Define the Destination 🗾
Hello Reader,
When I launched my marketing strategy self assessment last month (you can do your self-assessment here), the second most common result was "Define the Destination." (I'll share about the first result sometime soon!)
This was interesting to me on several levels. I kind of expected it, as it's a very common stress point for my clients as well. On the other hand, it's also one of those things that emerges in conversation versus a challenges folks self-identify as something they need to tackle.
What does it mean when I say "Define the Destination?"
This element sits in the "Clarify" corner of the Aligned Authority business/marketing framework (read the intro to that here), along with Pinpoint Perspective and Address Your Audience.
This is all that fun, yet intrinsically important, conceptual and values-focused work that informs the backbone of your business.
DtD trips people up because it's a two-sided coin and most of us have focused on one side or the other. (To be clear: this is not a critique, it's a neutral reality.)
What I see most commonly amongst my people is that they are focused so much on the transformation or impact their clients or customers have that they've forgotten about their own transformation and their own North Star. We often call this "Savior Syndrome," basically this is the fastest way to burn out and hate your business. (No good!)
Sometimes, folks get so wrapped up in their own goals that they don't notice that things have changed and their clients/customers/students no longer get the results or have the transformation they once did. This happens quite often when business grow too rapidly and without intention. (See: many startup implosions.)
If you're not certain about what Define the Destination means for you, take out a piece of paper and write one of these on each each side (this comes from my Aligned Authority Accelerator Client Workbook):
- Define the change or transformation you’re creating for your clients. Why does this matter?
- Define how this work transforms you. Why does this matter?
See? Clarifying this is relatively simple—now the goal is to not lose sight of either one of these, no matter what bumps happen along the way.
Talk soon,
Sarah
P.S. As I've mentioned, we're booking our last few client spots of 2023. If you'd like to schedule a Zoom to talk about working together, start here. To learn what options we have available, check out my recent instagram post.