “Why do you want to be an artist”? “Why not quit/ give up”? The answers to these questions are extremely revealing and speak to the viability of your brand.
Know your “why”: It doesn’t have to be some deep, dark or elaborate story, experience or mission but it certainly can be and more times than not, is. But it does have to be “outside or beyond yourself” and big enough to push you forward. It has to be the thing that can pull you through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
It should wake you up in the morning and propel you forward when the odds are stacked against you.
Your “why” should be something real. Some people are driven to help others laugh or smile. Some people “aspire to inspire others” - Michelle Hoerlein. Some people want be a beacon of hope for others who are in the dark in a variety of life situations. Some people seek to help others find purpose in faith in this life. I know a photographer who is driving to “help women see themselves”. Sometimes your “why” is for your family, your friends and this drives you to take the action required and to refine your brand.
Your “why” and your brand are not always the same thing but one drives the other. If you have a big enough “why” you will find or create your niche, your mission and your impact.
Essentially, I’m trying to say the same thing in multiple ways to drive home the point that your “why” and your “brand identity” are vitally important to your growth and success.
Here are some questions to get you started or re-started:
1. Why is this task worth undertaking?
2. What are you passionate about?
3. What problem do you desire to solve?
4. Why is it so important to me?
5. Why is THAT so important to me?
6. And why is THAT so important to me?
7. Why not quit?
8. What would happen if I did quit?
9. What would happen if I succeed?
10. Who’s life could be impacted if I succeed?
The affect of you chasing your potential or giving up ultimately will affect hundreds, thousands, even millions of people around you. Like pebbles, our choices create a ripple effect throughout the world. Might as well throw in a rock! I don’t have time for pebbles! Forget pebbles & ripples, I’m trying to make WAVES!
Regardless, doing “nothing” is a choice just as much as taking massive action, rooted in your “why”, driving forward your brand and your mission.
This should excite you! Tapping into this concept will set you apart and help you dominate or sector or market. You can ask my my “why” at anytime. You can ask me my vision, my mission and my purpose and I will spit it out without hesitation. I am committed to my family, my company, my team and my clients.
CONTACT ME: To learn more, to ask questions, to challenge my thinking or for help uncovering your “why” and your “brand identity”.
Lets go make waves!
- Jason, Owner
