Is Your Business An Extension Of You, Or Are You An Extension Of Your Business?
- Mar 13, 2024
- 3 min read
Written by: Diana Carolina de la Selva, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I wanted to clarify one thing: Seeing your business as an extension of you is unavoidable. In fact, it can be quite productive if you set out on a personal development journey with the intention of growing your business.
Last month’s article sparked a very interesting conversation in my community around this topic. I found that, after some thought, many entrepreneurs unconsciously correlate their self-worth with the status of their business. We then are left wondering, “what happens to us if this business fails? What if it hits bankruptcy or it becomes stagnant?”
All of a sudden, the post-failure \ financial perils, legal and staff issues seems small in comparison of the heartbreak we have to face. Entrepreneurs are left with low morale, feeling less capable and doubtful of their abilities, disillusioned at the idea of entrepreneurship. That is far harder to come back from than bankruptcy. (how will you make money again, or take a leadership position again if you operate form a place of lack and self-doubt?
As entrepreneurs, especially those of us who have turned a passion into a business, we tend to take things quite personally.
More so, most entrepreneurs are high achievers. Action takers and it is in our nature to blame ourselves (at least unconsciously) for any lack of progress, income or evolution in their enterprises. This is in fact, what makes us responsible for our success but it is a double-edged sword.
So let me take up this opportunity and mention this:
You are not your business. You are not what you do. Your business is an extension of you.
You can tweak your mindset and shift your internal dialogue to ramp up productivity and sharpen your entrepreneurial skills, maybe even combat things like perfectionism and procrastination (you can read my previous article to learn how).
But there will be things that are out of your control. The economic climate for example. The cost of labour. Inflation. Algorithms. Things that no matter how fertile your thoughts are, and how resilient you may be, external factors will affect your MO and bottom line. It’s just part of the game.
What you have left is the choice of how you respond, and in order to reach that equanimous state of flow, we need to see our business not as part of ourselves but as a separate entity.
Personally, I like to think of each business I launch as a new being. We birth them and give them names. They develop personalities of their own and, if we do our job right, they may even surpass our own personal potential to start living their own best lives with us in the background.
That is the goal after all, right? To become that proud parent. To see our little offspring flourish and self-sustain.
So here is the reminder: Detach yourself from your business.
It is not who you are. Do not root your entire identity on it, because if you do you will be cuddling it to suffocation and not allowing it to grow it’s own wings.
Instead, try listening to your business today, and ask it: What do you need from me today? Who do you want to become? And, How can I be of service to you so you can thrive?
This may feel weird at first, but you may be surprised the things it comes up with. Businesses say the most insightful things when you ask.
Let me know how it goes.
Diana Carolina de la Selva, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
As a holistic Personal Branding Coach holding an MBA and certifications in Breathwork and Neuro-Energetics Coaching, Diana leverages over a decade of experience working with brands, coupled with her personal success in building an online personal brand. Her unique methodology seamlessly blends personal development with branding, empowering established entrepreneurs to enhance their online presence and mindset. Diana's focus on grounding in purpose, clarifying goals, cultivating resilience, and crafting an iconic personal brand on social media guides entrepreneurs toward sustained success in the dynamic online space.
