I didn’t expect motherhood to completely change the direction of my business, but that’s exactly what happened. Wild Olive Branding Studio sprung roots during my pregnancy and has been steadily growing ever since.
Before Ellie came along, we’d been trying to have a baby for eight years. When we found out I was pregnant, we felt like we needed to do everything “right”. For us, that meant eating organic, learning about essential oils and herbs, switching to natural beauty products, planning a home birth and, basically, embracing our inner hippy.
I felt so empowered and confident in those parts of our life. We had tons of information, like-minded people helping and supporting us, and great resources to turn to. But when I started planning going back to work, I felt lost. I had been learning so much, but I had no idea how I should apply it all. I had no focus and no sense of direction. Things finally started to make sense when I found a purpose for my business. Here’s how you can find your purpose too:
1. Find your opinion.
James Victore always signs off of his Burning Questions videos with this advice: “Have an opinion, make work that matters, and love something other than yourself.” I’m so glad it finally sank in. I started gaining clarity about my business when I finally asked, “What is my opinion?” My opinion is that natural, holistic, and organic options are important. They change lives for the better, they’re better for the planet, they connect us back to creation, they empower us and fill us with energy. This is something that I love. This is work that matters. Thinking about your strongest opinion is the best place to start looking for your purpose. It ensures that you’ll focus on something you’re passionate about already.
2. Apply your skills.
Once I knew what my opinion was, my path felt a little more obvious. I’m good at helping business owners make sense of their brand and I’m good at translating brands into visual identities. It wasn’t all that difficult to figure out that I could help the natural-minded businesses I love by offering them these skills. You’re already awesome at something. Why not use that awesomeness to support the thing you’re passionate about? Think about how your unique combination of skills, life experience, and personality could help move your passion forward.
3. Take the leap!
I only had a rough idea of what I wanted to do at the start of this journey, but I didn’t let that stop me. I knew who I wanted to help and what I had to offer and I let that guide me. You don’t have to have everything figured out to start working toward your goals. There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle you can only start to figure out when you’re already moving forward. Things won’t happen overnight, but having something to work towards means they can start falling into place.