How To Tailor Your Company To Your Personality

⌛ By Kaylin R. Staten ⌛

If you’re a solopreneur, chances are that you think about your growing company 24/7/365. If you’re not doing what you love, then your daily routines won’t bring you joy. 

One of my passions is helping you find yours, too. Life is too short to not be happy in your personal and professional lives.

Here are four ways to tailor your company to your own personality:

Find your niche.

You don’t want to start a company without doing what you’re naturally good at and what you gravitate toward. For example, an overly analytical and less creative company would not be part of my strong suit. While I blend science with art, I’m way more inclined to play with words and not equations. Make sure your company brings out your strengths and allows you to confront tasks outside of your comfort zone with grace. I always recommend finding only a few niches and fine-tuning those. Become an expert within your niche. Hourglass Media’s broad niches are public relations, writing, and education with more specific nonprofit and introverted communications professionals as audience niches.

Focus on your mission.

At the beginning (or at least right now if you don’t have one!), sit down and craft a personal and company mission statement. Write down key words that resonate with you, and be sure to be succinct about what it is that you want your company to do, as well as what you want to always achieve as an individual. Don’t do anything that is outside of your mission, plain and simple. I did this for way too long because I am a people pleaser; however, this will not make you happy or successful in the long run. It’s not sustainable to act without purpose. These days, I emphasize the “live what you love” part of my personal mission, in addition to the “unveiling the heart of stories” elements of writing, public relations, education, and other storytelling initiatives.

Make it about you -- at least at the beginning.

You probably wanted to start your own company or side hustle because you wanted something that felt more in line with who you are and what you wanted from a career. It’s OK to make your company about you at the beginning. Don’t hide in the shadows and be afraid to show the face of your company (you). Take the Brand Archetypes Quiz to see what resonates most with your company. For example, Hourglass Media is a Lover + Creator with a touch of Explorer + Caregiver.Of course, as your company evolves, its story will take on a life of its own. That is when you can give new life to your company’s brand personality and hone in on an updated strategic plan. 

Be authentic.

If you are anything but yourself, people will notice. You could lose valuable clients, partnerships, and other opportunities. Or you could be stuck in a no-win scenario with an individual or company that doesn’t fit within your company’s scope and strategic plan. Always be yourself, and be mindful of anything that does not serve you. Create and curate content that is your company’s voice and not someone else’s. As an example, Hourglass Media focuses on mental health, coffee, cats, Leia Organa, and countless other passions. When you work with Hourglass Media, you work with me and who I am as a person and professional. It’s OK to blur those lines, but always remember that business and personal lives are separate. This is especially true when trying to collect invoices and having hard conversations. Business is business, and don’t be afraid to be stern when needed. That is still part of your authentic self, after all. 

Kaylin R. Staten, APR, is an award-winning public relations practitioner and writer based in Huntington, WV with nearly 16 years of professional communications experience. As CEO and founder of Hourglass Media, she uses her compassionate spirit and expertise to delve into the heart of clients’ stories. She is a recovering perfectionist, mental health advocate, wife, cat mom and Leia Organa aficionado. Connect with Kaylin on LinkedIn.