What is your Why?

[Pesso]

Hey Square Readers,

I hope you’re making your way through Start with Why by Simon Sinek so far, our Square Readers Book Club book for April & May. I’m about ⅔ of the way through! There's still plenty of time to read before our Live Discussion on Tuesday May 23rd.

The keystone of the book is the importance of having, knowing, and explaining the Why for your business. 

Sinek defines a Why as an action statement that defines your purpose, cause, or belief. It explains why your business exists and why your customers should care. It should start with a verb (To bring, to give, to change, to ...) and be the heart of your business. It should guide every decision you make, and if your actions are aligned with it, build trust with the kinds of customers that align with it. 

So that's my question today: What is your Why?

Feel free to share your How and What too!

It doesn’t have to be perfect – this is hard to do! If you’re not completely sure, that’s perfectly fine. Give it a shot, and if you’re not sure, tell us a bit more about your principles and mission, and maybe we can help. 

You can read my Why in the comments below, and I can’t wait to read yours!

We may repost your comments into our summary post at the end of the month.

See these threads for more discussions:

• SwW: Announcement Post
• Post a picture of you with your book
• Introduce Yourself
• RSVP for our Live Video Discussion
• Share your Favorite Quotes
• What can you do to be true to your Why?

Happy reading,

Pesso

[KatieT]

My business: Replenish Massage & Skin Care Studio LLC

My why: To create a respite for people to renew their bodies and minds. A place to be, to relax, to let go, to replenish their spirit.

I like to think of my office as a vacation from a guest's every day life. A lot of my packages refer this idea like a paradise package, spa escape, etc. 

[Pesso]

Thanks for sharing, @KatieT !

That sounds like an absolutely wonderful place. A paradise escape sounds perfect and a great way to convey that peace and replenishment! I wish I was closer and could come and get a break there!

[DLRosenberg]

Amityville Apothecary's why:

To provide a place for the spiritually inclined to connect, learn and create community no matter where they are on their spiritual journey.

[Pesso]

Thanks for sharing,  @DLRosenberg ! 

That's such a fantastic mission and having been to your shop, definitely matching that Why!

[Moreplease]

My What: Feel Good Essentials aromatherapy and self-care based products.

My Why:

To encourage all who want it, to reach for and create more feel-good moments for themselves.

I spent a lot of my life not feeling good. I'm in such a better place now that I just want others to feel that same feel-good feeling because I know from experience that it's possible.

How: Using my aromatherapy and self-care-based products, people indulge themselves in the experience of caring for their mind, body, and soul. It is my belief that the more feel-good moments you have, the better you feel overall. By feeling better overall, you increase your happiness, joy, and you LIVE instead of being alive. 

[Pesso]

Thanks so much @Moreplease !

That all sounds absolutely amazing. Such a great driver for your business and mission to uphold through your products and services! I'm so glad that it's helped you and others.

Rooting for ya!

[Moreplease]

Thank you so much!

[CapeAnnSeaSalt]

Why - Cape Ann Sea Salt Co. is dedicated to bringing the delicious taste of all natural sea salt to our customers in an eco-friendly sustainable way.

How - We never use fossil fuels to make our salt. We hand harvest ocean water and our salts are solar dried in greenhouses on our salt farm 900 feet from the ocean in Rockport MA. Using only the power of the sun, ocean breezes and patience we make a finishing salt that will elevate your culinary endeavors!

What - My artisanal small batch sea salt comes in 3 sizes - 1 ounce, 2 ounce and 3 ounce jars in addition to our plain flavor that we call "Pure" we offer a variety of flavors like Herbs D'Provence, Garlic, Rosemary and Black Pepper, Dried Chili, Coffee, Edible Flowers, Lemon, Rose Wine and Hibiscus. 

Where - you can buy my salts online at www.capeannseasalt.com find me at Farmers Markets - schedule is on my website, and at several local stores also listed on my website

[Pesso]

Thanks so much for sharing, @CapeAnnSeaSalt !

I absolutely love that business model and all of the environmentally friendly way that you're going about things! It sounds like a wonderful place that you've created! 

Part of what Simon Sinek talks about is that the Why should be completely independent of what product or service that you're providing (sea salt) and how you're doing it (eco-friendly & sustainable way). It's what drives you and your business.

How would you describe your why without either of those? It's hard! Think about what your values are, and the roots behind both of those things.

Maybe even something along the lines of "to enable people to live sustainably with a low-impact on the environment"

[Sugarmaker1]

There are so MANY why's for me, it's hard to articulate.  We make pure maple syrup in Indiana.  Yup, Indiana.  Why?  To do something that is all our own, not answerable to anyone else.  To make a real food that we can be truly proud of.  To add economic value to our little community.  To bring a sense of pride and hope to other growers and makers in our community.  We turned this hobby farm into a business following the death of our teenage son, so part of our "why" involves finding purpose and passion beyond simply making a living.  We are absolutely determined to make the very best maple syrup possible, in a way that is true and authentic to us, even though we're at the fringe of maple territory.  We want our little maple farm to be a positive part of our community, that our neighbors, friends, and family are proud of.  We have a list of our values as they relate to our business, and we keep those front-and-center even when it means we grow more slowly or have to do something in a way that's not the easiest.  

[Pesso]

Thanks for sharing, @Sugarmaker1 !

It can definitely hard to nail down and express a Why, but it sounds like you're well on your way and I can tell that you feel it, even if it's hard to articulate it.

I love that y'all are doing something you're so passionate about, with all of its challenges, and out of such tragedy. Caring so much to make the best product you can make with the goal of being proud of it and bringing something special to your community is incredible. 

That slow growth and focus on values means you're being true to yourselves and true to your why -- putting that first and making all of your decisions with it in mind.

I did notice that a lot of those seem to be more internal -- why you started and are running the business, and how it impacts you. I would definitely challenge you to think about the values as they relate to the customer. What values do you want to attract in customers? What values does your ideal customer have? What kind of person are they? That seems to be the big crux of the Why as Simon Sinek defines it. 

You also mention being proud of your products and business a bunch there. What would make it something you and your community are proud of? How do you define that and what qualities make it so?

Really awesome stuff here, and I'm rooting for y'all so hard!

[CareyJo]

We have been using the line "You've tried the rest, now call the best!" since the beginning and we follow it up with the best service at the best prices.  Of course, as Sinek points out, those are results, not the why.... BUT they are our Why.  Now I need to find a way to articulate that into a sentence or two and I've been working on it.  This will help it make more sense:

We've been in this field for 24 years.  We have been connected to a lot of other shops (or houses as they are called) over the years.  Not even one of them has the education behind them to back up their skills.  We actually have a degree that backs up our business so when we say that we have the best diagnostician in the area, we mean it.  On our marketing material, we point out that we have Master level experience and actual education to back it up.  We also know for a fact that in Montana, 95% or greater of the companies in our field do not possess an education in this field.  The state of Montana has incredibly harsh laws for the plumbing field - over 400 in fact, making it very difficult to obtain a license in the state.  However, in HVAC, there are almost no laws - like 35 or something and ANYONE can purchase an HVAC license to open a business.  You take a basic test and pay a fee and you're licensed.  No advanced background is necessary.  It absolutely kills us!  This fact has significantly affected the HVAC industry in this state.  Any Joe Shmoe can walk into your home, charge you anything they want and tell you lies.  Then, we come along with the truth, at a fair price and get told we're robbing them.  We've seen so many clients who got burned by someone and over charged.  We really have to work at earning their trust.

So when we say you've tried the rest - you probably have.  We're your last resort.  When we say call the best - we mean it because we have several other techs in our area, who work for other companies, who call US for tech support.  WEEKLY.  My husband has literally changed his phone number 3 times because people won't stop giving it out.  He no longer answers his phone.  He is the most sought after tech in our area.  With good reason.  When we go on vacation we close our doors because we cannot trust other techs with our customers.  When we say we have the best prices - we mean it.  We're lower than all of our local competitors and we're not parts changers.  We don't believe in wasting the clients money to try many different things.  We believe in diagnosing it correctly the first time.  And we never push sales.  We only recommend replacement when it is passed its lifespan or parts are obsolete.  We believe that if we give enough good service in small ways, that client will eventually come back to us with something big.

Now... put all of THAT into a Why...

To provide our clients with the service that they actually need, not what they think they're looking for, to support and engage with our community and to give back.

We try to make our Why visible by showcasing our skill level and emphasizing why we don't just change parts.  We're also involved with our local Chambers and several large events.  We support causes and make it known which ones we support.  When you don't have a brick and mortar store front, it's hard for people to see why you do what you do and it's also hard to express it.

[Pesso]

Thanks for sharing so much @CareyJo !

I love your focus on doing things the right way and truly knowing your stuff and being subject matter experts. It's clearly been paying off literally and figuratively. 

I would love to dive deeper into your why there. This is hard stuff!

I'm still learning this stuff too, but according to what I got from Simon Sinek's framework, that last Why may still sound a bit like a How. 

Your What sounds like HVAC service.
Your How sounds like providing service that the clients actually need, backed with knowledge and experience.

Your Why would be deeper than that. What drives you to do that? Why is it important to you that you give your clients what they actually need, and really knowing and diagnosing the problem the right way the first time? Why are you the best? What does the best mean? What drives you to be the best? Why don't you push sales? Why don't you want them to waste their money? What do you really do? 

It could be "to provide clarity and certainty," or "remove stress around property ownership," or something else along those lines, or a combination of all of them!

I hope this helps and I'm rooting for ya!

[JosephBoudreaux]

The 'why' of The Tipping Point is to create. We view ourselves as creatives and our brand as an extension of our interests. As our interests evolve, so will the brand. Those interests are predominately influenced by community and culture. Currently, The Tipping Point is a mixed use space housing a coffee shop, vintage store and tattoo studio. We are also host activation inside and outside of our space that incorporate food and beverage. 

[Pesso]

Thanks for sharing @JosephBoudreaux !

Creating a place that others can create in is huge -- I absolutely love that. There's so many wonderful things that happen in community spaces like that and I wish that y'all were in my area!

How has it been going so far? 

What else can you do now to stay true to and advance your why?

[Pesso · Accepted solution]

Now that you've found and expressed your Why -- let's dive into the next step with this next discussion:

What can you do to be true to your Why?

Click through and answer on that post!

[AustinCarter]

FITTED FHYSIQUES - PREMIER HEALTH COACHING AND CONTEST PREP TEAM.

Our WHY, to give as many people as possible the knowledge and know-how, self-confidence, and support that they need to take back control of their lives and their health, to improve their quality of life and longevity, and take there experience on earth into their own hands!

In a sea of “online coaches” that take peoples money without ever helping them accomplish true change in there physique, health, or help them improve their lives, we are here to be the difference makers.

Through the coaching journey with us we encourage our clients and athletes not only to eat well and exercise, we arm them with the tools and confidence they need to demand more form themselves and their own lives.

We start with physical change and better habits to support that change, but during the process we help them become the people they desire to be and often didn’t know they ever could be, inside and out.

We are here to show you that you CAN! That you ARE in control! That your quality of life is a result of your knowledge and your actions, and you truly have the power to change the course of your life. Not only can you be happier, more comfortable in your own skin, and have more control over your own life, you DESERVE IT.

Demand more from your body.

Demand more from your career.

Demand from your relationships.

Demand more of yourself, and MORE will flow into your lives.

We believe everyone has the power to greatly improve all aspects of their lives given the proper skills, mindset, and belief in one’s self. We exist to provide you with those skills and give you power over your life experience.

fittedfhysiques.com

[Pesso]

Thanks for sharing @AustinCarter !

I love this mission of helping people improve their quality of life, and doing it through purposeful education and strategic goal setting and accomplishment. That's huge!

[AustinCarter]

Thanks Pesso!