What Do You Value? Part II

A few weeks ago I posed the question to you, “What do you value“? It’s something all of us should take some time to think over as what you value will help determine what kind of business you run and what kind of life you want to lead. It’s necessary to have a clear idea of what’s important to you so you can build your business from that foundation and align yourself with other creatives who believe in similar principles.

Here are a few thoughts to consider when weighing out  what you VALUE:

1) Time: We’ve all heard the old adage “time is money”. What does that mean to you? Do you value your time? Do you ask yourself: is this worth it to me? To attend this event or speak on this panel? While we want to say YES all the time and please others, do you ever consider for yourself- what’s in it for me? What will I get out of it? If not monetary compensation then what? Relationships? You need to stop and weigh out the value you’re providing versus what you’re receiving. It sounds selfish, I know, but when your business is built on your brand reputation, sometimes we need to be.

2) Money: You want a better business, right? You want better clients or to make more money? Do you value upgrading your branding and marketing efforts? Hiring someone who can help you with social media and guide you?  Invest in yourself if you expect others to invest in you. Wedding businesses that see this type of value see the bigger picture. Many of them are our industry leaders that we reverie and admire. I think its not just their creative art but their business decisions and savvy that make them “the best of the best”. They’re willing to invest money in the things that will help elevate their business, even if the payoff isn’t immediate.

3) Happiness: You want to be happy which might mean not taking on that extra wedding or photo shoot/project. Setting boundaries is key and recognizing that you cant be going going going at all hours of the day and night. Are you returning emails late at night and working all weekend? When do you allow yourself to be happy? When do you spend time doing what fulfills you outside of fulling the needs of everyone else? How often do you create time for your  family or friends? Valuing happiness sometimes means saying no (but remember what “no” can mean). Turning down money or press to travel, spend time with family/friends or participating in activities simply for enjoyment. If you find time to unwind and enjoy life you’ll have more energy and enthusiasm when it comes to your business.

4) Relationships: There is value is supporting someone who has always supported you.  I make a point to tell all my wedding PR consulting clients, that giving back to those who have given to you and continuing to give to others because someone gave you a chance, is invaluable. Who helped with your first press features? OR helped you land a dream client? Guess what?? It wasn’t just you! There were other people along your journey who helped make it happen too. If someone has opened doors for you and they ask for something in return, at the end of the day it’s not about the money, it’s about people. And if you decide relationships are something you value then take some time to think about how you treat those relationships. Are you slow to return phone calls, texts or emails? Taking you days, weeks, or no response at all? You are showing your friends, peers, potential clients that you don’t value them. YES this will hurt your relationships long term.

Time, money, happiness and relationships are the things that can make or break a business. Do you value them? Do you value them enough to make sacrifices or investments? A lot of times we want instant results – we want the money we spent on our new website to bring us a new booking the day it launches. But your time, money, happiness and relationships-their best results make an impact over the long-haul. When debating what you value don’t invest in the things that are going to bring you instant results, pick things that are best going to serve you over time.

Photo by Elizabeth Messina