#floco vibes

Editor’s Note: This was an email from my buddies at Flourish Collaborative that I wanted to share with you because it touches on so many wonderful points, including a great testimonial from another TSG Savannah member and details about their newly launched e-course! Enjoy! -JL

What's the obsession with inspiration? Whenever we meet someone that we admire, our first question is always, "What inspires you?". But here's the thing: inspiration makes the thing better; motivation gets the thing done. Any creative knows that inspiration is fleeting; it comes from any and all things, and certainly shouldn't be attributed to success. What creates success is motivation - that inner drive pushing you past what's comfortable to make the ordinary extraordinary. For us, it's the newfound confidence we see in our clients about their business. Take Winslett with Lettees, for example:                        

Before we met Winslett, she was struggling with how to move forward with a business that had evolved from so many different things over the years. Not having the confidence to speak about her brand was keeping her from: - Contacting wholesalers. - Attending networking events. - Revamping her website. - Taking new brand photography. Now, Winslett has all of these *crucial* biz efforts back on her agenda, and is acting stronger than ever. Just look at her new marketing efforts:                        

Confidence in your business comes from having solid direction. What does solid direction look like for your business? It's being able to: + Explain what it is you do and why it matters - on the spot. + Know exactly who would most benefit from your business (and where to find them). + Easily distinguish yourself from everyone else. And we get it. Checking all of things off of your list takes time, money, and support.But we believe that now is the time for you to feel more confident in your brand efforts than ever before. Which is why we decided to take the first half of our Bloom Package and slash the price by over a thousand dollars. For the first time ever, you can now watch and listen to us walk you through your messaging, target demographic, and aesthetic direction at your own pace for a fraction of the cost.                        

photo by Erica Kelly from her trip to Costa Rica.

Editor’s Note: My members come up with some of the BEST content through their newsletters and once again, i lifted this from a newsletter that I get from branding and messaging experts, Flourish Collaborative. Please enjoy thoughts from co-founder, Erica Kelly, dropping some knowledge on you. -jl

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Some would agree that most vacations end with a generous dose of reality, and that couldn't have been more true for me and my 3-hour flight from SJO to MCO. Maybe it's different for you, but clarity tends to show up when I'm least expecting it. It's usually when I've laid an idea to rest that the epiphany comes; when I've "given in" to the Entrepreneur Slump that the adrenaline hits. So, given Clarity's fashionably late history, what are the odds that my travel party would be split up on the plane, causing me to sit right in the middle of what turned out to be a giant ball of truth, laughter, (and if we're being honest), one-too-many Rum and Cokes? I'd say spot on. Long story short: two guys go on a diving trip to Costa Rica and return home with a buy-in contract for a local sports bar. Combine 1 Broken JetBlue TV Monitor, 1/2 a Wonky Plane Tray, 4 Rum and Cokes, and 3 servings of an Embarrassingly Red Sunburn, blend until smooth. The end result? Three hard truths from two middle-aged guys who came from nothing and now order lunch with a side of sports bar. Their best business advice: 1. Bigger isn't better; better is better. Why is our culture so obsessed with the concept of "big"? Grow only when you're being pushed outside of your comfort zone, and focus on being the best of the best with whatever resources you can acquire. Don't worry about the "big wigs" of your industry and don't get involved in petty games. Put your head down and offer the best product possible. Success will follow. 2. Business isn't charity. You should have both business and charity in your life, but do not confuse the two. A good business is a profitable business, and profit should always be its main goal. The moment you begin donating your time and resources, is the moment you devalue yourself and hurt the potential for profit. Take care of yourself, and then take care of others. Otherwise, no one is being taken care of. 3. Determine the currency at play. While most are motivated by money, others value things like quality time, public recognition, or peace of mind. When making a business deal or trying to appeal to the upper hand, make sure you're factoring in all types of currency at play. You may save money by positioning your other assets as equal currency.