We all want to live a full life and one that helps others, but the path for getting there is not always clear.

Something that was eye opening for me this last year, was how many people go into business just to make money. Now do not get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with wanting to make money and create a better life for your family. But, what happens when you hit that dollar goal you originally set out to crush? Or even worse, what happens when you wake up one day and hate this business you’ve created because there was no passion associated with the service?

Creating an intentional business has been a huge learning opportunity on my end, and something that I am still ironing out today. I originally set out to build a business that allowed me to create a flexible lifestyle for my future family. I wanted to be present whenever we decided to have children, and raise our kids in a “high drive, think outside the box” kind of environment. There was no specific dollar amount in mind that I wanted to hit, I just knew that I wanted to use my current skills to help others live a fuller life as well.

I know what you are thinking, “that sounds great Emily, but I’ve got bills to pay and I’m tired of being tied to this desk.”

I totally hear you girl, please do not think for one moment I am going to leave you hanging with some “great” idea and no action plan. Before we jump any further, I just want you to think about or jot down what lights you up inside? Because if you do not have an answer to this, how can you find new ways to add value for your current and future clients?

WHAT ADVICE OR QUESTIONS DO PEOPLE ASK FROM ME WEEKLY?

• Social media questions
• Brand development
• Motivation
• Blogging tips and tricks

WHAT AM I PASSIONATE ABOUT?

• Helping women create a better life for themselves
• Encouraging someone to take a chance on themselves
• Eliminating the stigma around domestic violence

WHAT ARE MY CORE VALUES?

• Family: I believe that without a strong support system, our professional endeavors will struggle
• Positivity: I will only surround myself with positive people
• Reliability: If you need me, or my team we are here and ready
• Take Ownership: If you mess up, own it. Mistakes happen, we are all human.
  

At the end of the day, I believe we all want to serve others. The way we serve is how we stand out.

Okay, so in a perfect world you’ve walked through the steps above before kicking off your company and now you are looking for ways to add additional value. In a world that is so driven by social media, we sometimes forget that the way we add value will not look the same as the next company. Since I am in the client relations world, I will speak to an area that I know. Our company’s success is extremely dependent on the success of our clients.

How we like to add value:

• Look at their business as a whole, whether we are being brought on in a small capacity or large.
• Set up a referral program for our current clients.
• Special access to webinars, ebooks and in person seminars for a discounted cost or free.
• Viewing each customer relationship as a partnership and not a transaction
• Over delivering

How I add value with my brand/blog relationships:

• Providing more content then originally asked for by the brand.
• Suggesting new ideas on how we can make this partnership unique and not like the other previous campaigns the brand has run.
• Sending a quick thank you to the company for partnering with me after the campaign.
• Continuing to incorporate the brand in my everyday life even after the campaign ends. I love the products I promote, why wouldn’t I continue to use and speak about them?
• Freebies for all of my email subscribers

Creating an intentional business, one that has a defined purpose will automatically provide your customers with value. The important thing to keep in mind – does this value idea match up with our core values.

XOXO

Emily