'There is a voice that doesn't use words. Listen'
Supporting the community in which I live and other small local businesses is important to me. It's something that I am identifying with more and more as I continue with my own journey running a small business and getting to know more of the local people. Towards the end of October I attended the Moorabool Shire Business Operator's Networking Forum which was held at a quirky little restaurant in Gordon, called Gordon Bleu. I met many new faces and heard lots of stories about the challenges faced by the small businesses of my local community.
The whole event was inspirational in it's own way, but there was a quote referenced during a presentation about branding that really resonated with me in a deep way. It is a quote I have been pondering over ever since: 'There is a voice that doesn't use words. Listen' - Rumi (13th Century Persian poet).
In the context of branding, the presenter was driving home the message that brand is about much more than just a logo, a design, or the product or service you offer. Most importantly, it's about your audience's perception of you and your business: it's their gut feeling, or as they say in the classic movie 'The Castle', it's the vibe!
Reflecting on this concept, it got me thinking about the holistic approach to branding that I feel naturally drawn to taking in my business, and how important it is to me to do business in line with my moral values and respect for people. I feel confident knowing that I am putting a 'good vibe' out there from the way I operate, and from the feedback I get on a regular basis, I know my clients share this sentiment.
But above and beyond this, the quote got me thinking about how we relate to life outside of the business world: how we use our own personal brand and how the message we project outwards affects everything and everyone around us. Relating to this quote further on a personal level, and interpreting it from a slightly different perspective, got me reflecting on the importance of listening to our intuition - the inner voice that 'doesn't use words' - and listening to the subtle messages in our lives that are telling us that we are off track. Sometimes we are so out of touch, disconnected and consumed by our need to succeed, to be ever busy, that we are no longer listening to what is going on around us, or inside us. We are not noticing the issues arising in our relationships, friendships that are slipping us by, health issues that are going unchecked, or subtle discontentment seeping in, when all we need to do is take the time to listen to that voice 'that doesn't use words', wherever it is coming from.