Technology provides today’s business owner more ways to connect with customers than ever before. But with all those channels available, it’s more critical than ever that you know what you stand for as you seek to build connections with the people you want to buy your product.
You are your own brand. What kind of brand do you want your business to be?
Our company, kathy ireland Worldwide®, is greatly influenced by core values shared by every team member. We handle rejection with confidence. If people aren’t saying, “no” to you, you may not be taking on the real battles of your industry.
Most of our team members have worked, learned, laughed and cried together for the 21 years that we celebrate in 2014. The word “team” is used very casually in many businesses. Not ours. Although this business bears my name, we decided early on it could not be about me. Through the years, we’ve been able to discern engines that move us forward and anchors that pull us down.
Follow the Golden Rule
Are you treating the people you work with as you would want your family members treated? If not, start making a change … today. I never had a family business, but today, I have a business family. What we have been able to accomplish, with mutual respect and yes, love, is pretty incredible.
Every business needs advocates. Some people recoil when I speak at business conferences about building every business as a brand.
Too many people confuse iconic brands as the only brands. Apple. Disney. Starbucks. McDonalds. Mary Kay. Martha Stewart. These brands climbed the ladder to iconic status because of the dreams of a relentless entrepreneur and a very gifted team.
Prepare for challenges
Each of us has or will have a monetary crisis. Ours came many years ago when 98 percent of our business was dependent upon one partner. That one client filed bankruptcy and left us sputtering and on the floor. We got back up and decided that diversity was our path to the future. Those days were pretty grim.
It was like the movie “Groundhog Day.” We were in debt and starting all over again. Loyalty. Passion. Commitment. Frugality. These are disciplines that are forged in a crisis. Until you hit tough times, it’s hard to know which relationships are authentic.
Cherish your experiences
I’ve been self-employed all my life — from selling painted rocks to being the first female newspaper carrier in my hometown. A paper route teaches you a lot. Whenever Warren Buffet and I spend time together, we always swap stories about shared experiences from our paper route days.
Last year, Mr. Buffet, Bill Gates, Ndamukong Suh and I all competed in a newspaper toss at the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting. Naturally, Mr. Buffet won the toss. He is not only the world’s smartest investor, he’s never lost his newspaper skills.
The difference is, today, he probably buys more newspaper companies versus the newspapers he tossed as a youngster. More than 30 years later, I’m still the girl with the paper route. ●
Name: Kathy Ireland
Title: Founder, chair, CEO and chief designer
Company: kathy ireland Worldwide®
kathy ireland Worldwide® is a lifestyle business that offers designs in fashion, weddings, home, office and other areas. Kathy supports many nonprofits including the YWCA, Dream Foundation, Providence Educational Foundation, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
How to reach: kathy ireland Worldwide®, www.kathyireland.com
Twitter: @kathyireland
