What does business look like in the You Economy?
It looks like that. After working with passion-driven entrepreneurs for the last 3 years, I’ve created this cycle to explain what it takes to create a thriving business that allows you to earn with ease while inspiring you to do greater & greater work.
You can download a .pdf copy by clicking here. (right click then “save as,” if necessary)
This is what I’m teaching next month at The Art of Earning LIVE.
But I wanted to give you the rundown here. Now. Because this stuff is important.
Why | Mission | Purpose
People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.
– Simon Sinek, Start With Why
You’ve been hearing this from me for the last year. But I refuse to stop preaching it.
From a different perspective and discussing the craft of writing, Anne Lamott says, “The core, ethical concepts in which you most passionately believe are the language in which you are writing.”
Those core, ethical concepts are also the language in which you are doing business. When you communicate – whether through visual design, social media, product packaging, customer service, etc… – with your customers, you are doing so in the language of your fundamental beliefs about your world, your community, and yourself.
Without a crystal clear understanding of your core beliefs, working on any other part of your business is going to be unsatisfactory at best.
Personality Brand
Because your core beliefs are yours, your personality – the person of YOU – becomes key to how others will understand your business. I believe this is true of all businesses in the You Economy. Not just solo entrepreneurs or microbusinesses.
A larger organization may look towards a strong, internal company culture instead of an individual personality but the result is the same: the work has a clear sense of humanity.
Decisions are made based on the human element & human origin of commerce. The customers that come into contact with that brand remember the humanity first & foremost.
Community Laboratory
Commerce is changing rapidly. In a world of instant feedback & minimum viable products, you need a place to experiment.
You have the tools at your disposal to set up your own laboratory in the form of an online community. This could be as simple as engaged Twitter stream or as complicated as a niche social network.
The future of your business relies on you creating a space where people can not only talk to you but talk to each other.
Manifestation – Product or Service
Last, yes, last, is deciding what it is that you sell. It’s not just the particular item on the shelf or the offer of service. It’s the experience you’re creating for your customer. It’s the connection they feel to you, to others, or even to the product. It’s the deeper meaning that seeps out of your offer.
Manifestation means simply “an event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something.” Your mission, your personality, your community: your product or service must embody those things.
Until you understand the first three steps of this plan, it’s impossible to create a product or service that truly claims your premium value. And, baby, you’ve got premium value – manifest it.
The beautiful part of this “road map” is that it’s a round trip. You don’t start at one point & end up at the destination. It’s a continual cycle of evolution & innovation. It’s recalibration & experimentation. It’s dynamic.
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This is what we’re working on at The Art of Earning LIVE. Why tell you in such detail? It’s not so much about the “what.” It’s about the experience of discovering how it works for you, with expert guidance, and a supportive network. It’s about seeing your genius reflected back to you and witnessing your value for what it is.
You are ready to reconnect with your business. You are ready to realize artful earning & effortless marketing. You are ready to do your work with heartfelt inspiration. This is the road map. This is your experience.
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Care to share?
Business in the #youeconomy is a round trip. Download your FREE road map via @taragentile! http://bit.ly/bizroadmap
Click to tweet it!
This is what I’m right in the middle of, Tara. I so appreciate your perspective and giving us some insight into the lessons you’ll be teaching.
I really appreciate reminder that this is a round trip…there is no “start/finish”. That realization takes a lot of pressure off me.
There’s so much focus on doing…creating a product, launching, etc. It helps to be reminded that without clarity of focus and community commitment, the rest is irrelevant. Thanks.
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Yes and amen! This article resonates with my own experience. When it comes to purchasing products (other than the core necessities of life, such as food, etc.), buying is an emotional decision. Features don’t sell – benefits do. Consumers are more savvy and informed; they want products that support their own goals and visions. So in this digital age, vendors need to be transparent, green, community minded and accessible. Future buyers want to know “why you do what you do” besides making a profit; they want to know about your positive impact and influence you exert for the good of everyone.
-Joe Breunig
Reaching Towards His Unbounded Glory
A Journey Of… Poetic Purpose
I’m so interested in learning more about this! I’m reading “start with why” now but my big question is how much action and exploration is needed to find that clarity of why. Especially if you’re young or new to creative entrepreneurship, it can be difficult to escape that employee mindset or to really tap into your why. Do you find that experiences and growing pains and action-driven self-discovery play a role in finding your why? I ask because finding clarity by thinking about finding clarity, doesn’t work for me. I have to touch and feel and experience and then evaluate, if that makes sense…
[...] had to happen in order to move things forward was to let go of an old identity and instead create a personality brand. My beloved frog will no longer feature in my brand, on my materials or website. It is one of the [...]