Why Creativity Is The Connection To Clients
CREATIVITY AND THE CLIENT CONNECTION
BY SHANA YAO
“The purpose of a business enterprise is ‘to create a customer.’”
Wow - what a different way to approach your small business - to think you can create customers, and NOT have to struggle finding them. Is that true? Can Peter Drucker - one of the top marketing legends be right? Can you "create" a customer?
In today's day and age, when the entrepreneurial marketplace is becoming flooded with cookie cutter businesses, people with little to no experience leading the pack simply by the gift of their millennial social media mind, having your own business and "doing what you love" has become not only a good thing but almost a given to any creative professional.
Because of that, many newer entrepreneurs miss the essentials of even just owning your own small business. The lure of "easy money" and "buy this now/make $$$$" becomes the goal. Few talk about or even mention the essentials of actually having and running a business - otherwise known as a solid foundation.
With the growth of innovation in technology, the world is accelerating at a faster pace than people realize. Futurist Ray Kurzweil wrote in 2001 that every decade our overall rate of progress was doubling, “We won't experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century—it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today's rate)."
No wonder so many people are struggling to "get clients". While some excel - it is no different than the pre-internet days - when some businesses would win big, and others would have to close up shop. It's not different except with social media, your competition isn't down the street. People are winning big practically in your own undecorated, average living room.
It's too alluring to ignore that big money is possible for anyone. But that is where most people go wrong.
The Mind Money Connection
Have you ever been so inspired with a creative idea, that it makes you heart beat faster? You rush to your laptop and start creating, writing, innovating. And all seems great, until that pesky voice inside of you wakes up.
"Just who do you think you are?" it says meanly.
"What makes you think you can even do that? You aren't making money now. Why would anyone buy that?"
It's called your perception of your own self worth. Otherwise known as self doubt, confusion, lack of clarity - whatever you call it, it's not you, it's normal. Research shows that we as humans have 60,000-80,000 thoughts a day, 95% of them are unconscious and 80% negative.
That's A LOT of random thought and a lot of chances for doubting yourself. Let alone when you are trying to do something different.
So what is an aspiring entrepreneur supposed to do?
Without understanding the solid principles of business - as Peter Drucker spoke about - which means creating the game of business you are playing instead of trying to follow a worn, cookie cutter path - is not just what creative people do. It's what small business is all about - innovation and change.
In fact, it's your own creativity and great ideas that are the answer to your client woes. Because if self esteem is the reason you are not succeeding at the level you want to be, how else will you find your confidence?
Confidence is found in understanding your own self worth. It's called "your personal value" for a reason. It's the value - your value - that creates ideas that attract - no "create" clients.
So the question isn't "How can I get clients?" The question you need to be asking is - are you leading the change and creating clients or falling behind it and trying to "get clients"?
“The question you need to be asking is - are you leading the change or falling behind it?”
Resisting Change
This morning on the news, they announced that Amazon just bought Whole Foods. Just like xerox, polaroid, blockbuster (remember those names???) they failed to take RISKS and ended up getting trampled by becoming obsolete.
And while you may be temped to say that you are "just a small business" and not a big global brand, the truth is the entrepreneurial market is flooded with cookie cutter competition, people are more distracted than ever, and (lucky us as consumers!) everything and ANYTHING we want is at our fingertips.
That means if you aren't focusing on exclusivity, innovating with ideas on expanding your offerings, using ALL of your personality, and really taking risks to be MORE OF YOU - say what you want to say - and be DIFFERENT - you may fall into the same pattern of people who are trying to "get clients" rather than attracting people you are meant to serve. Low self esteem. Loss of personal value. No clients.
Creating A Movement
The goal of small business is to create change. To bring innovation and new experiences to others. To share your personal value and values, help others with your personality and expertise, and create a business that not only makes money but that makes your LIFE better.
Yesterday I was working with a new client and we came up with a mission that is going to develop a new movement in the animal rescue category. It's not only so impactful to help save more animal's lives but it's going to open up new possibilities for future rescues to innovate their non profits.
The ideas we came up during one of our strategy call were numerous and impactful. And best of all, her confidence in ownership of a brand she believed in shined through.
The world needs CHANGE -and the world needs YOU. We are the change makers. The people who CAN make a difference in this distracted world where people are losing their self worth and self esteem by the minute. Don't be one of the many who waste time looking for answers rather than being the answer.
Rise up to your full potential. FUCK mediocrity and trying to play it safe. Take risks. Be an ENTREPRENEUR that CREATES things with your own genius.
We have ONE life. You will never get this moment back. That last breath was a second ago. Gone. Poof.
LIVE YOUR LIFE NOW. TAKE RISKS. CREATE CHANGE. The world needs your special gift. Be courageous enough to offer it up for judgement.
