This post is part of the 30-Day Bloom Your Online Relationships Challenge. If you’d like to play along, you can sign up here (don’t worry — it’s FREE). We’re all working through these small, powerful actions together and sharing our questions, learnings and experiences in a Facebook group. And we’d love to have you join us!
Fun green boa? Check.
David Lee Roth sparkly top hat? Check.
Blooming relationship? Check.
Is this a finance blog or a crazy take on fashion week?
This is a blog about small biz profit that has fun with outfits, mascots, villains, and one very contagious laugh.
Still reading? Then welcome to my inner circle, where the right brained, purpose driven, sometimes geeky, always entertaining, cool kids hang out. I’ll help you grow your bottom line, and have fun doing it.
Profit Tip 1: The Power of an Inner Circle
People like to feel in the know. They like to be part of a group. A sense of belonging is incredibly strong, and though it pains me to say it, transcends numbers.
The staying power of Star Trek is a great example (of course when isn’t Star Trek a great example?). Despite the fact it only ran for three seasons on TV in the 60’s, with limited commercial success, it has become a part of the American psyche. Not to mention spawning 4 additional TV shows and 12 major motion pictures.
How did this happen? In a word, Trekkies.
With his original show and premise, Gene Roddenberry created a world that had found peace, a world where African Americans, Russians, Asians, women, and even aliens worked together, equally, on the same ship. This vision, which fed ideas those in the know liked to quote (the Prime Directive, red shirts, and anything Vulcan), created a powerful community.
The cult following, coupled with the popularity of reruns during the 70’s, eventually resuscitated the show and brought about the first Star Trek movie. This example is particularly apt given the time frame. The TV show originally ran from 1966 to 1969. The first Star Trek movie was released in 1979.
As Tea Silvestre of Story Bistro is fond of saying, this is slow cooking. The power of an inner circle is profound. Just remember it can never be microwaved.
Profit Tip 2: Make it Open, Memorable, and Natural
How can you do this as a business? Entertainment is supposed to be memorable! Entertainment by its very nature is open to everyone who is interested.
The answer is as simple and difficult as being you.
Online many people throw around the work authentic, to the point where in my mind it’s lost its power. We’re going to use natural instead. When you are just hanging out with friends and family, what comes naturally to you? What topics do you like to discuss? Shows you watch, books you read, issues you care about, things that make you laugh, pets, kids, interests….
Everyone has them. What are your most memorable ones?
I have 8 lightsabers in my office. It’s safe to say I love sci fi. People often comment on my laugh. I love laughing, so why not capitalize on my unique sound?
Le’ts return to thst picture at the top of the blog for a minute. It’s from a recent conference I exhibited at. My display was Maxine the Math Mutt (one of my mascots) in a boa proclaiming herself as a #ProfitDiva. The draw to my booth was taking a selfie with Maxine and celebrating your #ProfitDiva. I offered a variety of props, such as boas, a pink cowboy hat, a fux fur coat and my rock star leather jacket.
My booth was a huge hit! Why? Because I was having so much fun with it people wanted to come over and join in. They wanted to belong to my group. I greeted and welcomed everyone. It was an open inner circle.
Profit Tip 3: Focus and Relevance
You’re ready to create an open, memorable, and natural open inner circle. Now what?
Pick something and focus on it. If you’re like me, you could spend all day sharing different interests. Bouncing all over won’t attract people, it will confuse them. In Star Trek there is only the Prime Directive – not the Top 20 Directives.
My focus? Making finance fun and relatable through my own quirks and my quirky characters. When I showed up to give a presentation yesterday to a group of business women, I had brought a feather boa with me. Those in the audience who already knew me immediately clicked and started telling others about being a #ProfitDiva.
Which leads to relevance. I’m not just saying Diva, or Rock Star (my first book is titled How to be a Finance Rock Star). I’m saying and showing how it directly relates to growing your bottom line. Profit Diva. Finance Rock Star.
What’s Your Inner Circle?
How can people quickly identify that they are in your inner circle? What term, idea, saying, or image captures your business and makes it relatable? Maybe you like to wear fun socks. Maybe you’re all foodies. Maybe you call yourself by a fun name *cough* Trekkies.
Sock Image credit: Leyton Parker
Note from Tea of Story Bistro: Once you’ve completed today’s challenge, come visit us on Facebook and tell us how people can quickly identify that they are in your inner circle? Was this easy? Hard? No right or wrong answers here — we’re all just experimenting!