When starting a business or growing your personal brand, it’s important to know exactly why you’re doing what you’re doing. Jumping into something without knowing the core reason you’re doing it is a recipe for failure. Without the right motivation, when things get hard it becomes too easy to give up and never pick up your work again.
You have to be in a really honest place when you ask yourself the reason for growing your brand. Many of us will say that the answer is just ‘money’, but why? Why do you want money? If it’s just for the sake of being rich, when a deal goes wrong or things begin to crumble around you, you won’t be motivated enough to keep going. Maybe your reason for growing is because you have children and a family and want to be able to provide for them better. Or maybe you’re a survivor of a tragic event and want to share your story and help others that have come from a situation like yourself. Your ‘why’ doesn’t even have to be super deep, it can simply be that you want to live a life of freedom doing what you love. What matters most is that you have a reason for starting your business and growing your personal brand.
While getting really clear on your ‘why’ will keep you motivated when things get tough, it will also help you find the right PR strategy for you. Someone who wants to share their story with the world and help people personally might benefit better from speaking on a small podcast full of engaged listeners rather than having a quick five minute appearance on a popular TV channel. However, someone who wants to become a global speaker might have better success doing the opposite; speaking on a famous TV channel rather than sticking to small, personal audiences.
Whether you decide you go big or stay small, you need to know your ‘why’. Without knowing what direction you’re going in, you might get featured in Forbes yet have nothing come out of it the next day. Get super clear on your ‘why’, and your personal brand will stay stable through both the ups and downs, continuing to grow steadily.
To learn more or work with Jay Jay and Ace of Spades, follow him on Instagram and check out his website to grow your brand and business.