The heart-shaped balloons and bedazzled boxes of candy started hitting shelves January 2nd.
I think buying chocolate a month and a half before gifting it to your sweetheart is a bit sketchy. But I do enjoy seeing hearts at every turn. They’re a daily reminder of the value of moving through the world with an open heart.
I’m often asked why I named my business Open Heart Creative. The questions range from, “So, what’s with the heart thing?” to “Oh, you mean, like, open heart surgery?”
Well, in a way, working with clients can feel a bit like open heart surgery.
And it took quite a bit of “heart” for me to launch a business based on a hunch that other business owners could benefit from strengthening their connection to the emotional center of their work. And putting their passion front and center in their marketing.
There was pushback {“Really? That’s a thing?”}
But I’m here to tell you – it totally is.
If we’ve worked together – or you run a heart-centered business – you know how hard it can be to trust that it’s okay to put the heart and soul of your work out there for the world to see.
To infuse your marketing with your true, authentic self in order to connect with your true, authentic audience.
It takes an immeasurable amount of courage for many of us to dip our toe into this roiling ocean – much less dive in. The world we travel doesn’t always embrace warmth, tenderness or honesty.
I’ll admit I’m pretty thin-skinned. The struggle to bring my hopes and dreams to light was monumental.
But I made the choice to put my heart {literally} on the line. To come from that deep down place of trust and intuition. And what has happened since has absolutely surpassed my wildest expectations.
In her book Everybody Writes, Ann Handley says, “At its heart, a compelling brand story is a kind of gift that gives your audience a way to connect with you as one person to another.”
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I invite you to show your clients some love by giving them the gift of more of who you are.
Give voice to your business stories fearlessly, proudly, and without apology. Communicating honestly and authentically with your prospects and customers is essential to building meaningful relationships with them.
And that’s the heART of successfully growing your business.
