WHY START WITH WHY?

So you may have come up with your What, the big idea, your new product or service (which is definitely not the easy – so great start), but now it’s time to start to fill in the gaps to turn an idea into a successful business and brand. When thinking about what’s next, there are many things to consider. In simplified terms we can think about the following headers; Why, How, What, and Who.

So why start with Why? Well, your Why is your reason, your purpose, the thing that will get you up in the morning, and the biggest factor in why your audience will connect with you. Your Why is the compass for how you’ll behave and operate as a business, the thing that sets you apart, and a clear Why will help you succeed.

Your What might be ‘you want to make sports shoes’ - Sure, Fine, but what happens when you add a Why…

What if you want to make running shoes, in an environmentally friendly way (unlike the rest of the industry) with a view on the athlete, and the planet they run on. And what if you made a statement like “WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF CHAMPIONS OF TOMORROW. OUR INNOVATION IS OUR ACTIVISM. CHANGE WILL BE OUR LEGACY.”

Enter Hylo (https://hyloathletics.com) in 2020, with a really big Why. These are guys are walking the walk and running the run, becoming a B Corp, using innovative technology, processes and materials, and being truly transparent. All with a desire for change, to make things better, for people and the planet. All reasons why they have built a community and not customers.

Suddenly the Why makes the What 1,000% more interesting, and with your purpose, values and position defined, the How, What and Who start to come to life, and make a whole bunch more sense.