The one question all business owners should be able to answer…but many can’t
“What’s your why?”
I used to hate it whenever anyone asked me that question. It’s a subject that has brought me to tears more times than you can imagine.
It happened again last week, so I wanted to share this very personal story of vulnerability with you, in the hope that if you are struggling with it, it may help you.
If you have been around the entrepreneurial / self development space for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard people talk about “their why”.
And more specifically, how important it is to find your “why”.
You may have seen recommendations to check out Simon Sinek’s talk on Finding Your Why. And lots of exercises and coaching offers to help you find “it”.
It can be such an excruciating thing to pin down.
And maybe you still haven’t figured yours out yet!
Well recently, I was asked the question again, and while I did have a little bit of a teary and vulnerable breakdown (in front of 30 veritable strangers), I finally, finally had my breakthrough.
It all happened during the first call of a wonderful mastermind program that I have recently joined.
The conversation didn’t start around the subject of “my why”. It started because I was having a hard time pinning down my grand vision for my business and life. Not because I don’t know what it I want it to look like. But because I have so many ideas and different pathways I want to go down and explore! I was feeling like if I choose one vision, I would have to give up all the other dreams for my biz.
So when the questioning inevitably found its way back to the big WHY (again), I couldn’t answer it (at first).
(It was also at that exact moment that I broke down in tears on the call - cue humiliation!)
At the time this blubbering was happening, I was thinking….
“How can I not know what my why is after all this time trying to figure it out?”
“Do I really even need one when I’m the happiest I have been in a long time pursuing my dream to build a creative business doing something I love with amazing clients?”
“I’m more “in flow” than I have ever been, surely that’s all the matters?”
“I’m finally getting requests for more and more client work with EXACTLY the types of clients I want to work with.”
“Isn’t that enough!!!???”
After a little bit of gentle questioning by the beautiful maverick leading the session, we finally nailed my why!
And do you know what?
I had known “what my why is” all along.
It’s emblazoned across my website’s home page for starters and it’s the very reason I started this design business.
But here’s the trick.
I knew my why, I just didn’t think “my why” was good enough.
Or big enough, or life changing enough. So I wasn’t acknowledging it for what it was.
I needed for someone else to basically jump all over me when I mumbled the words and say… “THAT’S IT - THAT’S YOUR WHY!!!!”
Well slap me silly. It bloody well is.
So what is my why?
Well. Simply this.
I believe that everyone deserves to have a beautiful brand that reflects their special “youniqueness”. And, that armed with this, you become empowered and confident to make your own special mark on the world.
So I build beautiful, bold brands for creative entrepreneurs who are ready to make their mark, but are tired of spinning their wheels trying to DIY their own brands.
I do this is because it happened to me personally, and I have seen it cripple so many other creatives who think they should be able to do it themselves and then just get stuck and deflated! It’s one of the hardest things to do.
And here’s MY proof if I ever need to remind myself!
"I always knew and could picture what my design business was going to be like in my head. I'd been imagining it for months, maybe years. But sometimes in order to step forward you need to step out of your own way. Once I did this and 'allowed', Tracey gave me so much. She gave me a business. An identity. A big step forward. A beginning of what will be a great story. I was thankful Tracey was a great listener and designer, nurturing all the details mentioned in the initial brief. Thank you for helping being my imagination to life." ~ Stacey Williams, Mindful Interiors.
and
Working with Tracey has been, bar none, the best thing I could have done for my brand and my own personal confidence. Her design work is impeccable, but what impressed me most, was how easy she was to work with. Tracey was a breath of fresh air. She was clear, personable and helpful - she always made herself available to me. And when I received her design for B Story, I felt as though she had reached into my head and shown me my own thoughts! I can't thank her enough, and would recommend her enough, and would suggest her to anyone looking for graphic design work." ~ Bethany Smith, B Story.
So “my why” aside. What’s the point of this?
Well. Yes, your “why” is important and it is a question you should be able to answer.
But please don’t overcomplicate it. Don’t overthink it. And don’t let it stop you from pursuing what you love to do.
Your why doesn’t have to solve world hunger, bring about world peace or light up the whole world.
But it does have to light you up.
And through that light and passion, you will be serving the people that need you most…and lighting up their worlds.
It’s about making an impact on the people that are drawn to work with you.
For me, it’s helping people create a beautiful brand that gives them the confidence to finally get out there.
Moving them from stuck to free and confident, so they can finally get out there and help others with their special talents and gifts, and so on, and so on…and can you see that whole “helping the world” thing start to work now?
I can (finally).
If you’d like to find out about this wonderful mastermind I spoke about, you can go here.
If you are tired of spinning your DIY branding wheels and want to finally get out there to do your best work and light up your little corner of the universe, I’m taking on new clients for March/April. Find out more about working with me here.