What’s your birth story?
Whether you tell it or not, you’ve got one. Actually you’ve got many.
Here’s a first publishing (with some edits) of a normally exclusive newsletter post that deserves to be posted on the site:
And no, I don’t mean anything to do with placentas, epidurals or umbilical cords.
I’m talking about how and why you got started…
Do you remember?
Do you know?
Do you share the story?
You should, because whether you like it or not, you’ve got one. And it’s important to own your story; be it a personal one or one that belongs to your business.
Everything and everyone has a creation story.
It’s the story of how, where and why you came into existence.
It explains the driving force behind why you do what you do.
Marshmallows anyone?
All of us have stories to tell about the creation of ourselves, our tribes and our businesses. The more engaging the story is, the more people you’ll have gathered around your campfire.
A creation story tells you a lot about the person involved and it can play a powerful role in the building of a business, a brand and collecting its evangelists.
More often than not they speak vividly about the passion of the busines and its commitment to its customers.
Your purpose
Regardless of the exact details, at the centre of a great creation story should sit a big fat heartfelt purpose.
Your purpose forms the beating heart of your business’ creation story – reminding you of where you began and why you started.
It reveals your shared purpose as a business and should fuel your vision of “what-could-be” … paving the yellow brick road to what lies ahead.
Your purpose is your WHY.
Creation stories evolve
Great businesses go through waves of birth, growth, change, slowness and rebirth.
Your creation story should reflect those changes – growing as you develop your understanding of what’s important to you and your business.
By way of example, my history is one of reinventions. My path has had many twists and turns: corporate consumer marketing and communications, small business owner/retailer, a forever-part-time fitness instructor and yoga teacher, events marketing and magazine editor. I regularly ate nightmare deadlines for breakfast.
But fate took my hand – and used it to write my hero’s eulogy.
Taking its lead, since then I’ve become the bodacious heroine of my own story: being true to myself. WORD SWORDS was forged. Words are now my primary tools of trade.
My blog has become my storyboard on the power of words and I help other people, brands and businesses shape their message and tell their story.
Each and all of those events helped to carve my storyline.
What started you?
Typical creation storylines are as old as Greek mythology.
But to be a truly memorable creation story the tale must include some mixture of hard ship, a brilliant insight, an “I told you so” episode, or some eureka moments.
Take the time to discover your story – find itspower – and craft it with the right language to connect with the hearts and minds of your market. Then find the means to tell that story to the ears that will listen.
And share your birth story, with heartfelt passion.
That’s what we live for.
Share you genesis
What’s your birth story? Why did you start? What’s the burning passion and purpose that drives you every day and lights your path?
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
