You + Your Business, A Love Story

Tell me, how did you two meet?

When you talk about your coaching, consulting, writing, healing, teaching et al. business, are you talking about yourself? Or are you talking about your business separately? Is there a line of delineation between you and what you have created?

If you have created a corporation, that would make it easier to think of it as a stand alone entity. Commonly, as a solopreneur, your website is your name, and if not your name, you are the face of the site and are delivering a personal service.

You did the training, created the offerings and deliver to your clients; so how could you not be—one and the same?

However, I believe there is a benefit to both of you, to be able to individuate from each other, in your mind.

The crux of the situation may be that the overlapping and weaving of emotions from the personal to professional and back again, may need untangling.

Because if you are feeling stuck or disconnected with what you created, feeling out of flow, or out of sync, doing so may allow for a bit of breathing space.

It Depends…

The business that you brought into the world is absolutely dependent on you, in all ways. Without you it wouldn’t exist.

You, on the other hand, could and would, carry on without your business.

If the DNA of your business was born from your passion, your purpose and your dream; and within you there are still an ember ready for you to coax into a flame.

Would you regret not try, try, trying again?

I’m going to take some liberties here, and invite you to imagine that this is a relationship, as in You + Your Business are a couple.

And sometimes couples need to reflect in order to reconnect because they want things to feel better, feel different, and want more for and from each other.

Photo by Wesley Balten on Unsplash

What is Your Origin Story?

Origin or backstories tell us how the characters came to be together, the motivation and the events that shaped them.

Regardless of where you are in your storyline, and how you have adapted and evolved along the way. When was the last time you reflected on why you started.

People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it.

And what you do simply proves what you believe.

~Simon Sinek, Start with Why

Take a moment and a few deep breaths, and take a walk down memory lane.

Bring the vision of why you started, out from the archives, blow the dust off the box if you need to then allow the vision to become clear in your mind.

Hang out there.

Make it Sensory

Start to really feel into the picture or movie; channelling what you remember feeling like when the idea landed and the roller coaster of ideas left the station!

• Were you somewhere familiar or special when this happened? See it & Feel it

• Were you having your first cup of coffee? Smell it & Taste it!

• Who was with you or around you? Hear it.

Immerse yourself in that memory.

Once Upon a Time…

Relive and retell the story, for yourself.

I'm a big proponent of handwriting, but encourage you to also consider voice or video recording, so you can go back and read, watch or listen (you may be surprised at what you hear on the playback). Choose the most aligned option for you.

Use these prompts to help you.

• When and how did you meet?

• What or who inspired the idea to create the business you have and to put yourself out there?

• Was it love at first sight? Or did you have some resistance to the idea? What were the emotions you felt?

• How did you introduce the idea to the people who support you? What was their reaction?

• What steps were easy for you when nurturing your business? or What things fell into place and felt like this was all meant to be?

• What was fun for you to create?

• What steps were you challenged by?

• Were you 'all in' or was/is this a side gig?

• What was the big picture goal? Like the BIG ONE. Was it standing on a stage, writing a best seller, legions of students, being an expert in the media? Write this out as JUICY as you can!

• How did that vision/goal make you feel?

Let your words flow, embody how it felt when you started out and share the story as if you are telling it for the first time.

But things have changed.

“I’m different from who I was then.”

And I don’t doubt that.

Because that version of you, on that day, in that moment, with the ideas and adrenaline flowing, feeling the excitement and the aliveness of the alignment, has grown and evolved.

Ask yourself this…Is there a part of you that still feels that? Even one iota?

That’s an ember.

Recalling You + Your Business’s Love Story, is a way to honour that ember within you.