Bring Your Quirks To Your Work

You embody this very special power as the creator of your business; you are the director, visionary, and specialist all in one.This lends itself to some pretty amazing success stories if you let yourself tap into what it is you already do really well.  I encourage you to keep learning whatever it is you enjoy learning, but I also encourage you to bring what you already love in life to your business. This is where your personality can really shine!Your quirks make for great business strategy because they are a part of who you are--much easier to sell from a place you know than one you don’t. Think about the things you have always been drawn to, the types of books you pick up, the blogs you enjoy browsing, and even the kinds of traits friends often come to you for or associate you with. How can you bring more of this to your business? Use your personality in your marketing ideas and promotions, new product development, and most importantly your single focus.Focus looks like this--being known for one idea, one innovation, and one expertise. You can get really good at one thing and still have plenty to do in your business!  Here are 3 tips for bringing your personality to your business:Tip #1: Be Your Own Personal BestYour personal best is all about you outdoing yourself. Forget other’s successes for a moment, or all together if you can and shine that spotlight back on you. Where in your business can you get better, even great? What would happen if you went after that greatness every single day? I can tell you that only good things will come from you taking action on the things that mean the most to you. Set yourself up to be the absolute best at your craft and a master in your industry. If you aren’t willing to then the only person who loses is you.Tip #2: Focus Your QuirksWe all have quirks that make up who we are--it’s in what we are drawn to and the kinds of traits friends associate with us. Write out what you are already known for and see how it can positively impact your business.When I did this exercise I found something very helpful--I have for many years been the friend others call on when they need a slight push in taking a leap of faith or trying a new adventure. That is a quality I get to use in my work--what personal qualities are there you never gave much thought to before?Tip #3: You Will Do Best What You Already LoveSome, even many, of us think we will gain the most when we have to go further to attain it. I want to squash that as a myth here and now! You will go the farthest in the things you already enjoy doing and get to do more of. If you don’t love blogging, you will not “learn” to love blogging. If you don’t love taking photos of your work, the same applies. Now there are parts to business that have to get done, and if it’s not you let it be someone else! Then allow all that energy to go towards being really great at your design, your marketing, and your innovation.Don’t work so hard, work smart and let yourself be yourself!Andrea Mansfield is the owner of Brand & Bloom where she guides creative women using clarity about their purpose and passion for a successful business.Main image courtesy of JD Hancock

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