Start With "Why": A Concept Worth 60 Million Views

This guy named Simon Sinek hosted a TED talk 13 years ago called "Start With Why"

To this day, it's the most popular TED talk with over 60 million views, and for good reason.

He explains how important it is to lead your brand, and your everyday life with "why?"

As I mentioned in the last newsletter, What, How, and Why are the building blocks that form the foundation of your brand. I will explain this in more depth.

What, How, Why

Your What and How, although important, build a product, not an audience.

Your Why is the driving force behind your brand, and it will determine its success.

As people, we follow leaders who inspire us. Some of these leaders are people and some of these leaders are the brands we invest our money in.

When you know your Why, you can create a brand that truly resonates with your target audience and inspires them to connect with your produce or service on a deeper level.

I saw an Apple commercial today that showcased the accessibility features of iPhones and Apple Watches. This was not just "telling" you the features of these products, it "showed" the consumer how a piece of technology can enrich the lives of you and the people you love. 

I recommend checking it out, because it is so beautifully executed. 

As Simon said, (haha I know) "The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe."

Inspire others by enriching your brand with your personal values and beliefs.

So, how do you get started?

I'm not going to lie, this part might be the toughest part of starting a brand, but also the most rewarding (because you will be able to build a community of like-minded people).

There are different ways to approach this, but to start, you are going to need to ask yourself a few questions.

"What do I have a passion for?"

"What problem can I solve for people?"

"What could I talk about for hours?" Or rather "What am I willing to spend time and money to learn?"

"What am I good at?"

"What are my values and beliefs?"

If you've ever seen Shark Tank, you've seen all of these questions being answered first hand.

"I started this brand because I was tired of dealing with x"

"I created this product because my mom went through x"

"I created this problem because I saw a gap in the market"

You need a why.

After you ask yourself these questions, you need to put them all together.

A lot of people write a vision or mission statement (or in simon's case a "why statement").

And these are both very valid, viable options, but I am a creative-minded person that enjoys more of a visual approach.

So,

I'm going to show you my favorite way to find my "why"...

Finding Your Ikigai

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that is loosely translated to "your reason for being." and it is the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning. 

Here is a chart to show how it is broken down:

This is more of a personalized way to bring your personal values into your brand in a fun and interactive way.

PSA: This method is not a replacement for a mission statement, but more a way to mentally find your "why" or your purpose.

With that, I will close with one last statement. The best companies are built on strong values--You just need to find where you stand and stick with it.

As always, if you have any questions about any of this or need extra resources, respond to this email or dm me on Instagram/Twitter. I hope you have a lovely night...or morning since I'm sending this so late, and I’ll talk to you guys soon.

-Sara