Building a Brand Fueled by Purpose with Chris Olsen

Hello, my dear ones. I have a very fantastic and timely episode for you today. This is the first interview for soul guide radio, and I love that it’s all about branding. But not just any kind of branding. It’s about building a brand fueled by purpose. And I had the absolute pleasure today to speak with the lovely Chris Olsen, who just wrote a really, really fantastic book titled Whyography,   building a brand fueled by purpose.

[00:00:36] And it’s really interesting because I just spent the last four months going deep inside to rebrand my whole entire business. And I just had this conversation with her and I was like, huh. There are so many times in my re- brand that I was too light or even neglected my why and sharing my why with you.

[00:01:01] And so, as a result of this conversation I had with Chris, I’m going to be going back in and inserting my why’s in all sorts of places that I just neglected. And I’m kind of just like really surprised, um, how easy it can be to neglect saying what your, why is and sharing it with your people so powerful and so important.

[00:01:27] So in today’s episode, we explore what your why is and how it helps you attract ideal clients. How to clarify your why. And Chris shares her top tips for how we can infuse our why into our brand. I benefited from that, let me tell you. We’ll end on an invitation that will have you building a brand fueled by your purpose so you can build an audience of just the right people.

[00:01:56] So be sure to stay with us until the end. Welcome to soul guide radio. A podcast for soul guided leaders, influencers, and entrepreneurs here to bring about change,  on a massive level, we explore how you can activate your big soul mission, amplify your intuitive gifts and clear the energy blocks weighing you down so you can gain unstoppable momentum in life, love and business.

[00:02:27] I’m Allyson, Scammell your host and soul guide.

[00:02:39] well, Hey there, soul guide circle. That is the name of this community of soul guided leaders, influencers and entrepreneurs in the soul guide circle, we have big solo missions and are ready to earn more, serve more and grow spiritually along the way. If you aren’t already a member, then I invite you to join our Facebook group of over 1100 leaders in lightworkers,

[00:03:01] who are in service to each other and the planet. So today I’m speaking to Chris Olson about her great new book and how to build a brand fueled by purpose. Chris Olson is a radio veteran, turned communications consultant, educator and author through her work as a consultant, partnering with startups, Chris realized her why to support women owned businesses and confidently communicating their purpose and impact setting them up for entrepreneurial success.

[00:03:34] She created my founder story as a platform for doing so. I had a blast speaking with Chris. She was so much fun. I learned so much. So may you get as much from her wisdom as I did.

[00:03:56] Welcome Chris, thanks so much for being with us today. Thank you for having me this morning or today  Allyson yeah. It’s afternoon where I am. And it’s morning where Chris is. And Chris, you are the first interview. I don’t know when your episode is going to be released, but in terms of my recording of this interview, you’re the first in the newly branded podcasts soul guide, radio.

[00:04:19] That’s so exciting I’m so excited to be the first and can’t wait, can’t wait to hear it and see the rebrand. Yeah. And I love that we’re talking about this because I’ve been eyeballs deep in a branding effort for like the last four months. Yeah, it’s very timely. It’s very timely. So you just wrote a book.

[00:04:38] Congratulations. Thank you. Yep. I wrote a book called whyography, building a brand fueled by purpose. Beautiful. I love whyography.   That’s great. I’m going to talk a little bit more about, um, how I use the why question, um, a little bit later, but before we get to that, I’d love to know what inspired you to write this book.

[00:04:58] Well, so in 2019, I launched in-person whyography workshops, which were, uh, workshops that guided women business owners through the process of getting clear on their why and creating their whyography, which is essentially their brand story. Um, and we did those workshops for more than a year and had our schedule.

[00:05:20] all set for 2020 and then the pandemic happened. Um, so when gathering in person was no longer an option, I decided it was a great time to kind of put everything from the workshops into a book. Um, and I had more time to do that. And then I also wanted the book to really showcase the stories of those purpose-driven women business owners, who had

[00:05:46] attended workshops and, um, who I had worked with in other ways and consulting. Um, and then I also wanted to raise money for grants for entrepreneurs. Cause my, uh, company provides grants for women entrepreneurs. So it was sort of all of those things into one. Those were, those are my, um, that was my inspiration.

[00:06:03] Beautiful. So I’d love to know how you define what one’s, why is, and why does it matter that we tap into our why in our life and business? Yeah, I say your, why is your purpose? It’s really your values and actions. So it’s how you’re showing up. And, uh, it’s, it’s your north star. So when you’re off track your why is what sort of points you in the right direction?

[00:06:28] It keeps you moving forward. And really, I believe it matters for many good reasons. There’s lots of resources out there that shows people who pursue their purpose are happier and healthier and live longer. But it also matters in business because now more than ever, people are supporting businesses that are aligned with their values, um, and not just consumers.

[00:06:52] So employees are choosing where they want to work based on their values. And investors are choosing where they invest based on values because, uh, purpose driven businesses actually perform better in the stock market. So, um, all of that support means that, you know, purpose, business, purpose driven businesses are more successful.

[00:07:12] So there’s lots of data to back that up. And it’s, it’s especially important for women owned businesses because women receive fewer resources and opportunities, um, to, you know, start and grow businesses than our male counterparts. So I’m particularly passionate about helping women business owners so they can, um, you know, get that advantage of, of all of those wonderful benefits that come from leaving, living a purpose and leading a purpose driven business.

[00:07:38] I love that. I did not know that purpose driven businesses perform better in places like the stock market. That’s awesome. Yeah. Love, love, love. So one of the things I tell people who a lot of my clients are very purpose-driven soul guided entrepreneurs and even, uh, people in this audience work in government and corporate and other places too.

[00:08:01] Um, and they come to me and say, I’m on path, I’m on mission to, you know, doing what I really feel called to do. And I’m really burned out, like I’m exhausted on this trail. And one of the things I tell them when they get to that point, of Tired is to return to their why? Like, why are you doing it? Why is it so important?

[00:08:23] And I think that can sometimes help them prioritize and help them get the things that aren’t on their why list off their to do list. So, um, yeah. Do you, uh, aligned to that or do you support that? Oh, totally. I think that, um, I think we all have a why uh, it’s not always evident, but there are signs throughout our lives that lead to it.

[00:08:46] And, you know, it’s a process to kind of finding your why that’s, what our workshops are all about. And that’s what the book is all about. It’s really involves kind of exploring your upbringing, your values. Uh, your personality, your strengths, kind of what you bring to the table. And then it really is a process of self-reflection and looking at what are the people and events that have influenced you to where you are today.

[00:09:10] Um, so I, I absolutely subscribe to that. And I think a lot of times what happens is, um, We’re not completely clear on our why, so it’s, it’s easy to kind of get separated from it or get off track. And so I think it’s really important to get clear on it. And so, as you’re talking about, when you have those moments where you’re burnt out, or you feel like, God, I don’t know if I can do this anymore.

[00:09:32] You know, that you are really clear on it, on, you know, what it is that you, uh, what’s your purpose? What do you want? What’s your legacy? What do you want to, you know, be known for or leave behind? And so, um, I absolutely agree with you on that. Nice. So let’s get into it. What is the process that you take people through to help clarify their why?

[00:09:52] So we really do explore all of those sort of areas, uh, that I mentioned in, in the workshop, you know, what was nice about writing the book is I could really expand and people can take their time to work through the process. It’s a little trickier when you’re doing a two hour workshop, right? Cause you have to, you know, you’re really looking at sort of some deep things.

[00:10:10] And, um, so what we typically focus on in workshops are values because really your values are sort of the main thing that your, why is connected to, so I say, um, if you’re just getting started, the easiest way to do that is to just create a list of your top 10 values, um, and focus on values you live by rather than those that are aspirational.

[00:10:34] Because a lot of times we’re like, um, you know, I want to be this, or I see myself as this, but I’m not quite there yet. Right. So one way that you can think about the values that show up in your day-to-day life are, how do you spend your money, right? Like where do you put your hard earned dollars? So I, we do this exercise where, where we ask women to, we first asked them to think about brands that they boycott.

[00:11:00] Um, choose not to support because for whatever reason, maybe you don’t like the business practices. Maybe you don’t like the CEO of the company. There’s lots of reasons, right? Maybe they have a political affiliation you don’t agree with. So we’re always kind of really, um, we can think more quickly about the brands we are adamant about not supporting and maybe you don’t boycott it right.

[00:11:21] Choose not to, um, support it. Um, so I, I, you know, we lead people through the process of like, what are those brands and what are the values that are attached to that, like, that that brand doesn’t align with. Right? And so you start there and then think about brands that you do support and why do you support them and what are the values that are connected with that?

[00:11:43] So, so that’s how we kind of get to values you live by, and then you really need to look for connections between what your core values are and specific people or causes that you’re passionate about supporting. And you know, that can be in your work, in your, um, you know, if you’re you work in a corporate or government or whatever in your business, uh, in your volunteer efforts or whatever that might be.

[00:12:10] So. Um, as an example, two of my values are empowerment and education. So my business, my founder story supports women business owners. So when I connect my values and the people, my business serves, my why you know, becomes a little clear, which is empowering and educating women business owners. So that’s sort of how you start the process, but it really, you know, it takes some reflection and kind of digging into, you know, who you are and what matters.

[00:12:39] Nice. Nice. So one of the things I just want to throw this out there for fun. Um, uh, I work with, uh, my clients to connect to their higher self or the voice of their intuition or that gut response or your heart, or however you describe it. And I take them through a process to also get, um, They’re what I call the soul mission.

[00:13:02] And I, I define the soul mission as your highest why like the, your, your, your highest, highest, why, which I think is what you’re talking about too, in terms of why, um, do you ever just tap in using this absolutely values actions? Yeah. And then just like, what’s my heart say? Or my gut say. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that’s what it all boils down to.

[00:13:23] Right. It’s like, what is your heart telling you? And so I think, you know, the reasons we get separated from our why, or we get off track is because we’re not listening to what our heart or our soul says, you know, and we get distracted by other, by other things. Sometimes we’re distracted by money or, you know, status or whatever that might be.

[00:13:42] And so, and we’re not listening to that. So, yeah, I, I  that’s absolutely part of it. Nice. Well, I think that, you know, just you saying, um, purpose driven businesses perform better, which I did not know. Um, I think a lot of myself and members of this audience have probably at certain times thought, oh, it’s harder to have a purpose, business driven, purpose driven business, you know, like, um, you know, we have to do traditional masculine sales and marketing to succeed because that’s what successful.

[00:14:12] Well, and you’re telling us actually, that’s not the case. Right, exactly. Right. It’s not, yeah. It’s not true. I love that. So what are your top tips and how we can infuse our why into our brand and I’m going to be taking copious notes here because I’m going through a rebrand right now. Yeah. So, you know, the thing about it is if you’re not clearly communicating your why in your branding and your business communications, then you’re really missing out on connecting with others to share

[00:14:43] your values. Cause the whole point is you’re, you know, using your why and your messaging and how you talk about your business is what is going to connect you with others who share your values and who believe in your mission, who support your purpose and you know, that higher self that you’re trying to be.

[00:15:01] They, you know, they align with that, right? So if you’re not talking about it. If you’re not sharing it with the world, then how will you ever, you know, you’re missing out on connecting with, with those people. So it’s one thing to say. Yeah, I know my why, but then if you’re not infusing it into your brand, um, you know, you’re not, you’re not all the way there yet.

[00:15:21] So one of the best ways to infuse your why into your brand is to create a why statement or, you know, sort of a mantra, uh, and sharing it in your marketing. So putting it on your website and you’re in your social media and, you know, even in your employee manual or whatever that looks like for you. Um, so why statement is sort of like a mission statement, but it really is specifically

[00:15:42] targeted at, uh, or, you know, specific to your purpose or your why? So, one of the things that came out of those workshops that we did, um, is something I call a tiny why statement exercise, um, because we get to the end of workshop and inevitably there’d always be at least one woman, who’d say, oh, okay, okay.

[00:16:02] If I tell you about my business, will you just tell me my why? You know, because it’s hard. It’s sometimes it’s hard to go through that process and to like boil all that information down. So your tiny, why statement is something that really just combines two things. It combines what I call a power verb and your ideal customer.

[00:16:21] So if you start there a power verb describes Kind of how you’re serving others right now. So some example, um, and I, I share these on my website too, but some examples are words like educates or promotes, supports, served. So they’re words that are sort of, uh, they’re verbs that really, you know, sort of, uh, are powerfully share, you know, how you’re serving others.

[00:16:46] For example, um, my power verb is empowers, right? So you, so that would be my power verb. And then I combine that with my ideal customer. My, my ideal customer is my target audience. So, but  stated in a really succinct way. So for me, that’s female business, business founders, right? If I were just going to do a tiny why statement, it would be my founder story  empowers  female business founders.

[00:17:12] So you start there. Um, and then from there you can turn it into a why statement, which is, so you need to add an impact statement to that. So you do that by adding so that onto the end of it, and then stating how, um, you’re making a difference or what you’re doing to serve your idea. So for me, that would be my founder story, empowers female business  founders, so that they receive opportunities and resources to succeed.

[00:17:42] So there, I have a why statement. Right. Um, so even though I haven’t necessarily done all that work, uh, of getting clear on my values and all of that stuff, right. I’ve, I’ve done. I’ve, I’ve gotten started. So that’s really like what you can do once you have that  tiny, why statement? And then your why statement is just work on refining it.

[00:18:02] You know, keep, keep working at it, keep making different versions of it, um, until it feels right, but always uses that formula where it’s sort of like a power verb, ideal customer, and an impact statement. So, I mean, then the other, the other piece of that is the key to infusing your why into your brand is shifting the way you talk about your business and leading with your why instead of your what?

[00:18:26] So you talked just a few minutes ago about like, not doing the, sort of the traditional marketing, right? Where that we’re used to, that we’ve been conditioned to talk about our, what, this is what I do. I do it better than everyone else. You know, it’s always about your what, right? Think about how many times

[00:18:43] so you’ve met someone new at a networking event or whatever, and they ask you, what do you do? Um, it’s always, what do you do? It’s not, why do you do it? Right? And so the idea behind leading with your, why is that your, like the why statement I just shared with you didn’t even mention what I do, but you got a really clear indicator of what’s important to me and what my purpose is.

[00:19:04] I can, I can carry out my why, I can deliver my why in a million different ways. So it doesn’t, you know, of course what you do matters, but it doesn’t really, you know, what we’re getting at here is leading with your why, so that you’re connecting with others who, um, you know, I could sell whatever widgets, right.

[00:19:24] And a lot of people sell widgets, but it’s my why that is, is what makes me different. And  is my differentiator. So, um, you start with your why, if you want to reach others who care about what you and your, uh, you and your business care about. I love that. I love that. So Chris, I gotta do it. I gotta do it. I got to tell you my why statement.

[00:19:44] I love it. I see two flaws that I need to fix you going to meet through them and ways to make it better. So I’ve got some of your formula, but not all of it. Here it is.  I help soul guided leaders, influencers and entrepreneurs grow a prosperous business by amplifying their spiritual gifts, activating their big soul mission and releasing the blocks tethering them down.

[00:20:07] So what you’re saying is I should change I help to something more powerful, right? Exactly. Yeah. I mean, help is a power verb it is, you know, it’s on my list of power verbs, but there, I, I give a list on my website of 20 power verbs, and I can share those with your audience too, so I can provide a link, um, and help is on there.

[00:20:27] Um, support is on there. So, but I feel like, you know, there are some that might resonate more with you as you look at that list, right? You might want to use empower, you know, or you might want. Uh, whatever, educate. There are some words that I think, um, but I, I, it’s still really good. I think you’ve, uh, the, the key also to why statement is, um, so yours is long.

[00:20:47] And so what you wanted, the why the tiny why statement is important is because if you can’t remember the long wise statement that you’ve created, you could probably. You know, remember your tiny, why statement? My founder story empowers female business founders. Right. I can always remember that. So if you start there, then when you’re on the elevator or you’re just meeting someone in passing, you could say that that rolls off the top of your tongue.

[00:21:12] And that’s really important. Like if. Lead with your, why you have to be able to say it and, and, and not lose your thought on it. You know? So the other thing is keep it as succinct as possible and have both that tiny version and then the longer version, but yours is fantastic. Okay. And the better one better one for you, not a better one for you.

[00:21:32] I  empower soul guided entrepreneurs to earn more, serve more and grow spiritually along the way. Perfect. Perfect. And you did that on the fly. See? And so the advantage you have though, Allyson is that you’ve done a lot of this work. It’s easy for you and I to talk about these things. Like it’s no big deal.

[00:21:50] Right. But, um, um, but it does take some, you know, it does take some digging into like what matters to you and, and the work that you do too, which is sort of like, what does, what’s your heart telling you? What do you really want to be doing? Yes. Yeah, absolutely. And, um, I love what you’re saying about the less is more and I totally believe that, um, that, um, the tiny, I like the tiny of the tiny why, and I love the, so that it’s something that I take my clients

[00:22:18] through all the time, because we are wired to kind of tell our, our potential clients what they’re going to get. You won’t get this and that and the other thing, but what’s the, so that what’s the impact. Yeah. Yeah. And this, I always say the, so that is what they’re actually going to be motivated to invest in.

[00:22:34] Exactly, exactly. Yep. So, so good. This is good. Good stuff. Um, all right. So. Tell us, Chris, what should we try to avoid? Or what are some wrong ways we could approach infusing our why into our brand or creating a why statement or any of this? Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think, you know, this is true of anything, but avoid using your why in a performative way, right?

[00:23:02] Like don’t just, I just suggested sharing your why in your marketing. And so I think there, there are definitely companies that have sort of a mission statement or why statement. Um, and then your, I mean, consumers are smart and they’re savvy and they do their homework now. So if you’re not really doing what you say you’re doing in your why statement, they’ll find out, you know, I mean, they’re going to figure it out.

[00:23:24] So if you’re just doing it because you’re like, oh, Hey, I just read research that says purpose driven businesses perform better. So I’m going to, you know, I’m going to put this purpose statement or this why statement out and it’s going to help me generate more business. Well, um, you know, people, you can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.

[00:23:45] So I would say, you know, what you should avoid is just, is doing it purely for marketing. Um, if your why truly matters to you, it needs to show up in all aspects of your business. And so what are some key places that you would guide people to place their why? So I always say, you know, once you have that why statement put that on your website, like where people can see it, um, put it in your social media, you know, in your descriptions on Instagram or whatever your LinkedIn, whatever your social media platforms are

[00:24:15] put it there. Yeah. When you eventually, write uh, you know, your brand story and infuse your, why into your brand story, uh, you know, share that with the world. So it’s really about, um, sharing it over and over and over again, um, in all of your marketing on your website. Um, and then again, as I said, if you know that tiny why statement, or even, you know, have your longer, why statement memorized, talk about it with people.

[00:24:39] Dont’ lead with what you’re doing, lead with, why you’re doing it. And then the, what will come as you continue to talk. You know, if someone’s, if someone’s like, oh, that’s really cool. I believe in what you’re, you know, in that too, then, you know, the conversation goes on and you start to talk about here’s what I do for my clients, or here’s what I do for my customers.

[00:24:59] Uh, and then, you know, that’s, the benefit is you’re, you’re building a community, you’re building advocates for your brand in that way. So put it everywhere you can. Nice. You know, as I hear you talk, um, I realized that I don’t have my why enough in my new brand. I’m just like, it’s not enough. It’s not clear enough.

[00:25:20] Yeah. It’s interesting. Because at workshops, people will say, um, Well, you know, if I say it over, cause I say do a social media post once a week, that has your why statement in it. And people will say, well, isn’t that just too much? Like, are people going to get sick of hearing it? And you know, my background is really marketing.

[00:25:37] I worked in radio for, for 12 years. And so, you know, the statistics back then were sort of like someone needed to hear a message seven times before they even remembered it. Right. And so advertising was sort of based around, like you got to have the frequency well now because of, um, you know, the internet and like people are getting saturated with so much information.

[00:25:58] You really need to hear something, read something dozens of times, times before it really sort of sinks in and resonates with folks. So I say, don’t be afraid to use it once a week, use it all the time, put it in your website. Um, you know, just because you’re, you might be feeling like, oh, I’ve, I’ve said it too much.

[00:26:17] Uh, it doesn’t mean that everyone else’s, you know, is going, gosh, she says that all the time, you know, and it’s your why so you should be saying it all the time. It should be something that you are leading with. And then. You know, that’s your heart, right? That’s your soul. So, um, I say put it everywhere.

[00:26:36] Nice, nice. I love it. Um, and it’s always so much interesting as the consumer to read about somebody’s why than what they do. It’s just more, yeah. Interesting. Right? Exactly. Makes for a better story. Exactly right. So let’s practice this here. Um, how, if you could provide us an example of a way to lead with your why? So let’s say we’re starting our interview or we’re in a sales conversation or something.

[00:27:00] And I say, Hey, Chris, tell me about your work. I would say my social enterprise is my founder story. I am dedicated to empowering women business owners. And then you might say to me, well, how do you do that? You know? And so then I talk about, you know, I do workshops, I coach women one-on-one and I, then I can get into, you know, sort of the, what I do and get into more of that.

[00:27:22] But, you know, you can really just keep it simple invite the, the person that you’re talking to to ask, ask you, well, how do you do that? You know, how do you bring that to, how do you bring your why to the world? And it happens naturally. Yeah. And when you just said, I am dedicated to you, you automatically got my attention.

[00:27:39] Like I was just like, Ooh, she’s dedicated. It’s a, it is a power verb. You know, it is. Yeah, it is definitely power verb. I liked that. I liked that. So we’ll definitely, if it’s all right, Chris, we’ll get a link to your power verbs, um, to put in the show notes. Yeah, we’ve got, um, I’ll share with you the link to the tiny why statement activity.

[00:27:59] So it has all the instructions for creating your time. Your why statement and I’ll, I’ll send that. I like that tiny why cool, cool. Cool. So let’s talk about how we can use our why or how we can use, um, our brand fueled by purpose to actually build an audience like attracted new people and attracted new clients.

[00:28:21] Well, so I mean, a lot of it is what I just shared with you, but I can use my own. Uh, business as an example. So I launched, I’ve been a communications consultant since I left radio. So I left radio in 2006 and then launched my own consultancy and really worked with a lot of different clients. Through that process realized that I was really passionate about working with, um, female business founders.

[00:28:45] And so, you know, that’s sort of what led me to my why. And so I launched my founder story as a way to then elevate the stories of these purpose driven women, business owners. And so I launched in, uh, in 2018 and I you know, have used my why and taught other people how to, you know, find their why, and, and lead with their why, and was able to sort of build that platform organically.

[00:29:12] And now we have a community of 10,000 email subscribers and, you know, I think we have something like 7,000 Instagram followers and these are dedicated community of women, business owners and supporters who are interested in purpose driven businesses. Right? And so the, the point is that I have shared that in everything that I’ve done.

[00:29:35] And so that has then allowed me to build this platform and continue to attract an audience and clients that are also dedicated to that. So then once you have that audience, you know, then. I write a book and write. And so then it’s sort of like, oh, those are the folks that want to buy the book. Right. I’ve created an audience that is, um, interested in my why.

[00:29:57] And specifically what I, you know, they’re also interested in supporting women business owners and empowering women business owners. And so, you know, they buy the book because it helps support grants and they want to, um, uh, you know, learn that for themselves. So it really is doing all of those things that I mentioned, just being consistent and leading with your why.

[00:30:17] And then not making it performative, actually doing it. We’ve provided over $200,000 in, um, in grants and services to women owned businesses. So we’re doing the work that we say we’re passionate about, and that is our why. So, um, that it’s really just leading with it in everything that we do. Nice, nice. I love that.

[00:30:38] And it really is what  you talked about at the beginning of the conversation is that it is that like attracts, like, and if you’re looking to do business with someone, whatever it is you want to buy, you want to, you’re looking for that person, that thing that shares your values. Yeah, that’s so cool. And so, okay.

[00:30:58] I can sense there’s some listeners out there who’s like, oh, this is great. But Chris and Allyson have been in business for a long time and they’ve got these cool words, but, um, I, I don’t know, like I don’t, I’m not sure. I’m not sure. And. Like I get this a lot from my clients. It’s like, they can feel it, but they can’t sit.

[00:31:19] They don’t have the nicely polished marketing words to say it. Right. So what do you say to someone like that? Like, I, I sense it, but I feel unclear and I don’t have the words to describe it. Say, make a tiny why statement. Right. Just, just do, you know, cause that’s, that’s not difficult to do, right? Like it’s, it’s fairly simple to do a tiny why statement and then just put it out in the world and see the response you get.

[00:31:44] You know, like do an experiment for yourself and see how it resonates with people. Because I think it’s sort of like the proof is in the pudding, right? It’s like once you start doing it, it’s amazing. I think it’s amazing to see what happens when I launched my founder story and, uh, and the community started to come because of my messaging and what I was saying.

[00:32:05] It was sort of like, okay, it’s that affirmation that it is the right thing. So start small. I think that is the the easiest way or the easiest thing to tell folks to do is just make that tiny why statement, you know, and, and just see what happens. And, um, you know, it’s sort of taking that. It’s like taking the leap to entrepreneurship really, you know, it’s sort of like, you just have to do it eventually.

[00:32:28] Right? You can think about it for a long time. And at some point you just have to do it. Uh, and, and see if it works or not quoting Amelia Earhart, the only way to do it is to do it. Right. Exactly. That’s exactly right. That’s what I would say. Just pull the trigger on it and, and do it and see what happens. And I think what happens is it feels really good.

[00:32:49] You’re like, oh my God. I’m also connecting with other people who believe in this, you know? And so, uh, and it feels good to do that. And then it, it sort of inspires you to keep moving forward and, you know, going back to what we talked about earlier, when you get off track, right. When you’re feeling more now, um, I mean, I’m sure you felt this too.

[00:33:06] I felt plenty of times, especially. You know, during the last year, which has been a tough year, right. It’s sort of like, do I really want to be in business for myself anymore? You know, it’s really hard. It’s hard during a pandemic. It’s hard normally. Right. But then I think about my, why is empowering, you know, female business founders and, and I always come back to that and always, you know, it always reenergizes me when I’m feeling like I can’t, I can’t do this anymore.

[00:33:31] Is this the right thing to do? Keeps you moving forward. It’s the fuel. 100hundred percent, absolutely 100%. And I think all entrepreneurs, we have our dark nights of the soul and we don’t have, like, I did 17 years, uh, you know, working for government and international government. And when I had a bad day, I could go to work and just sort of coast, right?

[00:33:53] Exactly. Just like, kind of go under the radar. Yeah. Get a long coffee with a colleague hangout and I’d still get my paycheck, but we know as entrepreneurs, you can’t, you can kind of do that but, if you want to make continuous income, it’s kind of about showing up pretty consistently and that can lead to burn out.

[00:34:14] It can lend to all lead, to lead, to burnout and all sorts of things. And when you are in that dark place and you’re like, oh, I just feel like giving up your why’s going to keep you going. And as this podcast title says, it’s really that it’s going to fuel, you know, building a brand fueled by purpose. And I think the purpose is going to fuel your business.

[00:34:33] Yeah, exactly. That’s exactly right. It’s the thing that keeps you, keeps you going and you know, and then you can, what I love to do is think about, you know, workshops or specific times where I’ve had someone give me that feedback about my, why. I mean, even, just keep a file of that, right? Like of people who.

[00:34:54] Who have relayed specific comments or feedback to you about the, why part of your business and look back at that whenever you’re feeling like, oh my gosh, can I do that? Can I still do this? And that’s the thing that’s like, if I think about these women who are like, you’ve truly made a difference in my life, in this with, by sharing this information or, you know, by providing this service, um, that’s the thing that’ll keep you going.

[00:35:19] Absolutely so beautiful. And then the last thing I’ll just say about getting the clarity. I totally agree with Chris, just get something out there, right? Like something on paper is better than a blank sheet and then get out there and do your work, you know, connect with your people, Write your social media content.

[00:35:35] If you’re a service-based person, do your client calls and your sessions and your classes, and the clarity will come from the work from your people. From the responses, from your creativity, the clarity will come. And so don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good as my old boss used to say. Exactly.

[00:35:55] Absolutely. All right. So Chris, I’m going to put you on the spot again. Um, I always ask, I used to ask my interviewees to leave our listeners with a challenge, but I’ve, I’ve shifted a little bit here and soul guide radio. And I ask my guests to leave our listeners with an invitation. And this is you inviting them to do something or be someone or inviting them to anything.

[00:36:20] I invite everyone to do a tiny why statement. I just think it’s such a powerful activity. It doesn’t take much time. Um, and it will really make a difference in the way you start talking about your brand and your, or even your work if you’re not a business owner, if you’re someone who works for someone else, I think, um, getting clear on that, um, Is really it’s it’s soul work really?

[00:36:45] You know? And so I would say that’s my invitation. Do your tiny why statement and share it with the world? Yes. What a great invitation. Um, I did switch it  from a challenge to invitation. Cause I thought I love challenges and I will still do challenges, but I thought it was kind of masculine energy and it’s like, it’s always getting into that state of doing and overdoing.

[00:37:07] It’s almost like a contest and stuff. I’d be like, exactly, exactly. So the invitation I love that. Um, this is soul work. And so it is just tapping into your heart, but looking into the values, looking at your actions, I loved Chris’s tips of looking at the brands that you’re not resonating with. And I mean, this is just me.

[00:37:26] So don’t like, Hey, if you’re a big fan, don’t be mad at me. Like, I’m just not with Tony Robbins these days. And when you said that, I just thought of him. And I was like, okay, like why, too masculine? I don’t like, he has like cheerleaders who are like kind of half naked dancing at his events. I don’t like that.

[00:37:44] Um, uh, shouting at people when he coaches them and swearing in their faces, that just doesn’t resonate with me. Yeah. Like that intimidation factor. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So it is really powerful. Like when you, because before I couldn’t have, even, I just would’ve been like, well, I just, I’m just, he’s just not resonating with me right now, but like when you ask, you know, when you kind of talk your way through it, you can get specifically what you don’t like, and that can guide you specifically to what you do

[00:38:12] like exactly. That’s exactly right. And, um, you know, you think about what are those values that are, so if you’re a person who, you know, like there’s, there’s not just the masculine energy, but sort of like, um, you know, maybe your, your practices are the opposite of intimidation, right? Sort of like your value is acceptance or community, you know, and sort of that value goes against sort of this idea of, you know, someone yelling in your face or, or intimidating you or singling you out and making you feel bad.

[00:38:44] Right. So, um, yeah. So just thinking about what are the values that are attached to that then, you know, okay. If my value is community and inclusivity and, and that, so how do I relay that in my own, you know, messaging in my own statement. So you’re exactly, you’re exactly right. It’s, it’s super powerful to think about

[00:39:03] um, brands that we don’t, that we’re like, oh, there’s something about that. But that factor. Yeah, because what happened is we were starting in workshops with think about brands you love. And people were literally like blank. They were like, I can’t think of any, you know, part of it is cause you’re in the moment.

[00:39:19] But the other part is like, we don’t always, like, we’re not alway, as humans, we’re not always conditioned to be celebrating, you know, like these brands that we love, but we were more passionate, yeah, I don’t like that guy or, you know, at that brand is, you know, I don’t like the quality. I don’t like their customer service, so yeah.

[00:39:36] That’s why we go there, but that’s a great example. Nice, nice, nice. Well, Chris, I’ve had such a blast talking to you. This has been so valuable. I wish I had would have had this interview about three or four months ago, but at least it’s here and our listeners are assuredly going to really benefit from this.

[00:39:53] So tell folks how they can find you and get a copy of your book. Yeah. So we’re on, uh, Facebook and Instagram at, at my founder story. Um, and then the website is myfounderstory.com and they can buy the book on the website, or it is also available on Amazon. Fantastic. All those links will be in the show notes.

[00:40:14] Chris, thank you so much for sharing your time and your wisdom. You’re doing beautiful work in the world, so I wish you continued success in everything you do. The women entrepreneurs out there are just so much better off because of your work. Thank you so much. And thank you for, I had a blast as well. It was great talking to you and thank you for this opportunity to be on your

[00:40:35] first rebranded podcast. Very exciting. Thank you. You’re so welcome. Thank you so much for tuning into soul guide radio and listening to us here. If you’re digging on this content, if you’re loving this episode, then give us a rating and review wherever it is you listen, and go ahead and head over to the soul guide circle and share with us your tiny, why statement.

[00:41:00] We would love to hear it. We can give you feedback. We can give you support, cheer you on, and you can test your tiny why statement out on us. We would love to support you on your journey. Do you want to receive divine guidance and how to gain unstoppable momentum in the next 60 days, then download my free intuitive message and meditation to upgrade your energy frequency, dissolve the doubt and fill your business with soul

[00:41:30] clients. You’re here with a big soul mission and this message and meditation channelled directly from source will help you align your energy to it. Find a link to download on my website,allysonscammell.com as well as in the show notes.