ABOUT THIS EPISODE
With host retail coach Wendy Batten
https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/
Episode Overview
As our businesses grow, our roles change. The things that worked in an earlier stage may not be what we need in the next one. In this episode, I'm talking about what it means to stay true to your own vision, values, taste, and way of doing business as your shop evolves.
I share a story from the days when I taught paint workshops and how a room full of people could start with the same supplies, the same guidance, and the same goal, yet create completely different projects. That's a lot like running a business. We need the foundational pieces, but we also get to decide what our business looks like and how we build it.
As a business grows, especially when a team becomes part of the picture, our vision needs to grow too. I walk through the areas I believe are important to get clear on, including motivation, intent, leadership, customers, team, standards, culture, and values, and how those pieces can help guide the decisions we make.
Our Key Topics-
Why staying true to your own vision matters as your business changes and grows
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How having clear vision and mission can help you avoid copying what other businesses are doing
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What needs to expand in your vision as your business grows beyond just you
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Why motivation, intent, customers, leadership, team, standards, and culture are important parts of a three-to-five-year vision
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How your values can become a decision filter for your strategy, marketing, customer experience, and the inventory you choose to sell
Key Takeaways For Shop Owners
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You get to build your business your way. Having the right foundational pieces doesn't mean there is only one way to use them. Just like the people in my workshop created completely different signs from the same materials, our businesses can reflect our own taste, vision, and uniqueness.
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Your vision has to grow with your business. As your role changes and your team grows, your vision needs to become something other people can understand and get behind. It can no longer live only in your head or exist only as your personal vision.
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Get clear on what you actually need from the business. I talk about the difference between motivation and intent. Motivation is what drives you, while intent gets into the results and resources you need, including time, money, energy, and the impact you want to have.
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Your business vision needs to include more than the founder. As you grow, you need to think about who you are serving, what your team looks like, your standards, and the culture you are creating. The business and brand become bigger than just your own thing.
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Your values can help you make decisions. When your vision, mission, and values are clear, they can become filters for decisions around your strategy, marketing, customer experience, inventory, and the way you serve your clients.
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Resources Mentioned and Related Podcasts
Join me in The Collective: a 12-month coaching experience for established business owners who want a well-run, profitable business that supports the life they want to live.
Episode 215: Customer Service vs. Customer Experience
Episode 173: Find the Right Customer for Your Shop
Let's hang out in a private coaching session!
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About your host, Wendy Batten
In case we haven't met…I'm Wendy Batten. I've been a small business owner, coach, and mentor for over 25 years. I help thoughtful, established entrepreneurs step into their role as CEO and build businesses that are profitable, meaningful, and supportive of the lives they want to live. My work blends real-world strategy with a life-first philosophy, shaped by lived experience, not theory. I've been there! Through honest conversations and practical insight, I invite you into bigger thinking about leadership, possibility, and how to build both business and life on purpose.
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