Welcome And Series Context

Speaker 0:10

This is the Building A Clear Authentic Brand podcast, and I'm your host, Amy Dardis. And in this episode, we are diving into the blessing of clarity and alignment in your business. Now, this is coming after part one of this mini-series. So last week we dove into the cost of having confusion and misalignment in your business and what that looks like on a practical, tangible level within the business, as well as the price that we pay internally as people and the cost and the consequences of how that shows up in our life. Now, moving on from that, we're looking at the blessing of that, of what it looks like on the other side of that. And so we're gonna kind of follow that same format. And we're looking at, okay, so if we have clarity, if we have alignment in our business, then what is the tangible, practical, external things that we see as evidence of that within our business? And then on an internal level and as a leader, what is the blessing that we then get to experience? So we're gonna start with the practical, external side, and then we're gonna move into the internal side. So on the external practical side, we are really kind of looking at four different key areas within our business of what happens when we have clarity and alignment. And so we are looking at what does that look like within our people and our culture? What does that look like within our marketing and our messaging? How does that carry over into the customer experience as well as the operations and the processes of how we actually run our business? Now, for me, every time

What Clarity And Alignment Unlock

Speaker 2:12

I meet with a client or a business owner, it doesn't matter what it is that they need help with, whether we're looking at their hiring and their interviewing process, whether we're looking at their culture, whether we're looking into consulting, whether we're looking at doing their website or marketing campaigns, we always have to start with clarity. And that is getting clear around who are they as a brand, who are they as the leader? What is the story that has shaped who they are today? Like what are the experiences, what are the differentiators, what are the values that have driven their decisions, driven their behavior, that have created the brands that they have today. And we have to know those things because it runs into all of that. So if we have clarity around that, if we know their story, if we know their values, if we know why they do what they do, their purpose, their reason for existing, if we understand the types of people who really thrive in their organization, if we understand what it is they stand for and what they don't, the specific services that they offer, the type of experience that they're trying to deliver for their customers, if we have a clear idea of who those customers are, then it's going to affect every single one of these areas. So actually break this down, all the specific elements that we need to have clear and clarified and defined in the 10 elements of a clear brain. And you can get that at Clearauthenticbrands.com slash resources. It's a free download for you. And those are the exact elements that we need to have be clear on in order to experience this blessing of alignment within our business. And so the idea here is that we're going to be clear on who we are, what God is calling us to, how we're wired, how we need to show up in the marketplace. And then we are going to align everything in our business around that. We are going to align our people, we're going to align our messaging, and we are going to align our processes around this clear calling, around this clear mission and purpose in order to make sure that we are showing up authentically. We are showing up and we are doing what we say that we do, and we're also doing what God is calling us to do. So clarity always leads to alignment, and we can't ever have alignment without first having clarity.

Hiring For Character And Fit

Speaker 4:58

So we get clear on all of these things, and now the first thing we're going to look at is aligning our people. Now, when we have alignment within our people, what does that do for our business? So that means that we understand the types of people that we need to bring into our organization. And we're looking at their character, which is what they value, what drives them. And it aligns within how we're wired and what drives us and what we're after, because there has to be this shared common ground. It's not something that we can teach, it's not something that we can force. So if we can be very specific about what it is that we're looking for within a person's character, then we can actually structure our interviewing and hiring process around this, within what we say, within our job descriptions, to the questions that we ask within our interviews, to even how we're evaluating candidates to bring them on board. The second thing we're looking for is their capacity to excel within the role itself. And so we're always looking at how did God wire them? What are their unique skills? What are their unique abilities? And we want to put them in roles that align with that. So when this happens, what you're gonna have is a group of people who one understand the expectation, they understand what it is that they are stepping into because it has been communicated to them from the beginning. And it's not even so much that it's this expectation, more as it's an invitation to step into something that they want, that they desire, because that's in them. And they're like, Yes, I want to go and work for an organization for a business that values what I value, and I want to be in a role where I get to spend my time doing what I'm really good at. And so when you have that, you have people who are great at their job, who are going to bring so much energy, so many ideas, so much excellence to the roles that is going to push your business forward. And second, you're going to have people who, because they share the same values and they're motivated by the same things, there's going to be unity within your business. And so unity commands a blessing. And so we have people rowing in the same direction, towards the same common goal, within the same rhythm, within the same stroke and flow. And this is where every business is unique. And what you have is a culture where people actually look forward to coming to work. They show up to work and it's fun. It's easy to have the conversations you need to have. You can go and do the work that you need to do because you're doing it in a role that is what you were meant to do. It's what you were created to do. And this is what we want for everyone. This is my heart for every single person out there is that they find a role that aligns with their wiring and they find a group of people where they can really enjoy working together with each other. So when we have this in our business, we have engaged employees and we have people experiencing meaningful work. And when we can create an environment like that where they come and they spend 40 hours of their week there, they get challenged, they get fulfilled, they get valued, they get appreciated, and they don't feel like they're wasting their life at work. And I have been in both types of these roles personally. I have been in roles that were not aligned with my gifting. I have been in roles where I was not aligned with the company itself. And in both cases, multiple different roles, lots of experience with this. I have been a very disengaged employee, the person who showed up at work and just did the bare minimum, did what I had to, and internally I felt that weight. I felt that cost of knowing that I was made for more. I didn't know what, but I was made for more. And I felt like my life was passing me by. And I think so many people today have just kind of accepted that this is how it is, and that we have forgotten to even dream or desire for anything more because we feel like it's just impossible, but it's not. And this is something that we want to like stir up this dream again and say the more we know ourselves as an individual, the more we understand how God created us and how he wired us, the more in tune and the more discernment and wisdom we are going to have as employees to know what's going to be a good role for us and what's not. But even as employers, it's important to have this mindset and to have this lens to be able to look at people and say, who are you? What drives you? What are you naturally wired to excel at? And so when we have these types of experiences, when we're able to put people in these roles and actually spot their gifting, we're able to develop in them, we're able to bring greatness out of them, we're able to help them grow and be challenged and know that what they bring to the table is a huge contribution. So they experience meaningful work. Your business gets to experience the fruit of that and the blessing of that. And then this is going to carry over into your customer experience because people walk through the door or a customer calls and your employee answers, and the tone in their voice, the body language that they're displaying, the way that they engage with a customer, that is what creates the reputation for your business. It's the people who answer the phone and you can tell they have a sense of purpose, they have a sense of calling, they have a sense of meaning for being there beyond just getting paid for their time.

Meaningful Work And Team Unity

Speaker 11:58

And that's what we want because it's so much more than just an exchange of time for money or money for skill sets. It really is the time that we spend in our life and we don't get this time back. And so our customers actually they pick up on that. This is something where we cannot pretend, we cannot fake this, we cannot hide this. It's the restaurant where you walk in and it's a great experience because you can tell the people who work there love their job. There is a locally owned ice cream shop here in Palmer, Alaska. It's called The Big Dipper, and it has great ice cream. But what makes it even better is I have never had a bad experience there ever because every time I've gone there, the people there are genuinely nice, they're helpful, they're pleasant, they're gracious, and it's just it's this warm, fuzzy, good experience that this is like you can tell, like these employees are treated well, they enjoy what they're doing, and they're they're that that's that blessing is like flowing through them. It starts at the leadership level or at the owner level, where the owners and the leaders they pour into the employees, and then the employees then in turn pour out into the customer experience. And you see the opposite of this all the time, where you go and if you experience bad service at a restaurant or with a company, or you call someone on the phone to schedule an appointment, and the person answering the phone just sounds like they hate their job or they're having a terrible day, and they're just like, hello, yes, what can I do for you? And just their whole demeanor is just like gruff and abrasive. You can't hide that, you can't fake that. That's not even necessarily a coaching thing, it's probably more that they're either within the wrong role or well, they're at the wrong company and they're not experiencing that type of meaningful work. But what we want is when we're super clear about our brand, when we're aligning our people around our mission and our purpose and our values and the type of experience that we want to deliver, that is going to directly affect the customer experience as well as our reputation as a brand and as a business. And that is also driven by our operations. And so, as a leader, you have to decide how are you going to create this amazing experience? Outside of making sure that we are hiring the right people, which is the majority of it, once we know we have the right people on board,

Customer Experience You Cannot Fake

Speaker 15:05

then we have to understand, okay, what is it that makes us different? What is it that makes us unique? What experience are we delivering? And how are we going to make sure that everything within our operations, our processes from the back end to the front end is set up to optimize that to its maximum ability? And the more that we're able to deliver with excellence, the more that we're able to hone in on that, the more set apart we are going to be within our industry and within the marketplace. And customers are going to not only hear us say how we're different, but then experience it at every single touch point because it is flowing through all of our messaging, all of our people, and into the way that we follow through. And then as we grow and as we move forward, there's all of these decisions that we have to make about new opportunities. What do we say yes to? What do we say no to? And the most dangerous thing for a business is to say yes to everything. And that can be scary to say no to opportunities because we're like, well, what are we saying no to? And are we going to miss out on something? But if we don't have this clarity, this clarity is what helps us say no with confidence. It's what helps us go deep and not wide. It's what helps us be confident in our decision making because we're standing on our convictions and we're making sure that we're not diluting the very thing that makes us unique. And this is what helps us stand out authentically. This is how we set ourselves apart within a marketplace. And so when we're clear on all these things, it makes our messaging and our marketing just a no-brainer. There is no recreating the wheel. There's not copying what's trending, there's not looking at what other people are doing. It's knowing this is who we are, this is what matters to us, this is how we show up in the marketplace. And so we're going to do it. We're going to align around it, we're going to make our decisions around it. We are going to be so convicted about this. And we are going to make sure that we do what we say and we say what we do. And so then when you go to write your messaging, when you go to create an ad, when you go to launch a campaign or do organic content or drive social, you know exactly the message that you are trying to put out there. And it is not a struggle. And so for me personally, this is something that I've really been wrestling with very deeply over this last year. And I've been very open about my struggles with this and all the ways that I've gotten this wrong and all the prices that I've paid for it. But launching Clear Authentic Brands, one at the beginning of it, I didn't do it right. I I still struggle with except I I knew that I was trying to do it right this time. I knew that I wanted to do it differently. But sometimes knowing something and then actually changing your

Operations That Deliver Excellence

Speaker 18:35

habit to change your actions, that's just takes time. And there is a little bit of wrestling with that. And so I spent the last year and a half understanding what I want to do, but then also having to change my habits and change my patterns and change my mindset in order to make sure that I was following through on those things. And really, it just came down to this understanding of what is it that God is calling me to. And I've been thinking a lot about this as I was reading through Second Kings in the Old Testament, and I've read that before multiple times, but this past year I read it really slowly, and it was different. And this time I got something new out of it. And as I watched each of the kings that ruled over Israel and Judah, and seeing of all the kings for all the generations in all the different families, that only three of them were fully devoted to God, and only three of them were fully convicted and fully focused on being obedient to God. And there were all of these other kings, right? So there was there was all of these other kings, and some of them should come straight out and they say this king did evil in the eyes of the Lord. And then other ones would say this king did right in the eyes of the Lord, but he either followed in his father's footsteps or he followed in his father David's footsteps. And the ones who followed in his father David's footsteps were the ones who removed the high places. They were the ones who did everything and were fully devoted to God. But as a king,

Confident Marketing And Better Yeses

Speaker 20:45

kings are in charge of ruling and making decisions and leading people. And so I compare that to what it's like to be a business owner. And it's like, really, it's like you have your, you have your kingdom, you have your responsibility of what it is that you need to rule over. And we can make a lot of good decisions. There were kings that made good political decisions, decisions, and good economic decisions. But what defined them as a king was their devotion to God. And I think about this as a business owner and as a Christian business owner. And I'm like, okay, I could do a lot of things and I could have a business that looks blessed on the outside. And it could be economically successful and it could be politically successful, and it could be have all this pretty branding and good messaging and customers. But the question is is where is my heart and who's Lord over my life? And am I fully devoted to what God is calling me to? Like, who am I surrendering to? Who am I obeying? And this past year has been a wrestling of coming to terms with that of do I want to build a successful business or do I want to build a business that is fully devoted to God and that is led by the spirit and not by the world? And that's coming to this breaking point of being like, God, at the end of the day, like that's all I want. Like I want to just lay this all down and help whoever you ask me to help and talk about things on this podcast as the spirit leads, even if it makes no sense to me. And just laying it down fully. And I've struggled back and forth, but then you come to this surrendering point of being like, all right, God, what have you brought me through? What have you brought me to? What do I believe about you? What do I believe about your power in my life? And is this for you or is this for me? And what am I afraid of? And what am I holding on to? Like, and I have to be willing to lay my life down, and I have to be willing to get rid of the high places in my life and be fully clear and aligned with what God is calling me to do. And that ends up being the question when it comes to business is what are we, where are the idols in our life? Where are the high places that we're like, oh, it's fine. It's like I'm 80% following God, but there's this 20% that's still there. Or are we going to fully get rid of the high places? Are we going to fully lay it down and be like, you know what, God, whatever you ask of me, it's yours. And then to to lay it down and to see God move in my life and in my business in ways that I can't even ask or imagine. And there's a huge amount of faith. There's a huge amount of risk. There's a huge amount of hardship. And I want to say that when we move into this like internal thing of what does it look like to have clarity and alignment in your business? One, as a leader, it comes back to conviction and peace. It comes back to this: who am I afraid of? Like, and who is my master? Am I serving God or am I serving the money? Am I serving the world? And you know, if if God is for me, if God is like leading this, and who do I fear? Like if he is really in control, then no matter what happens, it's he's going to work it for my good, even when it doesn't make sense. And I read about these people in the Bible, like Abraham, who kept hoping when there was no reason to hope, and Noah, who built an ark when everyone told him he was crazy. And Noah or and Joseph,

Faith-Led Leadership And Surrender

Speaker 24:55

who sat in jail for 13 years while Jesus while God tested his character, you know, and I think about these things. And Elijah, who, you know, got to, you know, prayed there there would be no rain. And then he prayed that there would be rain. And he saw this tiny little cloud in the sky, and he was like, get ready, here comes the storm. And it's like, that's the kind of faith that I want to have. And that's the kind of those are the kinds of stories that I want to be able to tell about my business, about when I let God lead it, when I let it surrender. And when it comes to having that clarity and alignment, it it's conviction of knowing this is what I believe and this is what I stand for. And so even if it doesn't make sense, gonna lay it down. Like even trying to not be on social media, like that's a conviction, and it's something that I've gone back and forth and I've compromised and then been convicted, and then compromised, and then been convicted, and there's another podcast episode that's coming. But it's realizing that we're going to lead with conviction because of our faith, instead of leading with compromise because we're afraid, knowing that there's a purpose and a calling to every moment and every day and every interaction, and I don't want to waste any of it. It is a ministry, and it cannot be an idol in my life. It's believing that God wired me this way, He set these dreams and this desire in my heart, He led me through these experiences that I never made happen. I didn't open all of these doors, He did, and He did it way before I ever even knew what was even gonna happen. But ultimately, I think as entrepreneurs and business owners, we often think that, okay, if we're doing the right thing and if we're being obedient to God, and if we're clear on what He's asked us to do and we're trying to get rid of all the high places, that then our circumstances are gonna be good. Like the business is just gonna immediately be blessed. And while I think there is a blessing that comes, like and there is a harvest that comes, like we do reap what we sow, it is in God's timing. And sometimes there's a pruning and there's a wilderness season and there's a testing of our character that happens in that process, and that process can be long and it can be really hard, and it can be a huge struggle to get through, but to keep waiting and to keep hoping and to know that blessing doesn't come from our circumstances, like the circumstances aren't what give a blessing. The blessing comes from having joy and peace in every situation and in every circumstance, because we're putting our hope in God, because we know that whatever happens, like there is never a reason to let the world steal my joy or steal my peace. And I spent years not having either of those things. And even when circumstances were good, and even when I made a lot of money, and even when I had a lot of material blessings, like there was not joy, there was not peace. And now it's coming and know, like that. What does God's word say? It says, like, your joy and your peace and your ability to bear fruit, it all comes from abiding in Christ and surrendering to him and letting him be the one who is at work in you and through you. And really, that ends up being like the blessing is like being clear on what God is calling you to, being clear on how God has designed you and orchestrating you, being clear on what that God-given dream is in your life, and knowing that he is the one who's going to make it happen. And so it's aligning our will with his, our business with his direction and having peace and joy through the process, even on the hard days, even on the days when you're just like, Man, I don't know how this is all gonna work out. But then I think about Abraham and I'm like, man, he waited years for his son, but he had a word from God. And if he has a word, then God's word does not return void. Like God is faithful, God does make things happen. And I would rather live a life and lead a business where I get to tell of these amazing stories and these miracles in my life because I was willing to wait, because I was willing to believe, rather than choosing to play it safe or to stay comfortable or to operate in my own strength and just survive, like just and just to make it and and just kind of get by day to day and not let the the the work and the power of God work in and through my life. Like I don't I don't want to miss out on that. And you know what's been really cool to see in my position. So getting to know a lot of other business owners and getting to know even a lot of other people, it is just as cool to see God working in other people's lives and get to hear of these stories and get to hear other business owners' stories and the way that God has moved and the doors that he's opened and the way that things have worked out, as it is to get to experience them in my life because it's it's a reminder, right? It's it's just it's evidence, it's just one more thing where it's just like it's encouragement to know. It's like, man, it doesn't, it's not even about me, right? It's just being able to know that wow, it's so cool to get to witness God's power at work in the lives of other people. And I think that's what it's really about is just coming to this point of like loving God and loving people and it's other entrepreneurs and its employees and it's friends, and it's it's choosing to take our eyes off of ourselves and our trials and tribulations and not my bad days. Honestly, sometimes on a bad day, like the best thing I can do is just like try to do something nice for somebody else because that just that makes me feel better. I mean to just be encouraged by other people's stories, which is one of the reasons I love doing this podcast and having other entrepreneurs on the show to like hear about just their stories and their walks of how God has grown them and challenged them and provided for them and made a way for them. Because when it's all said and done and and we get to the end of this life, you know, we're not gonna look back and be like, man, I wish I'd made more money or been more stressful. If anything, it's just like, man, I I wish I had made the most of every day in every relationship and every

Resource Link And Closing

Speaker 32:43

interaction. So as always, you can always learn more about brain clarity and alignment at ClearAuthenticbrands.com slash resources. That is all for this episode. I will see you guys next time.