treat your business daily like a secret shopper is coming: here’s why
when you look back at your life, can you immediately recall mile markers that sent you down a path that forever changed your trajectory, friend?
i get reflective during this time of year and whipped up an article for my new column at inc. magazine to share a story about how a 2013 article in the same publication sent my business in a new direction that later helped me sell it. i also pull out a bunch of lessons i learned along the way.
here are some cliffs notes-style highlights (you can read them in their entirety here):
people are interacting with your business in ways you’ll never know and they’re talking about it: sometimes in your favor, sometimes not. it’s important to think about how to attract the right people, who will get the outcomes you promise in your work, because it’s truly for them. this is the greatest act of empathy as a service provider: to be clear about who your offer is/are for and, by proxy, for whom it’s not.
why you need to get familiar with intellectual property law when you name your business
pay attention to the signals that are showing up. even if it wasn’t in your business plan, it might need to be.
why clickbait headlines can make you think that someone is trying to take down your business, when in fact, their writing about you helped pivot your future into an entirely new direction.
“command f” is your time-saving friend when you want to find a keyword on a page full of digital words
it’s tough to see your own shadow. meaning, we are so close to our skills and gifts, that it can be easy to write them off as “obvious” or “not valuable”. but they are. and it often takes an outside viewer to mirror that back to us.
one tiny action can have a huge impact. don’t underestimate the power of small and consistent actions.
now it’s your turn: i'd love to hear about a mile marker moment in your life, where it took you, and what you learned. will you hit ‘reply’ and share with me?
remember this as you dive back into your work today: you never know who's paying attention. so show up every day as though the writer of an inc. article will be shopping your business secretly and you want what (s)he says to be a portal into your businesses' next chapter.
click here to read the full story and lessons i'm referencing