How entrepreneurs can use core beliefs in times of change
Women entrepeneurs can reflect on their brand’s core beliefs during transitional times
As I write this, we’re days away from the 2024 Presidential Election. The energy feels intense, and the unknowns feel big.
I’ve had several conversations this year with women entrepreneurs who have expressed that 2024 has felt transitional. There was clarity and consistency around their work since 2020, but 2024 has felt different.
Whether it’s a factor of the pending election, the economy, or simply the time of year, change is the only constant. So, if you find yourself in a similar place – growing, shifting, pausing, or otherwise – you always have a valuable tool in your toolbox to come back to: the core beliefs behind your brand.
What are core beliefs in brand communications?
In most cases, you’ve felt called to launch a brand or practice that’s based in a certain set of principles or beliefs. They could be aligned with the kind of work you do, the needs you’re meeting, or how you do the work – or all of the above. It’s the why behind our work.
The elements that comprise your authentic brand commonly include these core beliefs as well as your expertise, the services you provide, and how others value your work. As you develop the ways you put your brand out into the world, these principles are invoked in the designs you use, stories you tell, and the language you use.
If you’ve been operating for a number of years, some of the founding needs may have changed over time, but many of the principles have likely stayed the same:
What were some of the foundational reasons you launched your practice?
What were some of the greatest needs and challenges you felt called to address?
Are there values in how you do your work or the kind of services you offer that resonate deeply with you and with others?
What inspirations continue to drive you forward?
Examples of core beliefs from women business owners
To start, one of Emanate’s founding principles is that authentic communications have the power to resonate deeply with you and those you serve. No matter how my business grows and changes, that is a core belief or mission that keeps me connected to my work.
During Small Business Week, I asked several women entrepreneurs to share their core beliefs or founding principles:
Investing in our careers – taking the time and claiming the space to reflect on what we want more of and what we are ready to let go of – is a radical act of care for ourselves and for others. – Julie Stoltman, Reframe Career & Leadership
Leadership begins with courage to get and stay curious. Our shared pursuits illuminate paths we couldn’t see alone. – Mikaela Seligman, Lumin/Us Leadership
We all have experienced a disconnection from our core selves, our core truths, in some way or another. We call this trauma. Individual and collective trauma healing is possible through compassion, connection, and recognition. – Jenny Kellogg, Amalthea Coaching
I believe that exceptional service in higher education begins with a genuine heart for service and ends with streamlined, user-friendly processes that enhance satisfaction for stakeholders and employees alike. – Jennifer Vaden, Vaden Higher Education Consulting
We believe in the transformational power of exceptional human resources management to drive business success and foster a positive workplace culture. – Precious Middleton, HR Boutique Consulting & Business Services
If you’re an entrepreneur, your brand may include some of your personal values, but values, in general, are just as critical for large organizations. Johnson & Johnson is a well-recognized example of this, spelling out their values in their Credo. This statement is credited as both their moral compass as well as a critical key to their business success – and as an example of brand communications, what they believe leads nearly every page on their website.
Each of these statements can play a practical role in our brand communications, from being a mission or vision statement on our website to being central to our thought leadership. They also have the potential to serve a much greater purpose, and that’s to ground us back into the meaning and value behind our work.
How entrepreneurs can use core beliefs in a time of change
If times feel transitional, we can benefit from “a moral compass” or guidepost. Taking the opportunity to get back to your founding principles and values can offer a reset.
Connecting to these values offers a point of connection to what feels authentic — and this authenticity has the potential to emanate outward and resonate with others when used in your brand communications.
Here are a few ways to put in practice for yourself and your business.
Create space for reflection
If you’re in a space of uncertainty, create the time and space to sit and reflect back on your why. Notice whether it continues to resonate for you.
Have any beliefs changed over time?
Have certain beliefs been reinforced over time?
Do the needs continue to stay the same or have they changed?
If you’re unclear on the last point, consider doing research simply by setting up opportunities to connect with those you serve and checking in to see if and how their needs and wants have changed.
Reconnect with your brand narrative
Your brand narrative is a crafted but authentic brand story that you can always come back to as a guidepost. It’s a valuable tool for new businesses, especially as they launch, but it’s equally important as organizations grow or change.
For example, this is a tool Emanate often uses for women entrepreneurs to help them center in on their unique value proposition, but it works equally as well to help large organizations create shared language that unites employees but also creates a framework for teams to pull from when talking about what they do and the importance of their work.
Here’s a brand narrative framework:
Values: The core beliefs or values around your work
Problems: The collective problems or challenges that will ultimately require your solutions
Solutions: What your organization does (about us) and how you do it (services)
Actions: Ways people can take action
It’s common for organizations and individuals to start with what they do and how they do it. This flips the script. Try shifting your elevator pitch, for example, to lead with a core belief before starting in on what you do, and see how the energy changes.
Carve out time for brand communications
Our brand communications are the marketing and communications we do to elevate our brand – newsletters, social, blogs, SEO, podcasts, etc. The design of each of these stems from your unique thought leadership or value proposition. When we’re clear on our core beliefs, they’re often easier to generate.
But in reality, it’s the content and communications we often put on the backburner, especially if you’re managing it alone or with a small team. The value of brand communications, though, is that it elevates your work and creates greater trust and authority with your target audience.
It’s like paying yourself first. Rather than thinking of it as an afterthought, carving out dedicated time – a day or certain times – to create content that leads with your values and core beliefs can have a transformative effect on you and those you serve.
We may collectively be in times that feel shifty and transitional, and it can impact all aspects of our lives, including our businesses. Regardless of what place you’re in, there’s an opportunity to reconnect the core beliefs and values you have around your work as a tool to reinvigorate you – as well as reengage and build a deeper connection with your audience.
Want support in creating or being intentional with your brand communications? Let’s connect!
