I know you’ve been there…

 

Someone asks: “What do you do?” and instead of standing straighter & looking them in the eye, you shrink back a bit, look down at the floor & fumble out a response: “Oh, I design cards on Etsy.”

 

I was at church 2 months into owning my business. Matt and I are talking to a couple we’ve never met, and this basic question comes up. I look up at Matt. I look down at the floor. Then I look at the necklace she’s wearing (instead of in her eyes) and say: “I’m an administrative assistant at the local college… oh, and I plan weddings on the side.”

 

How can I say the first half with so much confidence, yet try to shrink away from the second?

 

Why is my small business not ENOUGH?

 

I realized right then & there that I needed a confidence check. I needed to BOLDLY and LOUDLY proclaim what I do and who I am.

 

And I bet you could use that same confidence boost.

 

 

It all starts with two words:

 

I AM. 

 

I am ________.

 

While I know you are a lot of things (…wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend…), let’s focus on using those 2 words in the context of your business:

 

I am: a wedding planner.

I am: a lifestyle photographer.

I am: a calligrapher.

I am: a web designer.

I am: a virtual assistant.

 

It doesn’t matter what you do, how long you’ve done it or how good you think you are, the words I AM go hand-in-hand with your job title.

 

Practice saying it out loud.

 

I am _______________.

 

Say it three times. Right now. (Don’t feel weird. Just say it!)

 

Now, let’s add a little more to it:

 

I am a _____________________ for ________________.

 

Who is your ideal client?

Who are you serving?

Who are your services / products created for?

 

That’s your “for”.

Here are some examples:

 

I am a wedding planner for southern brides.

I am a lifestyle photographer for moms & children.  

I am a calligrapher for modern women.

I am a web designer for creatives in the wedding industry.

I am a virtual assistant for creative boss ladies.

 

Write down your “for” and then say it aloud:

 

I am a _____________________ for ________________.

 

Now, let’s add “because I want to _________________”. It’ll look like:

I am a _____________________ for ________________ because I want to _____.

 

Why is your service or product helpful? How is your ideal client benefiting?

 

That’s your ‘because I want to ____”. It’s your “why”.

 

Here are some examples:

 

I am a wedding planner for southern brides because I want to ease stress & help them enjoy the first day of the rest of their lives.

I am a lifestyle photographer for moms & children because I want to create lasting memories in their home.

I am a calligrapher for modern women because I want to provide keepsake art for their home.

I am a web designer for creatives in the wedding industry because I want to provide a visual representation of their small business.

I am a virtual assistant for creative boss ladies because I want to ease their stress & serve their clients.

 

Now give it a try:

I am a _____________________ for ________________ because I want to _____.

 

The next time you face the question ”what do you do?”, answer boldly and confidently “I am a _____ for _______ because I want to _______.”. Remember: It doesn’t matter what you do, how long you’ve done it or how good you think you are, your small business dreams are just as important as corporate America dreams.

 

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