RELATIONSHIPS

HOW DO YOU RELATE TO THE WORLD?

In asking this final question in our final course, we’re circling back around to the first question: who are you?

An equally challenging question to “Who are you?” is “How do you relate to the world?” These are separate questions that inform and support each other, you and them. Relationships take work, and knowing yourself is hard work sometimes, too. Truly the treasure of being an entrepreneur is not fame or fortune, it’s the freedom to authentically be yourself, and having the loving relationships that support and reward that authenticity.

The question of “How do you relate to the world?” is made of many other questions. What’s your plan to maintain and grow those relationships? How can you position yourself to be helpful in the future? 

You’ve discovered yourself, and your audience, but what is the tone of that relationship? What do you promise, and for what audience segments? What is the one thing that you want to be known as the world’s expert on? 

You’ve put together an organization of your allies, but what are those relationships based on? How do they interact with you, and with each other, and with your audience? 

You’ve named your channels, but what kind of relationships do those channels empower you to have? What is your message, and how will it shift for each channel?

With these questions, you enter the nebulous realm of “brand.” Branding is how you simplify the numerous relationships you have into a similar style, form, and tone. This is what builds trust in who you are no matter who is talking to whom. Relationships are built on trust, and trust is the key to unlocking word-of-mouth and referrals