Aligning Purpose with Profit: Women's uncompromising entrepreneurial Journey

Embark on a journey that beings purpose and business together to help you craft that place of creativity which will bring you joy. As a woman and mother navigating the ebbs and flows of the startup world, I've experienced firsthand how a well-defined purpose guides not only our business endeavors but also our personal joy and fulfillment. This episode peels back the layers of our chief purpose, branch-purposes and their rightful place on the journey to a new business . Listen in for an intimate discourse on how recognizing and remaining true to your purpose can uplift you through the various seasons of life, including the season of crafting a new business. 

Today, I invite you to imagine your ideal day, to reflect on the non-negotiable values at the heart of your venture, and to infuse a higher purpose into your work beyond the pursuit of profit. As we continue to refresh your entrepreneurial journey with real life stories from inspirational women across different sectors, we explore how aligning your entrepreneurial mission with personal fulfillment breeds not just success, but joy. Plus, we'll provide you with a practical business planner template to kickstart your journey, ensuring your blueprint to success is as unique as your fingerprint and just as joyously crafted. Join us for an episode that promises to nourish your entrepreneurial spirit with purpose, strategy, and delight.

Chapters

• 0:07 Purpose and Entrepreneurship
• 17:28 Clarifying Purpose in Business Strategy
• 22:05 Satisfaction in Running Your Business

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

Hi there, welcome to today's episode of Business Juice. So over the next few weeks we'll be talking to a few more women who have set up businesses, who are successful in their business, or also women who are starting to consider a new business, starting to become an entrepreneur, and I think you'll really enjoy some of those conversations. The other thing I'd like to do is to share my own walk with you about how I set up a business in the UK well before that, actually in Austria and then my business journey now, because I've literally only just started my business here in the USA, and I would love to share with you some of the things I've already experienced, some of the funny things that have happened because of cultural differences, some of the things that I didn't expect, and just how I go about every day moving this business forward. But today I would like to talk to you about a question that people have asked me, although not always directly. It is a question of purpose, and sometimes the questions I get from people I work with who are setting up a business or who are running a business have to do with purpose, but often they don't know that that's what they're asking. They're trying to work out why they are running a business or why they want to run a business, apart from the obvious, which is to make sales and to bring in money. So I'd like to talk to you about purpose and how I see that. And also, purpose is the very first question we ask ourselves on a business course that I run for women. So listen in and see if this resonates with you. So the question of purpose is the first question any entrepreneur in my mind needs to answer before embarking on a new business venture.

Speaker 1: 2:14

Without clarity on our purpose, all other questions, such as our objectives, any marketing, market research you might do, how to finance your business or how to market your business, are secondary. Why, you might say well, why, surely I need to know how much money I want to bring in. Yes, you need to know all those things, but without purpose, all those things potentially can fail. So purpose is at the heart of what drives us, it motivates us, it gives us joy. When we work in contrast to or contrary to a purpose, what happens? Frustration sets in. Actually, more than that, enormous stress can take over Tiredness you know the unwillingness to put another five minutes into our business, even depression. Once we're clear on our purpose. However, decisions we make can be weighed against it. We have a sense of control and we do not lose sight of our purpose.

Speaker 1: 3:27

While purpose is not merely about business, it allows us to create a clear vision for our business. You know we often talk about, oh, what's the vision for your business? It's not the same as purpose. Purpose has more to do with why are we running this business, why are we doing the things we're doing, but vision is linked more to the ultimate outcome. What will that business look like in, let's say, seven, eight, nine, ten years from now? While purpose isn't merely about business, it allows us to create a clear vision of what we want to achieve and how. It helps us decide how much time, for example, we're willing to dedicate to the business. I'll talk a little bit more about how and what type of decisions you can take or what kind of questions you need to ask yourself once you have considered your purpose in light of a new business.

Speaker 1: 4:33

Right now, let me say the most lonely and disorienting place to be in is not merely to not work in the vein of our purpose, but simply not knowing our purpose. I don't mean to sound tragic or sensationalist, but I have seen the sadness people encounter when they don't have a purpose or they're just not clear of the purpose. This is the case for both men and women, but let me talk about women in particular, in particular. Actually, let me talk about moms for a minute. Looking over my own life as a wife and mom, I sometimes wonder how I managed certain times in our life, from losing income while looking after newborn to looking after three little ones and ending my day not on the sofa, as I really would have loved to, but changing from my mucky covered with baby food hoodie into work clothes at the end of the day, leaving the house in the evening to teach an evening lecture at university, just to help make ends meet. I look back and I think how on earth did I do that? But somehow I did. But really, as a believer, I know that the Lord provided both the job as well as the strength for me to do that. But actually he also provided me with a focus on the why. So that is that question, that to why. Why am I doing that? Why am I leaving the house? Why am I standing in front of 20 students teaching them at eight, nine o'clock in the evening.

Speaker 1: 6:18

Well, the why apart from wanting to obviously help the students encounter new subjects and wrestle with new ideas, was my overall purpose, and at that point that hadn't changed. My overall purpose hadn't changed, but in the moment my purpose was to help support our family, to help put food on the table. So as we think of that and we think of purpose it sounds grand and it is we have to remember that our life goes through different seasons. We know that right. So every so often we realize, oh yeah, I'm in a different season now I'm doing things differently, or the context I'm in is different, or the family, you know, there have been changes. The kids have grown up and so roles in life slightly change. Maybe our jobs change, maybe we live in a different place. We now live in the USA, so that has brought many, many changes.

Speaker 1: 7:24

And then, as women, we come to a point, I think particularly as moms, where we wonder many times about our purpose. But particularly as children grow up, we think oh, now what? What am I supposed to do now? Can I tell you I have learned that my overall purpose has never changed, like I just said, but that there are sort of mini purposes, if you like, or what I call a branch purpose that ties in with the overall purpose. And when we can link those mini purposes, those branch purposes, to the overall purpose, that's when things start falling into place and that restlessness gets settled. We're no longer so frustrated. We know why we're doing certain things, why am I giving extra time to something, or why am I not willing to give time to something. So I know that at this point, I know that not all of you who are listening are Christians, and as for your patience as I talk a little bit more about my own purpose, which, as a believer, is intrinsically tied up with my faith, but maybe, as you listen, it might prompt you to think about your overall purpose and how this has been shaped. So let me explain purpose as I see it for myself.

Speaker 1: 8:45

As a Christian, my chief purpose is to worship God and to play an active part in His creation. You know, scripture teaches us that "God created man in his own image, in the image of God. He created him male and female. He created them and God blessed them. And God said be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth. That's in Genesis 1, 27. So we're supposed to be part of that creation, we're supposed to work with that creation. And it is clear, you know, we've been made in a certain way, male and female, for instance. We're also, you know, the Lord also calls us to be holy and blameless and to become more like Christ, to become more Christ-like. The beauty, of course, is that Christ actively works in us to achieve that through sanctification.

Speaker 1: 9:49

So our overall purpose, or for me, my overall purpose as a Christian woman, doesn't change. God's always there. There are certain roles. So I'm a wife and I'm a mother Now, that doesn't change. (Hear my phone, just ring :)). That doesn't change just because I wanted to change or, you know, I now see myself as something different. No, those are the roles I have.

Speaker 1: 10:24

So in many ways, as a believer, I have less things to maybe wonder about. I already have a beautiful framework and I think that's encouraging. So that really has encouraged me over the years, that there are some things I don't need to wonder about. I know them. Ah, okay, I don't always do them very well, so I'm not always the best wife and I'm not always the best mom, but I know what is expected of me and I think that's been really, really helpful. So that's something maybe to consider. Like, do you have that? Do you have an overall purpose, a chief purpose? If you don't, think about that, if you do and you're struggling with it, well, think about that, because in many ways, it is that that gives us actually more freedom to be creative and more freedom to work within that framework, if you like.

Speaker 1: 11:25

So, for instance, if you think about the different roles that people have, so as a child, I am to honor my parents, no matter how old I am. My role as a wife doesn't change. For those of us who are parents, we will always be a parent. It doesn't matter how old our children are. There is still that role of being a parent. So when we determine our purpose, we already have that framework and anything that we do should be in line with that. So if your framework or your overall purpose is linked to being follower of Christ, well then everything else, including starting a new business, needs to tie in with that. And if it isn't, as I said, have a think about what is your overall purpose and then under that comes that branch purpose, that purpose of the business. The business should not be your life purpose. In my mind, that would be a mistake because it means that you're focusing more on things, more on income, than on your relationship with other people.

Speaker 1: 12:49

So I know that some of these roles that we're in they can be hard. That's right. There can be conflict between some of these roles. Sometimes it's difficult to handle. I'm a wife and I'm a parent and I want to do all that's good for my children, but it also needs a tie in with being a married couple, being as part of a married couple.

Speaker 1: 13:11

But nevertheless, when launching a new business, it is key that we do not see ourselves outside of these roles. If we do, we'll be working to build something that's contrary to our context and we will try and reinvent ourselves into something different or someone different. And I can already hear you thinking well, yeah, I do want to reinvent myself. I've read so much about people reinventing themselves. I want to do that. I hear you and I know that's exactly what you want to do. You want that new feeling of freedom, and I totally understand that, because I felt that, reinventing myself, doing something new, being creative, innovative. But let me say you will really only be satisfied at the end of the day if it fits in with your chief purpose and the amazing roles you've already been given.

Speaker 1: 14:14

Trust me, anything you build which is trying to break out of what your chief purpose is will not 'break out', but will actually potentially break something. So that's something to think about. So if you're trying to break out of something, make sure you're not breaking something in the process. If you want to set up a business and it will break your marriage, or it will break friendships that you have, or it'll just break you because you're just giving too much time to it, then consider that. But consider that before you start. That's why the question of purpose has to come first. What is my purpose? Where am I going? What is my big? Why? Why do I get out of bed every morning? So let's say you're clear on your chief purpose. Now how do you establish your branch purpose for your business, for instance? What is that purpose which is in line with your overall purpose? How do you do that? Well, with the women that are on my course, I go through some key questions and we work through that. I've got some wonderful tools that help them establish that.

Speaker 1: 15:36

But I thought I'd like to share just three questions with you that you can already consider and think about. Okay, here we go. Number one question: "what am I not willing to compromise on? This is a really important question. What am I not willing to compromise on? You'll want to look here at your chief purpose. If you do not have one or are not clear on this, think about the things that fulfill you the most. So what, at the end of the day, gives you the greatest joy? Who gives you the greatest joy? What is that? Things and people that you definitely don't want to miss. And then ask yourself around that, in light of those people, in light of that feeling of joy and satisfaction and fulfillment, what am I not willing to compromise on? Right, so that's our first question. What am I not willing to compromise on? Write it down, make a note of it. You know, one of the things I do recommend for anyone who's starting a new business is to have a notebook. I wouldn't make a digital, I would just have a handwritten notebook and write down some of these key principles. Don't just have them in your head, but write them down and then go back to them and, as you're building your business, go back to your first page and look at what was I not willing to compromise on? Have I compromised on it? If so, why Can I make a change? To come back to no, I'm not compromising on that. Okay, all right.

Speaker 1: 17:29

The second question that you'll wanna answer, or wanna ask yourself and then answer, is "who's the business for? Is it just for me? I don't really wanna say too much more about this question because as you explore the question, you'll be surprised at your own answer. It will either be life giving or not life giving. That's really what we're looking at. So who's the business for? Is it life giving or is it not life giving? I'd love to hear what you are coming up with in terms of the answer. So if you wanna drop me a DM on Instagram, you could go to definition masters, just message it, just message me there, and I'd love to hear that. So what are you answering on the question who's the business for? So I'm not asking here who's your target audience, although that might be part of your answer, but ultimately, who's the business for and this could be several people.

Speaker 1: 18:34

So really think that question through, okay, and now the third one. It's not so much a question, but it is a description. It is the beginning of your story, if you like, your business's story. So what I'd like you to do there, or what I want to suggest you do, is that you describe the following and make sure that you include the description of people and their reaction to your business. Okay, so the sentence starts with: "in an ideal world, a day in my new business would look like this.

Speaker 1: 19:16

And now paint the picture. What does that day look like? Who is in that day? What is their reaction to your business? What is your reaction to the business? And put words to it, use adjectives. Depict it. Maybe you want to draw it in the notebook I just mentioned. Describe there is no perfect day, let's be honest. But describe the ideal day so that you can picture something that at the end of the day, when you're sitting down for a rest or when you're going to bed, you're like, yes, this was a great day. So that's the last of the three questions. So the first one was "what am I not willing to compromise on? The second one who is the business for? Is it life giving or not? And then the third one describe your ideal day. So, in an ideal world a day, my new business would look like this and describe it.

Speaker 1: 20:23

You can see that we haven't really unpacked all that there is around that question of purpose, but I hope I've given you some pointers of what to think about before you even begin on business planning and business strategy, which we'll get to, and on the podcast I'll be giving you some really good tips on that. So this was really more of a deep dive into that question of purpose, but it wasn't a detailed dive, so to speak. So it's really just getting you going on that thought process. So there's a lot more to say about it and we will over time. But particularly if you're on one of my courses, you have the opportunity to really use the tools that I offer to explore that. So I do hope it's given you some food for thought and some good questions to consider.

Speaker 1: 21:20

I'm looking forward to sharing some of our upcoming business juice episodes with you as we go forward. So we'll be speaking to some women who have already set up a business in different sectors. Really it will go across different sectors, so art, literature, medicine, just different areas. I think you'll really enjoy it and they will talk about how they set up their business, the worries they had, how they've overcome some of the challenges, the challenges they still have, and how they've managed to shape their business so that it really gives them joy. What are those joyous moments?

Speaker 1: 22:06

This is really a big part of why we want to run our own business, isn't it? We don't just want to run it to make money, but, of course let's be realistic we need to bring money in. If not, in some ways, running business almost pointless. However, if you are running a charity or you have a special cause that you're trying to run, all that I'm teaching here on the podcast, as well as on our courses, does apply, so have a think about that. But also, if you're running a cause, you do need to bring money in. You're trying to raise funds, et cetera.

Speaker 1: 22:42

By the end of the day, the greatest satisfaction is derived from, or comes from, things that give us great joy, where we have used our skills and talents to produce something that contributes to our purpose, but also maybe to other people's lives and just all around.

Speaker 1: 23:11

It makes us feel like we're fruitful in what we're doing, and then that gives us great joy at the end of the day.

Speaker 1: 23:22

So, just to help you with your first steps in your business planning and, of course, we've just looked at that step of purpose, but we've put together a business planner template.

Speaker 1: 23:41

So it is a template that just helps you ask the first few questions you need before you actually launch into your business. Purpose is on there, but then it gives you the other steps that you need to consider in terms of, yes, your target audience, what are your objectives and other questions that you really want to look into. So this business planner I'm going to put a link in the show notes for you Move that and work on it. Again, I recommend that you do this with handwriting, so greater creativity and innovation, some studies have shown, come from actually using your hand and the pen or pencil and writing rather than just being glued to the screen. So that's just a little tip on my side and you'll find, actually, it can be really enjoyable doing that. So I hope you have a great rest of your week, be encouraged in your business dream and, with the right questions and support from people around you, you can succeed and you can run a business that you truly enjoy.