We’re Built On These 4 Things
Having a solid business philosophy means that your practical decisions are guided by set principles. Here are our 4 guides.
1. Creative Partnerships
CREATIVITY is a natural human drive that gives life a sense of meaning and purpose and business is a creative venture. Building a business means building something sacred, something great. Even businesses that seem mundane on the surface are expressions of creativity. CNBC’s Blue Collar Millionaires gives us a peek into how people got creative rolling up their sleeves and forged a path to wealth by meeting very ordinary needs.
Thriving relationships is another primal human need. They aren’t always easy but they are necessary and working to make relationships win-win experiences is a fulfilling endeavor.
Sometimes creativity and relationships clash. But working through those times is also an exercise in creativity. And while sometimes relationships end due to creative differences, we prefer to see that as the exception and not the rule.
When creative partnerships are flowing in a profitable direction, each person finds their unique role, and contributes to benefit the vision while staying in their lanes. It’s work and it requires a measure of humility but it’s always worth it. We value creative partnerships.
2. Substantive Branding
Andre Agassi famously said, “Image is everything.” But think about it. In middle school some of the girls stuffed their bras. Pads and hair extensions can improve an image for a day but come bedtime it’s all just socks and wigs. Everyone concedes that “branding” is about image in some ways. But brands and businesses that last are built on substance.
When tasked with branding a startup or rebranding a struggling business, the best approach is to do the heavy lifting of soul searching and values discovery. Build a brand based on your values, align them with market research, and then connect the dots and tell your story. Not just the story of how you got here, or how your business benefits you, but how your business benefits your market. Even a compelling company history must tell the story of how the market was the beneficiary.
3. Tech Knowledge is Power
Tech and trends are a blur. So it’s keep up or die. It’s no longer survival of the fittest; it’s survival of the fastest. Status quo is out; fluxus quo is in. But being up on tech doesn’t mean always jumping on the latest tech widget; it means using what works best until something works better.
Many businesses view technology as a threat. We prefer to see it as an opportunity. But it’s only an opportunity when you always have contingency plans — not IF, but when — things change. So a lot of energy and time is put into studying the latest tech tools for digital communications.
4. Trust is Currency
Integrity is the quality of being completely honest. A quality that can seem rare and a bit old fashioned. Some might even call it naive or weak. But integrity also has to do with being sound in construction. Strong. “Structural integrity” is kind of a big deal if you’re driving on a bridge.
Businesses that are willing compromise in the currency of trust for a quick profit aren’t all that smart and they certainly aren’t strong. They’re shaky. They’re weakened by esteeming money over honesty. Any financial gain achieved by dishonesty is a sandcastle that crumbles in time and the tide always rolls in. Trust is the best currency and money will follow if trust comes first.
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