When you run your own business, one of the toughest decisions you have to make is saying no. On this Feature Friday episode of the ROI Online Podcast, Steve talks with Tina Smith—owner of the StoryBrand Certified Agency Creative—about how to make the right business decisions when times get challenging.
It’s something Tina has had to do on multiple occasions. And as she’s grown as a leader, she’s discovered the secret to keeping your business afloat without losing yourself in the process.
Tina’s story begins in a bike-riding excursion across Europe. While working in a corporate position, she took a sabbatical and biked across seven countries in two months. It was just Tina, her bike, and some cows. The time alone in nature gave her the opportunity to think hard about who she was, who she wanted to be, and where she saw herself in the future. She decided to focus more on the relationships in her life. It was this change of focus that led her to her very first client as an entrepreneur.
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Over the next few years, Tina’s business slowly took off. She had some wins, but she also had some losses. As a natural daredevil, she didn’t have any problem taking leaps of faith and trying new strategies to keep the business afloat. But she quickly found out that leading with success takes more than just a wacky creative mind. She and her team had a clear idea of who they wanted to work with: companies who truly made a difference and cared about their clients. She needed structure, stability, and accountability to avoid sacrificing that priority.
One of the things that helped Tina maintain her company culture and values was help itself. She learned that, while being a one-man band can be pretty fun, having a team to support you matters more. She gets help from her business coach Mike Mcallawitsch, group coaching with business leaders from all industries, and her StoryBrand peers. Their feedback provides her with confidence knowing that she’s not alone in her struggles. We’re all in this together.
Tina’s biggest takeaways from the difficult shelter-in-place times we face today is this: You shouldn’t change who you are to “survive the times.” Trying harder, switching your product, and sacrificing your values to work with a paying client might work for some businesses. But for many, it can have damaging effects to the long-term health of your company. Stay true to yourself, and don’t let fear drive your decisions. Integrity creates more than fear ever will.
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Tina is the owner of Creative, a StoryBrand Certified Agency:
https://connecttocreative.com/
To learn more about StoryBrand, pick up your copy of Donald Miller's book, Building a StoryBrand, by clicking this link.
And you can get a shiny copy of The Golden Toilet on Amazon here:https://amzn.to/2X3NKlB
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