Every business has a What, a How and a Why.

What we do, How we do it and Why we do it. 

We know what we do – we’re photographers or lead workshops or sell something we’re passionate about. We know how we do it as well. We use this camera and know our settings, we set up the workshops online and market to our customers, we take photos and post them on our social media accounts. 

All of that is great. But doing those arbitrary things won’t connect you to your customers. There’s no feeling in those tasks. Your WHY is what will bring people in and it connects you to your tribe. It makes them FEEL something.

People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.  - Simon Sinek

Your why builds your loyal following of people who believe what you believe. It essentially connects you to your ideal customer.

If you don’t have a reason behind what you’re doing in your business, you’ll get burned out and bored. When you have strong emotions behind what you’re doing, the more committed you will be to sticking with it and watching it grow. 

Once you understand what your WHY is, you’ll be able to articulate what makes you feel fulfilled and to better understand what drives your behavior when you’re at your natural best. You knowing your WHY will inspire others to follow you.

Here are 3 problems that knowing your WHY solves:

Knowing Your WHY will give you a clear vision of your values.

Have you ever sat down to think about what your core values are? When you dig deep into your past to uncover your why, your true and core values come right to the surface. You’ve done the work to uncover all of the stories that shaped who you are now, and your values shine through those stories.

It will help you look for opportunities to live out your why.

When you know what your purpose is in life, a whole new set of doors opens up to you. Suddenly you get clarity on the opportunities that are in front of you that align with your WHY.

Let’s say your WHY is to share your vulnerability so that others can also be vulnerable. You’ll start seeing all of the ways you can share your stories, your past and your vulnerabilities with others, making them feel comfortable to show up as their true selves as well. This instills trust and realness in the people you are communicating with, therefore making your bond with them stronger.

It will help shape your mission and vision statements and will give your website copy the boost it needs.

On a more tangible level, knowing your why statement will help you easily form your mission and vision statements and in turn, give you the website copy that will speak directly to your people.

Take mine for example:
I took my why statement of:
To build others up so they can share their passions and talents with the world.

And transformed it into my mission statement:
Working with dreamers and doers so they can confidently share their passions and talents with the world.

I took it even further to come up with something more:
Confidence is everything. I equip dreamers and doers with the tools they need to confidently share their passions and talents with the world. I do this through beautiful branding, compelling websites and creative ideas for them to implement into their businesses.

That last statement explains my why, my how I do it and my what I do. It gives me website and marketing copy that will attract people who are drawn to it or that feel the same way I do, therefore leading me to my ideal customers.

It’s more than just knowing your why statement, it’s putting it into action in your business and life.

These are just three examples of how powerful knowing your why can be. There are countless other benefits, and the clarity that comes with it is priceless.

Back in 2011, I had the pleasure of hearing Simon Sinek share his insight on starting with WHY live on stage at Marie Forleo’s Rich Happy Hot LIVE event. Afterward, I stood in line to chat with him and he gave me a coin as a reminder of The Golden Circle and to inspire action in others. If you haven’t listened to Simon’s TED talk, it’s a must-see.

I revisit this talk frequently – it is a wonderful reminder that the work we are doing matters. Go watch.

Are you ready to find your why?

Try my WHY Discovery Session. We’ll go through stories from your past to define the common themes throughout, then we will formulate a statement together.

In this two to three hour video or in-person session, you’ll get clarity on how your history has shaped who you are today, and how to use that special set of skills and gifts moving forward in your business and your life.

Knowing your why is something that benefits everyone in all walks of life. It gives you awareness to where you fit in this world and will be your grounding force for the rest of your life. Are you ready to uncover it?

Let’s dive in together.