I have a client who is a wedding planner. Talented, creative, organised – she’s everything you could want as someone to help plan a very important day.
However, her greatest strength, I believe, is that one of her guiding principles is to value the marriage more than the wedding.
Working with her own clients, she explores what their relationship is like, and what they want their marriage to be like, in order to create a wedding day that is authentic to them, and that starts their journey as a married couple.
This, to me, is refreshing and brilliant.
I’m all about sustainability. I don’t find quick fixes or flashy short-term plans particularly enjoyable or satisfying – I’m much more about finding the long term goals and aims.
That’s not to say I don’t do short term or one-off – because I do, and this work with clients is often very valuable and enjoyable. But it’s because I use quick fixes to re-orientate towards sustainability and long term aims.
This analogy of wedding vs marriage can easily be applied to a small creative business.
Because both are important. The wedding (which could be a launch, re-launch, Christmas period etc.) sets you off on the right path. It declares your intention, celebrates something very important, and gathers people together. It creates something special, something symbolic, that will be looked back on and referred to as a wonderful, special, magical time.
But the wedding isn’t more important than the marriage. The marriage (day to day business life, the ongoing sustainability of your business) is how you live out your intentions. It includes the full range of life experiences – excitement, disappointment, vulnerability, starting afresh. A marriage requires daily attention, a million forgivenesses, and the commitment to learning, trying again, living by the principles you agreed on your wedding day.
Here’s the thing:
Are you living for a wedding or a marriage?
Did you expect your business-wedding (new website launch, new range launch, advertising) to change everything, to change the everyday of your business-marriage?
If you’re planning a re-launch, new product launch, or simply thinking about Christmas, consider what your principles for the long-term marriage are. How will you demonstrate them at your ‘wedding’?
What are your business-marriage principles and values? (Also, what are your actual marriage principles and values? Different, but connected.)
Are you living them every day? Is anything missing? Do you need a vow renewal with your business?
Ah, I do love a metaphor and analogy to get us thinking differently!
Suffice to say: build a business for the long term, with sustainability. Use any short term goals to work towards that.
(And yes, as always, I’m taking my own advice.)
Jx
PS I currently have a spot open for a weekly mentoring client, and space for one-off mentoring sessions, so if you need to edge back towards sustainability, or need help planning a business-wedding, please get in touch.
Perfect blog