Grounding Into Your Why

I was recently interviewed for a documentary about an entrepreneur I wrote about last year. I was asked what I saw in the entrepreneur and the entrepreneur was asked what I brought to the table, especially when we first met.

The entrepreneur cited how early on, she consistently pitched what her app was about, and found little traction. After she and I met, we talked about sharing more of her story. Since then, she’s been featured in numerous magazines, radio interviews, free invites to technology conferences, and meeting all sorts of powerful, influential figures.

What my friend didn’t see initially was the opportunity to share her WHY and her PURPOSE. Her app was all about helping others. Her very powerful, hit-home story could coalesce the masses, if shared.

What I advised was really bits and pieces from my learnings from Joey Reimanof BrightHouseon purpose and Simon Sinek’s TED Talk on “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” — specifically, “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”.

In an age of data bombardment and advertising, it’s amazing how personal stories can create strong empathy towards the purpose of brands and people. It creates a strong rallying point for employees building influential values, and can be a powerful tool for marketing. Sharing our purpose and our why amplifies our message to the masses.