Last week, I had a structured coaching session with a client who wanted to enhance her visibility in her personal brand. She wanted some guidance on understanding her core values and effectively communicating them to be invited onto podcasts and panel discussions.

During our session, we focused on her personal values, revisiting them to ensure their relevance in her life as it stands now. Personal values play a significant role in shaping our actions, how we present ourselves to the world, and how we conduct ourselves in business.

Given they form such a strong foundation, it is often rare for us to thoroughly examine our own values. While we may have a general understanding of our preferred way of operating, have we taken the time to articulate our specific values and establish a connection between our values and our business?

wooden building blocks in green, red, blue and orange are stacked in a tower

Our values serve as the foundation of our identities, representing our authentic selves. Often, how we feel and react to various situations is deeply rooted in our values, even if we are unaware of it. They guide our decision-making processes and provide us with a sense of discomfort when something is out of alignment, even if we can't pinpoint the exact reason.

Working through the values exercise with my client made me realise the importance of understanding my own values in my business. While I had previously identified my values about 18 months ago, I was intrigued to discover that some of my core values had evolved since then.

This evolution is natural and understandable. As we gain more experiences, knowledge, and self-awareness, we learn, grow, and change, leading to shifts in our values.

This got me thinking about how these values manifest in my business and how they guide me. I firmly believe that, whether we acknowledge it or not, our businesses are interconnected with our personal identities. Your vision, approach, and direction shape your business. You created it because you possessed a skill, passion, idea, or solution you wanted to share with the world.

Until our businesses expand beyond ourselves, our personal values are intricately woven into the foundation of our businesses, and it's important to recognise this.

Flatlay shows back of phone, be super social card and notepad with handwritten note "the fears we don't face become our limits"

Visibility

Visibility is a key aspect in business. You've likely heard the saying, "People buy from people." As a consumer, building a relationship with the individuals behind a brand influences your purchasing decisions. As a business owner, being visible in the spaces where your target audience makes those decisions is crucial.

When you, as a business owner, have clarity about your values and their influence on your business, it becomes easier to show up and be visible in your chosen marketing spaces. You're not only offering a product or service but also embodying something tangible that resonates with your audience.

This clarity on values gives you a sense of purpose. With a clearly defined unique selling proposition (USP) that goes beyond yourself, you can present yourself authentically and make visibility less challenging, especially if it's an area where you struggle.

becky looks at her phone as if typing on it

Authenticity

Authenticity is a term frequently discussed in the online business space, but how do you know if you're being authentic? Your values can help with this as well. There’ll be situations that make you feel uneasy or that you witness and sense are a bit off, even if you can't articulate why. These moments often occur when your personal values do not align with the responses or actions you encounter.

By having your values clearly defined, you can use them as a guide to respond in a manner that aligns with your authentic self. Values not only inform our decision-making processes but also guide the direction we take in our businesses and the areas we choose to focus on.

Attraction

Being clear on your values and the things important to you also helps with growing your audience. It provides a mode of self selection whereby some people are going to naturally resonate with your messages and values and some aren’t.

That doesn’t mean your values are wrong, it’s just a way to find your people, your community.

Although it can be a scary thought, you don’t want to be for everyone. I’ve said it before, but it’s perfectly OK that you only appeal to certain people. Think about your own life, you don’t like or gel with everyone you come across? So why expect it of others?

There’s a strong likelihood that at least some of your values will particularly resonate with your target audience. This creates a stronger bond between you and them and helps in relationship building.

Fulfilment

In our fast-paced lives, it's easy for fulfilment to take a backseat amidst many demands on our time and energy. We often find ourselves caught up in the busyness and pressures of life, juggling multiple responsibilities, which can lead to feelings of guilt and a sense of failing to give adequate attention to the people and things that matter most on any given day.

However, knowing your guiding principles — your values — and understanding how they intersect with your life and business can provide a reassuring comfort that, even during challenging times, you're on the right path.

By understanding the alignment between your business and your personal values, you're also more likely to experience long-term fulfillment and satisfaction. Building a business that reflects your values allows you to create a meaningful impact and contribute to something greater than just financial success.

Of course we all want financial success, but beyond that, having a deeper sense of purpose will help with ongoing motivation in our businesses.

What I’ve learnt from having my values articulated in my business…

For me, it’s about bringing the awareness of these values to the forefront in my business and coaching practice. And it’s about getting these thoughts out of my head and onto paper which frees up brain space for other things!

Having my values defined has helped me clarify my approach in business and understand why certain things feel out of alignment. It has empowered me to be more visible in a way that feels authentic and fulfilling, eliminating the pressure to "do all the things."

Moreover, understanding my personal values has helped me make sense of my career path thus far and how my diverse experiences contribute to forming a coherent direction.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Do you see a connection between your personal values and how you show up in your business? Feel free to share your comments below.

How Do Our Personal Values Impact Our Business Life?