Finding Balance
Why You Should Honor the Roots of Your Business First
It was my freshman year in college, and I couldn’t find my balance — I’m talking literally here.
I was a dance major and I could not stand on one leg. Every time I had to execute anything on relevé, I couldn’t trust my strength or stability. I was weak and I kept toppling over.
One of my professors saw my struggle (and frustration) and offered some imagery:
Think of the earth beneath the floor when you attempt to balance. Grow roots into that earth. Send more energy downwards, so you can feel more secure in your position on and above the ground.
My preoccupation with the mechanics of what was visibly happening on the dance floor was disrupting my ability to perform. It was only when I focused on what was invisible — the energy emanating beyond my limbs, into the space and ground around me — that I regained my ability to balance and dance with greater control.
Your preoccupation with marketing tactics might be disrupting your ability to perform. But when you’re tuned into your brand values — your particular vantage point and unique voice, and the larger purpose behind your vision for your work — you’re able to execute those tactics with greater ease and grace and beauty.
I’ve been directing friends and colleagues and clients to review and reflect on their values, because maybe they don’t have to pivot as much as they think.
If you ask if we can run a short Facebook campaign, or build a new website for you, I’m going to ask you questions about purpose. About origins. About longterm goals.
When you really root down, others around you will notice greater confidence, and you’ll inspire deeper connection. You’ll build a stronger base for your writing, your social media, your services.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, with chaos and uncertainty all around us, we’ve been working with clients who know who they are at the root. We’re making sure those values are defined and visible and referenced often. And even though their businesses have seen change and financial stress, they’re still going to survive and grow.
I’ve taken my own advice, too, looking inward at what’s important to me as a teacher and consultant, what’s meaningful about our process. As I celebrate 10 years in my business in 2021, we’re “debuting” our true framework for working with our clients. It’s always been how we work, but we’re naming it, claiming it and making things official.
This process will honor the roots of your business first, so your marketing can be on-balance. Strong, sturdy, ready for movement forward, up, anywhere…
I can’t wait to share more with you!
Have you found your Forever Fans?
If you don’t know who your ideal client, customer or audience member is, chances are you’re wasting every minute you spend on social media, emails and more.
That’s why we created a worksheet to help you better understand and locate your ideal audience for every service or product or event you have. Totally free to use again and again!
Amy Jacobus is an online marketing strategist who still sends handwritten thank yous. She’s obsessed with helping service providers, entrepreneurs and mission-based business owners increase their impact with smart, human marketing online. Amy teaches workshops and leads programs full of simple, apply-it-now strategies for your website, email and social media, including her signature program, Confident + Consistent Marketing. She has designed courses, facilitated workshops and participated in panel discussions for University of Denver, LEAP at St. Mary’s College, Barnard College, New York Foundation for the Arts, Gibney Dance, The Artist Co-op and Pentacle, among others. Learn more about Amy and her work at amyjacobus.marketing and follow her at @amyjacobus on Instagram.
This article was originally published on her blog, where she shares weekly marketing advice for creatives and entrepreneurs.
