My Fifth Principle: Start With Why

I'll admit it - I stole this principle from one of my favorite TED talks, Start With Why by Simon Sinek. It's one I watch every year and have found something new each time. If I had to distill this talk into one sentence it would be: People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Simon uses the examples of Apple, Martin Luther King Jr, and the Wright Bros to show that they were successful not necessarily because of what they did, but because of why they took those specific actions.

The main reason that I return to this TED talk is because it constantly reinforces that 'what' and 'how' are followed by 'why' and not the other way around. I try to run my business in the same way. I started this business to help people handle mental health at work, particularly stress and burnout. As long as I stay true to my 'why' I think the 'what' and 'how' will work themselves out.

You may have noticed that all of my principles have included justification on why I believe in them. I think the justification is the most important part. Again, it's all about starting with why - by explaining why my principles are important to me I hope you've been able to better understand what they are and why I've chosen them.

What's the 'why' behind your job? What keeps you going? Email me.