Start With Your Why

Hi friend!

If you’re reading this newsletter, I’m guessing community is important to you. Or at least, you think it should be. So I challenge you now, before you read any further—take a minute to reflect on how important community is to you personally, and to your business.

In my own business, everything starts and ends with my WHY.

My mission is to empower dog owners to build deeper relationships with their dogs with sleek and functional dog training gear.

My vision is to make a positive impact on the quality of lives for dogs everywhere.

My values include creating a safe space for my community that is inclusive and uplifting.

Here are a few exercises to help you get started on crafting your mission, vision, and values statements.

Your Mission

Your mission statement describes the purpose and overall objective of your company. Did you ever do Mad Libs as a kid? That game where you filled in the blanks of a sentence and ended up with a wacky story? Fill in the underlined sections below in a Mad Lib-type exercise to craft a basic mission statement.

Our mission is to [WHAT] for/of [AUDIENCE] by [ACTIONS].

Examples of WHAT:
“accelerate the transition to renewable energy“
“improve the lives”

Examples of AUDIENCE:
“the world”
“women in developing countries”

Examples of ACTIONS:
“building affordable electric vehicles”
“providing education around menstrual health”

Write out your mission statement in a notebook:
Our mission is to ________ for/of ________ by ________ .

Your Vision

Your vision statement is why your company exists and what you’re working towards. It is a one-line aspirational statement that is short, simple, specific, and ambitious.

Examples of vision statements:

Ikea: To create a better everyday life for the many people.
Hasbro: To make the world a better place for all children, fans and families.
Google: To significantly improve the lives of as many people as possible.

Write out your vision statement in a notebook:
_________________________________________________

Your Values

Values are what drive your community. People who are attracted to your company come because they share similar values to your company, so it’s important to define those values and talk about them in your messaging. Defining your values is also important in building up core team members around you to help you build and grow your business.

For this exercise, list out three key words/phrases and then describe what that particular value means to your company. For example:

Build Community - Community is at the core of who we are. We are building an inclusive, safe space that is free of judgment, where we invite dog owners from all over to come together, connect, and learn from one another.

Champion DEI - As an AAPI woman-owned small business, we believe in being intentional with our partnerships and strive to uplift and support other BIPOC small business owners, creators, and community members.

Lead With Kindness - We believe that kindness is the most powerful trait in business, and we aim to lead with kindness in the way that we communicate with others, and to build a culture of kindness within our community.

Write out three values and describe what they mean to your company:
Value #1: ____________________________
Value #2: ____________________________
Value #3: ____________________________

Meet me here next Monday—sit back, grab a beverage of choice, and read more of The Community-Centered CEO!

Until next week,

🚀 This Week’s Challenge:

Go through the exercises above and craft your own mission, vision, and values statements.

❓Have questions you’d like covered in the newsletter? Hit reply & email me!

👇🏽 Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe below.

☕ Enjoy this week’s edition?