photo: Ellen von Unwerth
ARE YOU FEELIN’ YOUR (BUSINESS) SELF?
...or is it time to express yourself?
We know that when it comes to your business there’s an internal struggle between fitting in and letting your bright light shine. Sometimes we follow trends hoping they’ll bring us clients, or say yes to certain (free) projects eager to fall in with the “right crowd,” all while neglecting our real beliefs. Well, guess what? It’s time to call bullsh*t on yourself and get real. Break the mold, show your true colors within your brand and the rest (i.e. the right clients) will follow.
Here are 5 things to ask yourself
to uncover your kick-ass self
1.
ASK YOURSELF: Does looking at my branding make me throw up in my mouth a little?
EXPRESS YOURSELF: We won’t hold it against you if you made some long-ago decisions based on what was trending at the time, but you’ve moved past that now. Discover the brand style that really represents your work while also setting you apart from the crowd. It’s OK to skip the script font if you’re more of a san-serif person. In short, don’t just do what everyone else is doing.
2.
ASK YOURSELF: Are there services I provide that I’ve come to hate?
EXPRESS YOURSELF: Just like everything else in the world, businesses evolve over time. Congratulations on growing your brand, that’s amazing! It’s also nothing to feel guilty about. Older clients and professional acquaintances may have gotten used to whatever xyz service you started with but it’s time to kick those to the curb if you’re #overit.
3.
ASK YOURSELF: Does my social media look like a familiar collection of “pretty things?”
EXPRESS YOURSELF: If you feel like you’ve seen-that-somewhere-before, then it’s because you’ve probably seen-that-somewhere-before. While it’s great to affirm how on-trend and with-the-times you are, it’s even better to flex your creative muscle and show potential clients what’s really going on in that beautiful mind of yours. After all, isn’t that why they would want to book you in the first place?
4.
ASK YOURSELF: Do I resonate with the industry professionals I’m mingling with?
EXPRESS YOURSELF: Finding your "in-crowd" can be hard but not impossible Here’s the trick, you’ve got to unapologetically be yourself. Yes it’s cliché, but it’s also true. Swallow the self-conscious feelings (literally everyone is awkward here), drop your guard, and look around the room. We bet you’ll find that “your people” were all around you the whole time.
5.
ASK YOURSELF: Who am I really speaking to?
EXPRESS YOURSELF: Make sure what you’re saying isn’t landing on deaf ears. Go beyond basic demographics, dig into details to understand your dream clients and have a real conversation about the specific things that matter to them. Remember, when you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.
The journey to uncovering your inner badass can be tricky. So if some of these questions prompted a couple more questions, don’t fret.