Your business is an extension of you, so while it IS separate, there will always be some ways that you're reflected in it.
It will always reflect your strengths and weaknesses.
It will always reflect your personality.
And most importantly, your business will always reflect your personal core values.
They are the foundation and framework that your business is built on.
When you intentionally develop your core values, they increase your speed for decision making, help you avoid costly mistakes, reduce stress, and allow you to stay true to yourself and your customers.
The business will always reflect what you care about. So what are your core values?
Here are a few of mine as an example:
✔️ Authenticity: I always want my community to know I am being real with them. This means I don't only share the good stuff, I share it all. I want them to have the whole story and see even the ugly parts of my business and my life.
✔️ Relatability: I always want people to connect with my message and say “Oh wow, me too!” I want them to feel like we are in this together in our struggles and experiences.
✔️ Humor: I’ve got a naturally sarcastic and playful sense of humor in my everyday life. I want to use this to entertain and engage people and also lighten the mood so that they can hear the hard truth sometimes.
I always tell my clients we need to lighten up and have some fun because believe it or not, we're not creating oxygen.
✔️ Approachability: Regardless of how big my network and community eventually becomes, I always want to be approachable, this is one reason I have my dog in my branding, that's part of who I am and I know it makes me look and feel more approachable.
✔️ Generosity: I am a giver to the core and my business is no exception. I want generosity to shine through everything I do, and I also want to influence others to be generous as well. With our time, money and energy.
I have a few more that I won't go into major detail on, but they are things like: integrity, personal responsibility, challenge, encouragement, etc.
By being clear on my core values, I can make decisions for my business and for the future that align with these (and other) values.
Even as my life changes and my business evolves, knowing my core values for my business allows me to stay true to myself.
So what are yours? What do you care about that you also want the business to be about? What is a passion or purpose in your life that you want to transfer to be a business passion or purpose? What do you value that the business also needs to value?
I'm partnering with Becky Straw, co-founder of The Adventure Project, a new nonprofit “adding venture” capital to support entrepreneurs in developing countries. If you'd like to help support entrepreneurial farmers in developing countries, please click here to donate! Adrienne Dorison - The Adventure Project Campaign. -- adriennedorison.com/adventureproject