This is the enduring winter it seems. More rain in San Diego than anyone can remember and the longest winter I have experienced in the PNW. We are finally starting to see daffodils bloom, so we know it’s coming.
I never appreciated the renewal of spring like I do now. It’s one of the many gifts brought into my life by my short time in the Pacific Northwest. You really feel the transitions of the seasons. As Spring begins to tease us with beautiful bulbs ready to burst, it always reminds me that it’s time for a fresh start, a new opportunity to recreate our vision. I begin asking myself questions like, “Is this really what I want now?” or “Is my business truly in alignment with the joy I want to experience in my life daily?”
Are you asking yourself these kinds of questions?
Yours might be slightly different. Maybe you are focused on growth this year and you are asking what changes do I need to make to accelerate growth? Or, what resources do I need to take my business to the next level?
Are you allowing yourself to shine? I have this thing with my kids in Spring and really all year long, where we walk our property to admire all the flowers. We talk about how our witnessing of their beauty is part of their purpose and without giving them time to shine by acknowledging them in all their glory, they don’t fully get to live out their greatest expression and life purpose. It reminds me that the same is true for each of us. We deserve to be seen and acknowledged for our gifts and talents.
As a public relations agency, the very core of what we do is tell stories and shine the spotlight on people up to great things. I can’t tell you how often I hear people say they don’t have a good story. That is simply not true. Every story is a great story, but there are so many angles from which to tell it. Sometimes people prefer more privacy, so maybe they only tell the relevant parts of their career story or their brand story. Sometimes people have tragic stories that result in triumph. The key is to really identify what you want to share. You get to decide what people know about your story.
Is it time to share your story? Are you ready to shine?
Here are the questions we ask when we are helping our clients to identify their story?
- Why do you do what you do?
- Who inspired you the most growing up?
- Was there a turning point in which you got clarity on what you wanted to do with your life?
- How does your personal life inform your professional choices?
- What is your grandest vision for yourself beyond your current business?
- Which accomplishments are you most proud of?
- What would be missing if you didn’t do what you do?
- How do you know you are doing your best work?
- Who are you proud to be aligned with?
- How do you contribute to your community?
- Where did you get your education?
- Why did you choose that education?
- Who influences your decisions professionally/personally?
Once you answer these questions honestly, then you can go through and decide which parts you want to share and what you want to keep private. Once you identify the parts you want to share, you can identify a writer who can help you put it together or you can give it a try for yourself. I can personally say that writing your own bio is one of the most difficult things for a person to do. It’s human nature to be humble and I find that most people will leave out the biggest parts because they are uncomfortable about patting their own back. It’s totally normal. And, I know some people who do the best job. It’s great either way. If you are one of those people comfortable with listing your accomplishments… bravo! I think self-love and awareness are key to happiness.
The next important step is to identify what the goal is for sharing your story. What is the outcome you want to achieve from sharing this story? Are you hoping to inspire others? Are you wanting people to know more about you to build trust in your brand? Are you interested in becoming a thought leader? Do you wish to become a published author? Are you hoping your story will increase sales? There are so many great reasons to share your story.
Once you identify the outcome you want to achieve, you will want to figure out how you want to share it. Here are several ways we help people share their stories with the world:
- Make sure you add your story to your website.
- Update your social media profiles.
- You might decide to hire a videographer to create a video bio.
- You could also hire a coach that will help you tell your story in the best way. TEDx coaches know how to do this in the most powerful way, but there are so many professional organizations that specialize in this very thing.
- You might want to become a speaker.
- You might want to secure media coverage about your story. You can work with us to identify the best ways to approach media. Generally, we identify a strategy for sharing the story and then validating it with follow-up pitches to share more of it and proof that you walk the talk by making follow-up announcements that are in alignment with what you share in your story.
- You might become a contributed writer for a media outlet or start a Medium profile.
- You could consider pitching yourself on the speaker circuit.
- You could unveil parts of it with social media.
There are so many ways to share your story with the world. You are worthy of the illumination. Who you are matters. Is it time? Are you ready to share your story?
If you would like support in this area, please feel free to reach out to us at info@olivepublicrelations.com. We can help you with parts of it or do the whole thing for you.