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This is the second in a series called “How to Create the Brand of YOU.”
Post 1: How to Create the Brand of YOU: Marketing Yourself as an Expert
When you are developing a brand for yourself, one of the most important considerations is your mission. Whether you are a larger company or an army of one, it is your mission that should drive everything else that you do.
And I know what you may be thinking. “My mission? What does that have to do with anything? Crap, Wendy, what is this airy-fairy mission stuff? I don’t want to waste my time on this. Just show me the friggin’ money.” (-:
Whoa tiger. Back on down and let’s talk about this for a minute.
You may not consider a mission statement to be very important…or relevant to you. Perhaps you are under the impression that mission statements are just for non-profit organizations or large corporations. And, you’ve probably read a lot of mission statements that are reeeeeally boring. They don’t get you all fired up.
And most marketers don’t talk about your mission because they don’t think it has anything to do with your brand.
But they’re wrong.
Knowing your mission will accelerate your brand like nothing else can.
In fact, your mission is the soul of your brand. It is your Why. It is the very reason that you do what you do.
Your mission is about getting really clear and staying really focused – I call this your internal branding. If you are a solo-preneur then your mission is something that you should write and post on your wall next to your computer. Look at it during the day. Remind yourself of it. Then live it and breathe it. Every. single. day.
If your company has employees, then the mission statement should be the driving force behind everything that they do for your company. Yes, it is that huge.
And part of the reason to have this anchor is because it is so easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day of our business lives. We get our to-do list tunnel vision and lose sight of the big vision. Your mission statement always reminds you of where you are going, what you are doing, and why you are doing it.
To develop your mission, here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Why makes me really excited about my business?
- What topic could I write a blog post about every day for a year?
- Why do I serve your clients in the way that I do?
- Why am I in my industry?
- Why did you start my business (or if you work for someone else – why am I in my career)?
Get really clear about your passion. This forms the base of your mission. Keep your mission statement fairly short and make sure that it feels really good when you read it and say it.
Remember, you have a purpose in life and you know deep down what is really important to you. You express your personal mission and values every day in the way you live. And when you weave this same purpose into your business brand, then everything that YOU do in your company is an expression of your deep core beliefs.
And, woweeee! When you live your mission through your business brand, then amazing, phenomenal things start to happen. Your perfect, dream clients are drawn to you. People get really excited about what you are doing. They spread the word to their friends, they sign up for your services, they comment on your blog. You get more customers, make more revenue, and your business grows with ease. And best of all – you are having more fun than ever before because you are in absolute alignment with your Why.
Let’s look at some phenomenal examples of other personality-based brands and their mission…their “reason for being.” This should help you get some ideas for developing your own.
Here is mine: “My focus and my passion is catapulting entrepreneurs and their companies to high visibility and success. I teach people to build a powerful personality-based brand that showcases their knowledge in a way that adds value to other people’s lives and builds a profitable, sustainable business.”
On his about page, Charlie Gilkey states, “I’m helping people change the world. Bold? Not really. I help people do Big Things by making small steps, and by doing so, I’m changing the world.”
Elizabeth Potts Weinstein of Live Your Truth: “I empower solo multipassionate entrepreneurs to speak & live their truth in their businesses & lives…I do crazy sh*t and say the things that everyone thinks and no one says, to empower others to do their crazy sh*t and speak their truth. And … get paid for it.”
Jonathan Mead of Illuminated Mind: “The reason for everything: To create a revolution based on authentic action. A social movement of people liberating themselves through living on their own terms.”
Chris Guillebeau of The Art of Non-Conformity: “My mission is to help people live unconventional lives, make their own choices, and change the world.”
Havi Brooks at the Fluent Self: “My duck and I help bright, creative, kooky people destuckify their stuff so they can do the thing. So they can work through all the overwhelming, sometimes-terrifying goo that gets in the way of doing what they love and biggifying it like crazy. In a smart, mindful way.”
Sonia Simone of Remarkable Communication: “I’m Sonia Simone, and I’m the marketer for people who hate marketing. My superpower is creating better customer relationships with incredibly effective communication.”
Clay Collins of Project Mojave: “Everything I do is oriented towards helping people generously feed their families while following their deepest purposes. I have a vision for a world where every person can be their own boss and secure a healthy income while offering their greatest gift to the world.”
Don’t some of those just give you chills? Do you feel the power and purpose and conviction behind those missions. Can you see how these statements drive everything else for these businesses?
So, I would love, love, love to hear more mission statements. Post your mission or other ones that you’ve read in the comments section below. Or, if you are working on one, I’d love to help you brainstorm. Let’s work on it – post below.
What is your Why?
