by Tara Joyce | Apr 3, 2009 | Featured, Innerpreneurship
A few months back I was helping to design the header graphic for a new blog that was being launched. The blog’s content focused on how to achieve ‘success’ in business. And while trying to design a logo that communicated ‘success’, I realized that I had no idea what the heck ‘success’ meant.
I mean, I knew what it meant to me personally but I doubted that the client viewed ‘success’ in the same light that I did. I realized that the term ‘success’ means absolutely nothing unless you look at its owner.
Success According to the Dictionary
By definition success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. So unless you know what purpose was trying to be achieved, you can’t possibly know if something is successful.
Take Twitter for example, the company has millions of users and most of us would argue that the application is a ‘success’. But if the purpose of Twitter was to generate money, the endeavour is not a ‘success’ as they have not yet figured out how to make it profitable.
Making Money ≠ Success
It seems like more often than not the media uses the term ‘success’ synonymously with money. If you make money you are a ‘success’. I say bollocks to their short-sightedness.
You are a success if you achieve your purpose, regardless of whether money is involved. That is why it is so important to take the time to know what your purpose is. If you don’t know where you are going (purpose), you’ll never get there (success). Money, of course, will be a part of it because we all need to live, but where does it sit on your lists of motivators? How do you define the achievement of success?
My Success = My Purpose Realized
Success to me is:
- Personal growth
- Authentic expression
- Making a difference and helping others
- Ability to travel
- Income generation
by Tara Joyce | Apr 1, 2009 | Cultural Creativity
You started your business for you. You started your business so you could share your unique gifts with the world. And while that is all well and good, it isn’t enough. Your passion has guided you here but purposeful planning is what will make you flourish.
I know saying that you ‘should’ do anything is a quick way to disengage you but give me a moment. I am going to take the chance and suggest that there are a few things you ‘should’ take the time to determine if you want to grow a strong, authentic business.
Establish a Destination: “…plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” – Prof. Michael Yanakiev
You don’t have to create a business plan, you don’t even have to write anything down but you do need to know where you are now and were you are headed. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there.
Take the time to create a clear vision of what your ideal business looks like. Determine what you want to achieve, however simple or complex. Identify where you are now, where you want to go and how you are going to get there.
Think of it as your business roadmap. It will help you to take the right steps in the right direction, without seeking constant reassurance. The first goal will not be the final one. The point is to always be proceeding towards a final destination.
Determine Your Purpose: “If it acts like a duck (all the time), it’s a duck. Doesn’t matter if the duck thinks it’s a dog, it’s still a duck as far as the rest of us are concerned.” – Seth Godin
You may as well find out now that you are duck instead of wasting time and money trying to pass yourself off as a dog. After all, an authentic identity is based upon what you do, not what you say you are.
You have unique strengths as a human and your business should be built upon them. What sets you apart as a human is what will make your business indispensable to your customers. So be sure to identify and claim them. Use them to your advantage.
Ask yourself:
1. What sets me apart? Why should people work with me over all other options, including doing nothing?
Here’s a hint. You set your business apart by being authentic, by stating clearly your purpose and not wavering from it. The position you take in life and in business is determined by your:
- Values and beliefs – what is important to you?
- Truthfulness and integrity – do you say what you mean and mean what you say?
- Empathy – how deeply do you understand the pain of your customers?
- Passion – what do you love?
2. Who is my ideal client? Who is it that you dream of working with?
Remember this business is for you. And while money is necessary to sustain any business, you will not find your pot of gold by working with anyone and everyone. Focus is need. There is a niche out there that seeks all that makes you unique. Identify and focus on them. Don’t waste your time or money on clients who aren’t a good fit – set boundaries now.
Why Your Destination and Purpose ‘Should’ Matter
You can’t make a difference or be authentic if you don’t stand up for what you believe in. Establishing a business destination and purpose creates a clear view of the way you want your business and the world to be.
Just remember only you have to power to stick with your views. Your authenticity rests on what you do, not on what you say.
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by Tara Joyce | Mar 29, 2009 | My Journey | What's On My Mind
Creative Commons License photo credit: adie reed
As you may or may not have noticed for the past few days my blog has been offline. There was a problem with my host’s new software and it didn’t accommodate the code blogs are built on. They’ve now worked out the problem and have been very gracious in offering retribution for the issue.
I had to rebuild the site a bit as I lost a bunch of content, so please email me if you notice anything funny. On the bright side, I got to rethink a few areas of the blog as I rebuilt it.
In glorious news (to my ego), I finished my Elastic Mind website and made it live. I rethought my old idea (the one that was taking me eons to finish) and streamlined it into a much simpler site. I love constructive criticism.
by Tara Joyce | Mar 25, 2009 | Innerpreneurship
Here’s mine.
click for a better view complete with clever annotations
A window into my world
This past week a business partner and I shared pictures of our creative spaces with each other.
It was a great exercise that gave us a good sense of a each others personalities and passions. For me, I found it very freeing to share my space. But I recognize that for some their creative space is deeply personal, so much so that they feel far too exposed to reveal it to others.
Having looked at my space, does it affect your impression of me? Do you feel closer to me? Or perhaps horrified that I am such a huge X-Files nerd? Do you see the value in sharing your creative space with your community (clients, partners, etc.)?
Let us take a look in your window
If you feel like it, share your creative space with us. Allow your fellow innerpreneurs to take a look into your world.
To share, post a link in the comments to an image of your space.
by Tara Joyce | Mar 20, 2009 | Self/Business Growth
Creative Commons License photo credit: katmere
I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with a fair number of innerpreneurs since launching this blog and I’ve found a common lesson that we are each learning about business and about life. Adaptability is the key to growth.
We All Know Change is Inevitable
Things will change. Our plans will shift. What was the goal yesterday will not be the goal today.
Being on such a personal, spiritual journey we may find that we are on one path and our soul begins calling us in another. What was right and true now is not. What seemed like a good idea before now seems wrong.
We make plans for an unknown future. A future that shifts and reshapes with every decision we make. We can’t know where tomorrow can lead, but we can be open to its evolving path.
Don’t fight change. Let it run through you. Embrace it. You can’t know what exciting avenue it will lead you down.
My Ever-Adapting Plans
I’ve come to understand and embrace change and see how important adaptability can be. In less than a year my goals have morphed and changed almost constantly.
When I first decided to start my business I simply wanted to write. Anything for anyone. But the universe seemed to be shouting at me that my plan wasn’t quite right. It still needed (and needs) time to take shape.
I had great plans for an elaborate Elastic Mind website. A Choose Your Own Adventure-style site that step-by-step helped a small business owner to build or improve their website. I designed it to show just how helpful I can be, how much help I could provide. I thought my site had to make a splash. A big one. I didn’t plan on anyone connecting with innerpreneurship or my blog as deeply as they have. I thought my business site would need to be my showpiece.
After working for months on it, writing 100+ pages of content, this week I realized that yesterday’s strategy didn’t meet today’s reality. I needed to adapt and change the plan. The site just didn’t make sense for me or my business anymore.
So I am packing away all the content I wrote and adapting what has been built to create a much simpler but still effective site. My goal for the last 10 months changed overnight.
I don’t feel like I failed or wasted time as it was a learning experience and I understand that what I know today, I did not know yesterday. My business today is different from what it was yesterday.
I have grown and my everchanging plans prove that.
