Sitting around a table in a cozy corner of a coffee shop with two women, we caught up on news and wisdom flowed. Although the dialog began focused on careers and business, it soon turned to personal matters, as it usually does when females gather. It wasn’t t the length of years we knew each other, but rather the comfortableness within our relationships that created space for warmer subjects.
The word ‘label’ arose as we talked about personal matters. A perfect example was when one stated, “I like both white and red wine, they are ultimately the same product, but wear different labels.” It got me thinking about the labels we are accustomed to in politics, business, and society.
Women TIES, LLC Women’s March on Washington Members and Supporters
I’ve never judged people by labels but by the type of person, they were. I especially used this in business allowing everyone, whether black or white, gay or straight, old or young, worth millions of dollars or hundreds, to come to my events and sit at my table. What mattered most to me was whether they were good people, not the societal labels used to identify them.
Women TIES,LLC Annual Retreat featuring Kathy Hochul – Governor of NYS now
Anyone would guess I’m a feminist by reading my words, seeing my social media posts, or asking my opinion. I am liberal-minded respecting everyone’s decision on how they live. In doing so, I have been drawn to a diverse group of people, and them to me.
In the early stages of business, we all have to define our enterprises and the type of business owner we want to be. Using descriptive business labels meant people who aligned with them, became clients; and those who didn’t walk away. It is a way to describe our market segment and cater to them.
Today’s Wednesday Wisdom is for you to contemplate what labels you use to define your business. Are they in your mission and plans? Do you share them while networking? How else do you ensure the marketplace understands you and what you are selling? Does your verbiage need tweaking or do you have to get clearer in defining it for yourself?
If you don’t know where to start perhaps grab your favorite white or red wine, or maybe both, and contemplate how you and your business want to be labeled.
Women TIES 