Previous Notes From the Field

Collection of previous notes from the field…

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What kind of business owner are you?

“Yuck

That was my internal response whenever I had to write an about page, a bio, or answer the question on the spot. 

I spent WAY too much time trying to “get it right” so I was creating the perfect impression.

Ironically, I coach my clients to be authentic and present, not perfect. Funny how we teach the things we need to learn. 

For answers to the above question, I’ve used all of the following: 

• Entrepreneur
• Solopreneur
• Small business owner
• Consultant
• Brand Strategist
• Marketing Professional
• Coach
• Freelancer
• Purpose-Driven Business Owner
• I Don’t Know…

For one reason or another none felt quite right.

But, I couldn’t put my finger on why.

Last month, I reached out to a friend of mine that I’d met in a mastermind two years ago. I sent him an email to see if he wanted to have a “virtual coffee” to catch up.

The whole “what do I call this business” topic came up and he narrowed down the options to 

1. Small Business Owner
2. Entrepreneur
3. Passionate Business Owner

As he talked about A and B, I FINALLY understood why those two categories never fit for me. I felt like goldilocks as he explained each one.  

The small business owner knows the shape and size of the company, has a handle on the metrics and runs to keep things steady. At every decision fork in the road, a small business owner typically opts for keeping things the same, maybe with some modest growth. Typically, a small business gets passed on to the next generation or gets sold. 

That’s not me.

Entrepreneur is about growth, growth, growth. Every time you get to a fork in the road and need to make a decision, you take the fork that leads to more growth. You take on outside financing, you want 10x and exit.

Not me either. 

As he started talking about C, I felt like this answer was “just right.”

The passionate business owner LOVES the work that they do. They might have entered into the world of running a business by accident–corporate life no longer fit, they got downsized or they did their work as a side-hustle and, voila, one day it began to take shape as a business. Running a business like this doesn’t fit in with the previous two categories. You run a business like this in a way unto itself.

That’s me! And maybe it’s you, too.

We kept talking and decided we wanted to share this conversation with more people. 

That&s what we’re doing on Thursday August 4th at 11AM ET.

It gave me an entirely NEW and energizing way to think about and run my business, so I hope you’ll join us. 

We both love to teach, coach and tell funny stories, so this won’t be an hour of us droning on while you look at PowerPoint slides. 

You won’t be tempted to grab your phone to scroll through TikTok or Instagram either 😉

You will want to ask questions and engage in the conversation.

Click here to grab a spot 

Hope to see you there!

You got this!

Jocelyn

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How to see yourself

What are the ways you’re able…

…to get an accurate read of the label?

(rhyme unintentional, but it works)

“You can’t read the label of the jar you’re in.”

from Gapingvoid Culture Design Group

This is one of those metaphors that’s so brilliant you wish you’d come up with it yourself. It’s simple, easy to understand and true.

When you’re inside the jar. You can never “see” yourself as others see you. 

It’s impossible to know the impression you make and the impact you have.

So what?

Well, from what I’ve witnessed in my work in branding and coaching, most people underestimate their power and overlook their uniqueness which leads to watering themselves down and falling ill with comparisonitis. 

Symptoms include:

• Downplaying their strengths. 
• Thinking the people they see who are successful have some “it” factor that they’re born with and they didn’t get that gene themselves. 
• Fearing if they’re authentic, they’ll be “too much” or “too out there” or “too polarizing” or “too loud” or “too quiet” 

None of this is helpful or true.

You have everything you need to build a unique brand and business that resonates with people you love working with.

Tapping into your uniqueness will help you spend more time working in your zone of genius AND working with ideal clients. 

The real problem is, it’s almost impossible to see YOU for yourself.

Helping people uncover and amplify their uniqueness is the core of my work…and guess what?

When I redid my branding last year, I had to hire coaches and branding people to help me see myself. 

I had doubts, fears and resistance, but they helped me navigate through to a brand that feels like me and that I love. It’s also helping me attract AMAZING clients.

When you feel stuck or uncertain about your brand message, your brand voice, how you show up and lead or what your superpower is let people help you see yourself. 

Whether it’s a coach, your creative allies, past clients or friends, get someone to read the label of your jar.

Or, you can join us on Monday June 13th at 2PM EST. We’ll be talking about how to uncover your uniqueness AND how to put it to work in your brand.

I’ll be teaching AND dedicating plenty of time for live coaching and Q&A. I’d love to see you there!

Grab your spot now

You got this!

Jocelyn

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What stories do you tell

“What stories are you going to tell about us?” she laughed.

I laughed, too…nervously.

During our session, I’d told stories about my own reflections from the horses and what I’d witnessed as a facilitator in previous equine assisted workshops to illustrate concepts and insights.

Her question made me wonder, what had the stories I’d told during this session illustrated about me, my previous clients and experiences?

Whether I’m speaking with a branding project client or prospective client or participants in an equine assisted facilitation workshop, stories are always part of the conversation.

Stories are memorable and relatable. They’re used all the time to connect, entertain or persuade.

When we listen to stories, our brains are searching for patterns and meaning-making.

From what we take in, we’ll infer values, intention and character.

Our brains scan for subtext, telling details or stories of our own that sound and feel familiar so we can relate, sometimes we even share them in response, to connect.

I tell stories to show clients what’s possible for them and to let them know that they’re not alone when they feel frustrated or confused during the journey of building a business and brand.

From the horsework, there are dozens of observations I’ve made about how and what the horses teach and about the levels of depth you can explore. I never share names or identifying characteristics of past clients, just high-level details.

I’m so grateful she asked me that question, it got me reflecting back to the basics of my own work and the concepts and values I want to illustrate through my storytelling.

My stories should reflect:

• Judgment-free spaces in this work to be yourself and to be with whatever comes up (emotions, reflections, stories, visions, values)
• Integrity–I work in service of you, I always do my best, I’m continually learning so I can be an excellent brand strategist and coach
• Joy and Fun–we take work seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. There will be laughter
• Understanding–everyone is unique and valuable, I listen to understand you, we go deep so I truly get what you mean, understanding = connection, I get you and how important your vision is to you
• Truth–we uncover what’s true for you, the spaces we co-create allow for you to be yourself, when you build your brand and business on the truth, you’re unstoppable
• Trust–find the place that feels grounded and where you trust yourself, find the clarity and confidence and you’ll be able to make progress, trust that I will honor the confidentiality of what you tell me
• Impact–you want to make a positive difference in your relationships, your work and your world

Try this exercise for yourself.

Start with paying attention to the stories you tell (no judgment. Just awareness) We all have a list of go-to stories that we tell to entertain, to connect or to illustrate who we are. What are some of yours? What do they show? Would you change anything about them?

Warmly,

Jocelyn

P.S. If you’re contemplating a rebrand, it can be a daunting task. I put together this free video series to help you navigate the process with confidence. Click here for instant access to Rebrand With Confidence.