Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.
As Theodore Roosevelt famously said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It can be a thief in business too.
On Saturday, I posted the above image to Instagram with the following message…
“Often when working with small businesses I hear something like this… Well the business down the street is charging this or promoting this or… should I do that? Awesome businesses are created when you define your own purpose, promise, target market, set clear objectives, create a bad ass strategy and execute like a mother … Focus on creating your own kind of awesome.”
It was one of my more liked posts. But this topic requires more time and explanation than an Instagram post. So here goes…
Yes, studying success and awesomeness is important. Learning from the greats, the ones who have consistently shown growth and profitability, the ability to create a strong culture, etc. Having an in-depth knowledge of those who have successfully gone before you, yes, all of that is awesome and important.
However, when we are comparing our business to the one “down the street”, this is where I have issues…
Do you know their business model?
Do you know their strategy & target market?
Do you know their plan?
Do you know their sales?
Do you know their profitability?
Do you know their cost of sales?
Do you know how they are funded?
Do you know how long they will be in business?
Do you know if their clients are happy?
Do you know if their team is happy?
My guess is NO. You do not know. Therefore, how can we even begin to compare our business to theirs? What if we decided to follow a pricing strategy of a competitor that was headed down a road of putting them out of business? Or a promotional program that depleted all cash flow and pissed off clients and team members? OMG, can you imagine?
Before you look around one more time to see what others are doing, take that time to look within. Your own objectives, your plan, your strategy, your P & L, your business model. Start there.
Focus on creating your own kind of awesome. And connect with and learn from people who not only own businesses but grow businesses, for reals.
“Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know more.”
Confucius
(image via Google)
Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.
Have you ever heard the nursery rhyme “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me”? OMG. That was actually something we put into children’s minds.
I like to think we have evolved more intellectually and emotionally to know how incredibly damaging that message is. But sadly, that is not always the case.
Words matter… in business and in life.
They create an awesome experience. Or create a not so awesome one.
They help build confidence. And they can destroy it.
They build relationships. And break them.
They build trust. Or create doubt.
They can excite me. Or they can bore me.
How much time do you spend choosing the words you are using in your business communications, both online and off?
How much care do you use when choosing the words you use when coaching a team member or speaking to a colleague?
How conscious are you of the words you choose when talking to yourself? (and please don’t even tell me you don’t talk to yourself. We all do. Whether we are conscious of it or not.)
Some wander through the social web, through business, and life, using words that have the potential to cause damage. But some choose to use words that empower, enrich the conversation and create awesome experiences.
“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.”
Zig Ziglar
Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.
Social listening and healthy stalking does have its privileges. And that is exactly how I discovered and met one of the most passionate and inspirational hairdressers I have ever known, Larisa Love aka @larisadoll on Instagram.
If you read my blog or listened to my Masters Series interview with Winn Claybaugh, then you have heard me speak of this awesomeness creator. I have been watching and listening to her for almost a year now.
One of the most awesome things I get to do at Passion Squared is connect with the best of the best, study them, learn from them, and many times actually meet them offline, then carry that message to my clients and community.
I’m not gonna lie, I am a big fan, and when Larisa and I set our date to meet, I got butterflies in my tummy. Why? Respect. Plain and simple. I knew this girl was special, but I also knew I only knew her online persona. And awesomely enough, she also works in the most beautiful bungalow at Butterfly Loft Salon in Encino. So butterflies were for sure an appropriate emotion.
So what did I learn about what makes Larisa so awesome?
1. Authenticity
Larisa is the real deal. As beautiful inside as out. This is probably the most important thing to learn about her success. Authenticity is everything in today’s world, and you can be Insta famous, have a gazillion followers, but fall flat offline if you are not truly authentic.
2. Focus + Direction
Larisa has such insane clarity of direction and focus for such a young (in years) human. People often ask me what is one of the most common challenges I see working with small businesses in the beauty and wellness worlds. My answer. Focus and direction.
3. She Knows Her Why
Larisa is crystal clear on her why, promise, purpose and target market as a brand. She is consistent in her work, her brand identity, her boundaries, and how she presents her brand and creates stories that matter on Instagram. She knows her brand why. Remember, as the awesome Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy WHY you do it.”
4. Instagram Can Build A Business
Larisa learned very early in her short 4-year career as a hairdresser that Instagram would be the platform to engage, connect, build relationships and ultimately grow a business that has her booked until 2016 with 800 people on her waiting list. She chose one platform, she chose to focus intently on it, and she has never wavered. She spends at minimum 2 hours a day creating content, posting and engaging with her followers. You may think 2 hours is a lot of time. My question back to you is are you happy with your marketing plan and how it’s helping you grow your business?
5. Consistency
This could be Larisa’s middle name. Her beautiful work speaks for itself. But what matters even more is her consistency. In branding, in hair, in engagement, in posting, in content creation, and in voice.
Can every stylist have 40K followers and an 800-person waiting list? I don’t really know. But what I do know, is the above traits and actions are just some of the reasons Larisa has been SO successful, and it also happens to be traits and actions I see in many others creating awesome in their business.
As I have said before and I will always say, there is NO secret or magic pill. Creating awesome takes commitment, courage, consistency and most of all caring. And Larisa is all of those things and so much more.
If you are not already, follow @larisadoll and learn. Then go out and create your own kind of awesome.
A big shout out of gratitude and thanks to Larisa, her beautiful, kind and talented BF @dylankelly and David and Alexis, the awesome owners of Butterfly Loft Salon for such a special evening. I am in awe of all of you and so grateful to know you.
The Universe is not short on wake up calls. We are just quick to hit the snooze button. -Brene Brown
Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.
Many of us have had them. Some of us don’t know we have. And some of us just hit the snooze button when they happen.
Wake up calls happen all the time, in business and in life. The opportunity for us is to listen for them and to them, if we want to create an awesome biz + life.
Wake Up Call #1
A few team members are asking for raises all within a few days of each other. To me, that is a sign of something deeper. Meaning, it’s time to connect with those team members to see where they are in their career and life. Something is behind the desire for a raise. What is it?
Wake Up Call #2
A slew of social posts about a particular company seem to be gaining momentum and people are just not happy. Will that be a wake up call, or is that company not even listening?
Wake Up Call #3
People begin not showing up to meetings, or come in late to work. Do we build resentment or decide to dig deeper into why that is.
Wake Up Call #4
Sales begin to slowly drop, less new clients are coming in, and staff is leaving. Do we see that as a wake up call or do we hit the snooze button and blame the month, season, weather or staff member.
Wake Up Call #5
A series of not so awesome YELP reviews are posted about a business. All saying similar things. The front desk staff is not nice, nobody answers the phone, the bathrooms are dirty. A wake up call? You bet. But only if the business is listening.
Wake Up Call #6
A feeling of stress and overwhelm continue to fill our bodies. Is this a wake up call? You bet it is. It’s time to look at our lives and begin to create space to breathe and get to the source of the stress and overwhelm so it can be fixed.
Awareness is the key in listening for wake up calls. It is so much easier to hit the snooze button versus dealing with issues, problems or wake up calls. It takes a ton of courage to listen for them and deal with them. And until we do, be prepared for that alarm to keep ringing.
Do you have any wake up calls you have ignored only to have them come back bigger and louder? I would love to hear your thoughts. I’m listening.
(image via Google)
