Our first meeting started with “I really don’t understand marketing, or what you do. I’m here because others are telling me I need to ramp up my efforts. I’m not even sure I need to be doing this.”

At first glance, you would think this businessman had come to our office in a relatively defiant manner. He even began the meeting leaning back in his chair, arms folded over his chest. But the more we talked with him, the more excited we became. He was obviously excited about his company. He loved his clients. He loved his work. Now it was up to us to dig deeper and get to his “why.”

The next week, we held our discovery session to do just that. As Danieal and I asked our questions, the client shared story after story. She and I kept smiling to each other. This businessman knew what his “why” – his brand – was, he just didn’t know that he knew. We kept smiling because his why was so evident in all of his stories – from how he got into the industry to his very first client and the special things he did to make his clients totally happy.

We reconvened a couple of weeks later to present our findings, and show him what his business was all about. Before we even got started, he told us “You know, I wasn’t a believer in all this stuff before I came in here. But now, I get it! After our last meeting, I started thinking about everything we talked about, and I’m realizing how it’s guiding everything that I’m doing, and every decision I’m making – things that have nothing to do with the marketing you’re working on!”

Boom! There it is. Your brand and your story are bigger than marketing stuff. At Kolbeco, we uncover beliefs and values that guide your entire business. That’s because we don’t believe that marketing exists in a vacuum. It’s only authentic if it’s supported by how you operate, how you train your staff, the qualities you look for when you hire (no, not just the skill – the qualities that are in alignment with what you believe and how that prospective staff member will carry that out on your behalf). And, it’s only authentic if you’re willing to make decisions (even the hard ones) based on what you, as a business, stand for.

Living according to your brand and your values creates confidence because it tells the world you stand for something that you will not compromise on. It attracts the right kind of people (customers and staff) that stand in alignment with these beliefs and are emotionally connected to it.

Our new client didn’t believe something new, or adopt a way of thinking because it was good marketing. He already believed those things. Our job was to bring those beliefs into his consciousness and allow him to live and express them confidently. That’s what our discovery process we call “Finding Your Why” is all about.

Does it produce great marketing? Absolutely. But it does so much more. It allows our clients to operate very consciously according to their values. This guides their business and in turn, drives all marketing strategy and tactics, creating a story that no one else can tell, and which naturally attracts the right audience.