“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

To be a visionary entrepreneur or business leader requires you to be a trailblazer, to balance being realistic and practical with creating vision and purpose. So what does that mean? It’s easy to talk about… but living it out, well how does that actually work? How can I have a vision for something that doesn’t exist yet?

Eventually all businesses will find themselves at this crossroad. So, let’s not stop here but keep moving forward by remembering that defining the vision requires NEW thinking. Start the process by dreaming how you want to see your business impacting your community in 10 years. And please, please, please write it down. Then allow yourself time to digest and refine the vision. It may not be instantaneous and that’s 100% okay. 
Vision example:  Create a thriving “eco-system” within a restored manufacturing building for creative entrepreneurs. whose businesses provides jobs, attracts tourists and ignites a community.

Your purpose ties to vision and is defined as “Why you do what you do?” From our experience working with clients, most businesses know their purpose but may not communicate it consistently, if at all. This is a mistake – as it is the foundation of your brand story and it sets the tone for the rest of the brand. Purpose example:  We exist to ignite the economic revitalization in our community

Yes, vision and purpose may feel intangible compared to web sites or brochures. Yet understanding, defining and living out your vision and purpose will grow your company 100x more than a web site or brochure alone can do.

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words by heather – chief operating officer