Missions, Values, and Visions, Oh My!

In Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture, he talked about the head fake, saying, “Most of what we learn, we learn indirectly.” See if you can spot, from his Ann Arbor classroom, the head fake in Professor Dave’s lecture, “Missions, Values, and Visions, Oh My!”

Referring to myself in the third person isn’t a sign of narcissism, is it? Whoa, turns out it’s not! And cookies for dinner are kinda tasty.

Anywho.

Missions

The mission of your brand is based heavily on the “why” of it. I write a ton about the “why,” so here’s a link to the latest blog post about it: The New Rules of Branding

Our “why” is always about entrepreneurs because we believe they’re the keys to the world’s happiness. So our mission is all about entrepreneurs and what we do to help them: The world is broken, and we believe entrepreneurs are the only ones who can fix it. But they’ll never get that chance if no one cares about their brands. So, with a little bit o’ nuttiness, a little bit o’ research, and a lotta bit o’ guts, it’s our job to make people care.

Our So you can see, our mission is based around our “why.” Find your brand’s “why,” and your mission becomes easy.

Values

Values are your brand’s way of letting the world know what’s important to it! A lot of times, it’s not even about business.

Our brand’s values are pretty straight-forward.

1. We’re about health – We want to foster a culture where people are able to take care of themselves so they’ll be around for the people who need them.
2. We’re about a team with a common cause – Our qualifications for our team will always be if we like you, if you can do the job, and if you believe in the mission, you’re in! Unless you’re like, four or something. I think they have laws against that.
3. We’re about benevolent entrepreneurs – If you’re passionate and have a strong “why” about what you do, we’ll help you. If you’re just in it for the money, or you simply know how to do whatever, go somewhere else.
4. We’re about consistency. We’re branders. Everyone should be treated exceptionally well, and every process should be followed, otherwise we’re not very good branders.
5. We’re not about bigotry. If anyone shows any hate toward someone because of something they have no control over, they’re out. Period.

So, what’s important to your brand? What does it stand for? Remember that values not only communicate what’s important to your brand – they also give people additional reasons to want to meet with you. But here’s the thing: like your mission, they must be 100% authentic. Don’t fake any of it, because people will sniff you out.

Visions

What’s the overall vision for your brand? When all is said and done, what should your brand achieve? Ours is simple: we want Mayniax Branding to contribute to leave a measurable impact on the world’s happiness. That means Mayniax Branding will likely go on for a good long time, because unless Google comes up with a happiness algorithm, that’s gonna be tough to measure!

What mark will your brand leave on the world?

Oh My!

Brands grow from within. It’s up to you to make sure your people – and that includes clients – are on board with the brand’s mission, the brand’s values, and the brand’s vision, or they’re just words that mean nothing. And then you’ll be just like every other entrepreneur out there, working 80 hours per week for the rest of your life wondering where you went wrong.

Did Ya Catch the Head Fake?

I typed a lot about the brand, but absolutely nothing about products or services. That’s because they’re practically inconsequential to the mission, values, and vision of a brand. But that’s not the head fake.

The brand is you! Your “why,” your mission, your values, and your vision for the world are the backbone of your brand! What your brand does is just a tool to help make those things – the things that are truly important to you – happen.

That’s why we build brands around who our entrepreneurs actually are. And that’s why I have such a tough time with the concept of “personal branding” – it seems to imply making you, and consequently your brand, into something you’re not. And speaking of my frustration with “personal branding”

In Closing

Remember that your brand is ultimately you. And you’ll find the right people – teammates and clients – to work with if you’re just true to yourself. Because honestly, when your parents first looked you in the eyes and said, “Be yourself,” they taught you everything you needed to know about personal branding.

And possibly why you occasionally – since you’re may be all about health – enjoy cookies for dinner.

Stay gutsy, gang!

The world is broken, and we believe only entrepreneurs can fix it. But they’ll never get that chance if no one cares about their brands. So, with a little bit o’ nuttiness, a little bit o’ research, and a lotta bit o’ guts, it’s our job to make people care.

Wanna set up a happy fun time chat with Ann Arbor’s favorite branding team? Then click here, fill out the form, and we’ll get back to ya!