When I first started Roche Brand Advisors in 2019 friends and collogues said I was “brave” to start my business. Maybe, but I also had nearly 30 yrs of advertising and brand building experience, and it wasn’t my first rodeo either. I’d co-owned two successful ad agencies, doing work I was proud of, for clients you’d likely recognize. The real catalyst behind my apparent bravery was a giant loss that rocked my world, causing me to seriously reassess how to use my remaining time on this planet. Not making a change wasn’t an option.
It took nearly a year to get clear on what is now Roche Brand Advisors, a boutique consultancy created to bolster the visions of purpose-led organizations by aligning people around solid business strategies and better communication tools. Brave or not, it’s made all the difference in how I feel about earning a living.
What’s calling YOU?
If you're needing a bit of encouragement to get after what’s calling YOU, I share what's helped me follow the “soft voice” that sure gets chatty late at night.
#1. It's Free To Dream - when you’ve got a problem to solve, first let yourself dream - WITHOUT CENSORING. (underlined & highlighted too). Working alongside some of the most talented creative people in advertising for 30 years, I’ve learned this over and over. Great ideas need time and space to sprout. Begin by allowing a generous and uncensored space for dreaming big. DO NOT let the practical voice of reason override. Not yet anyhow. There will be time for her later. You must start by letting your imagination have free rein. That dreamy voice can be timid, conditioned to getting kiboshed. If you don’t make space for it, you’ll always end up with something less than fully satisfying.
#2 Never Settle - think hard about what we really want most, sorting needs from wants. Maybe we can’t have it all, but we sure can have what is essential if we can name it. In fact, it’s our responsibility to do so! Spend time to dream, and then gently determine what's most essential to that dream. Hone in, letting lesser priorities fall aside lest they dilute the dream. You’ll know if that’s happening if your heart feels a little sick. Even as your brain justifies its logic, your heart will know its being sold out. YES, be resourceful, and open to things manifesting in a delightfully unexpected form. But never settle on the essentials.
#3 Pay Yourself First - once clear on where you’re unwilling to settle, safeguarding it is number one. This is different than Never Settle because it tells us how to do it. We all have people we don't want to disappoint. But we must remember to pay ourselves first. To secure our own mask before helping those seated next to us by making ourselves the steady constant, not the dependent variable. Don't give yourself away.
I hope there is some good news you can use here. If you’d like to brainstorm please reach out.
Roche Brand Advisors can help. Please send me an email or use the button below to schedule a call.