What stands between you and reaching your full potential?

Complacency.

It’s the quiet killer of any business, organization or brand. The world is continually changing and will shamelessly leave behind those unwilling to adjust. The good news is that we believe simple and seemingly small changes in how you think and express yourself, can make all the difference in the world. Literally.

First, you need to understand, or at least acknowledge, that a significant shift has taken place in the world in which we live. We no longer inhabit one physical world. Life now plays out in the “real world” and the “virtual” with the rise of social media, smartphones, the internet and the vast number of ways in which we can communicate and connect to the rest of the world.

Second, you need to understand what effect this is having on society. Our world is becoming more and more homogeneous and ironically, the more we are connected, the more disconnected and singular we become. As the depths of our new virtual world swallow up our individuality, confidence, and sense of self-worth, we are yearning to find ways to reestablish who we are and what makes us unique. We want the choices we make to add value and meaning to our lives and align with who we are at our core.

We are longing for culture in an increasingly cultureless world. We are longing for truth and affirmation and look for it in everything, including and maybe even especially, our place of work. People, more than ever, want to matter.

And that is why we are here. To help you, your company and employees, and all those you touch, matter by creating a brand and culture built from the inside out, based on the core values through which you live and breathe.

What exactly do we mean by culture? As Angela Duckworth said, “at its core, a culture is defined by the shared norms and values of a group of people.” That’s it. But it’s not enough to simply say what your values are; you have to prove it in every aspect of your company and every detail, action, and reaction. You must be clear verbally, visually, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Only then, will anyone else take notice and want to be a part of the culture you have created. Only then can you make people matter.

Ask yourself this, how are people suppose to know who you are, much less identify with you, if you do not know yourself? How can you bring value to the existence of others, if you do not see the value in your own existence?

So, forget about your clients, forget about your ideal target audience, forget about your current brand. Forget about everything. Let’s define who you are, grow your culture and go from there. And it starts with you and your employees. Let’s give value and meaning to your company and the role each employee plays to make that meaning a living and breathing truth by working from the inside out.

Just remember, people no longer want their job to be a means to an end. They want their job to be a positive part of their life. After all, most will spend nearly five full days out of seven at their place of work. Life is short. And that’s a lot of time to waste in a place that is unfulfilling. I’m not saying your job needs to define you, and I’m certainly not saying you need to spoil your employees or cater to their every need, but I am saying a person’s place of work needs to complement their values and be a source of meaning. When they find this, they work harder, communicate better, feel more fulfilled in even the most mundane job and promote your company naturally. A healthy company culture allows for deeper connections to those externally, and your brand becomes living and breathing before you ever start thinking about your logo.

Just remember, it’s not what you do or how you do it… it’s why you do it.

PS – I wrote this before we figured out our name, direction, strategy, etc. We’ve come a long way since March 30, 2018 but I love the thoughts that started it all.