What's Your WHY?

This week I wrote about the importance of knowing what stage of being an entrepreneur you’re in.  If you want to make it successfully to and through stage 4 then you’re going to have to have developed a strong vision, mission, and core values.  The core values are not just your own personal core values (although that is very important to define too), you must have core values that will help guide your work.  Your light house when navigating rough waters in your business will be the combination of your why, your vision, your mission and your business’s core values.

I preach over and over how hard entrepreneurship is.  We don’t typically get into this work because it’s easy, we get into this work because we believe in what we’re doing.  There are some people who are born entrepreneurs, they simply want to keep chasing ideas and do what they can to make a lot of money (And that’s great in its own right), but the women I work with typically aren’t opening businesses because they’re purely in it to make a lot of money or for the thrills that entrepreneurship can bring.  What I see and work with are often the women who feel called to do something, called to offer something and figure out a way to get that service or offering into the hands of many who need it.   

When the going gets really tough, and it will because that is the nature of owning a business, the thing that keeps these women (and men) going is being connected to a WHY that feels greater than them.  And when you have strong core values that you really believe in to support your why this is a powerful tool to keep us going when we don’t think we can. Whether you’re starting a business, a group, or if you’re beginning a big new project that will need sustained effort, your Why and your core business values and your willingness to let them lead your work will be your primary guiding light. 

Sometimes customers care what your vision and mission are, but mostly this exercise is for you.  I cannot stress enough the importance of writing out what your greater vision is for your business, your work, or a big project.  I urge you to carve out time now and think through what your mission is, and your Why with a Capitol W.  Why do you do the work that you’re doing, why do you want to start this business or creative project? What gets you out of bed and what keeps you going when the going gets tough? What will keep you moving through the valley when a storm has set in and you’re soaked to the bone, tired, hungry and feel alone on the journey? 

Your vision, your vision and why might not matter all that much to your clients when it comes down to it, but the thing that might be very important for your clients are your company’s core values.  If your company really is committed to its core values, then your customers can feel it.  One of my favorite clothing companies is Toad & Co.   As their customer I don’t really know what their mission and vision are, but I know some of their core values and I’m more likely to buy their expensive clothing when I’m able to afford it because I see where my money is going, and I believe in what they’re doing.  Toad and Co. is committed to hiring adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their warehouse, they are committed to being as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible and they donate 1% of their company profit to 1% for the planet.  As a consumer I recognize that my dollar is a vote and I want to spend my money at companies that are contributing to the greater good whenever possible, and I know I’m not the only one it’s the reason why companies like Tom’s Shoes, Warbley Parker, and Bob’s Red Mill are standing the test of time, they have built in ways for their companies to support good causes.

Here at Yoke and Abundance our core values for the business are creativity, community, and diversity and inclusion.  In every offering I create I’m thinking about these values, I don’t always get it right, but this is what I’m working towards and I hope that all of you can feel it.

If you’re just starting out, and in the dreaming or planning phase these is a great thought exercise.  If you have a seasoned business it’s a good idea to revisit your mission, vision and core values.  Do you need help and guidance in these exercises, maybe we should work together, if you think so then schedule a free 30 minute discovery call with me by clicking on the link below.