A New Story for a New Year
From the Founder’s Desk
You probably already know this, but when your primary sales person takes two maternity leaves in two years, it's tough on cash flow.
I, however, discovered it at the end of last January, after spending 12 weeks focused on my newborn daughter.
It seems shortsighted now, but in 6 years, "Sales" had never been a prominent hat in my stack. ColorWord had grown, slow but steady, via word of mouth. Plus, "sales" felt a little.... Smarmy? Shouldn't our excellent work speak for itself? Weren't we too good to need someone to do sales?
There's no quicker way to get over yourself than the fear of not covering payroll.
Every moment of my workday suddenly mattered like it never had before. I was hustling to the point that I even needed to be productive on the 8-minute drive to the babysitter’s.
"Building a StoryBrand," by Donald Miller, had been on my "must read" list for years, so I nabbed the audiobook from the library and started listening in the car, 16 minutes every day.
The formula was so simple that I was mad I hadn’t thought of it myself. Please read it for the full breakdown, but in a nutshell:
Many organizations struggle to grow because their message isn't clear, and the best way to clarify your message is to invite your customers into a story where they are the hero.
Chapter by chapter, ColorWord started changing—our website, our elevator pitch, the way we wrote emails—it was all fed through the StoryBrand filter and came out clearer and stronger on the other side.
“[Building a StoryBrand] is a seminal book built around an idea that will clarify, energize, and transform your business. Donald Miller offers a specific, detailed, and useful way to change the way you talk about the work you care about.”
And get this: By the time I finished reading the book, we had landed our first non-word-of-mouth client through our website.
We began to apply StoryBrand to everything—websites, blogs, email marketing—all designed to reach our clients' goals. Our process got tighter, our message got clearer, and by the middle of the year, we had a great mix of new clients and work, and our primary offering had become BrandScripts and Core Marketing Messaging.
ColorWord was breaking new ground.
Throughout the year, our team also became more equipped and experienced. We earned a new sense of confidence and value. And just last month, we made a major investment in ourselves when I became a StoryBrand Certified Guide and joined one of the world’s most elite group of marketers.
Here's the best part: Our work is making people's lives and businesses measurably better. ColorWord is helping small businesses thrive, nonprofits raise more donations, and organizations grow. It's a fact based on a simple process that I love to talk about, which means, my friends, that "Sales," is actually a hat I wear with joy.
In fact, I don't have anything to sell—only a truth I believe at my core:
If your organization has something great to offer the world, you should never have to struggle to share it.
That's why we're here—to clarify your message so customers will take action. It is truly the most gratifying, satisfying work.
So, here's to 2023! A bright, shiny new set of months to fill with meaningful projects with inspirational people like you. May you enter this New Year with unquenchable hope, tenacious motivation, and work that brings the greatest satisfaction.
Clearly yours,
Amanda J Garcia
Founder & Principle Executive
ColorWord Creative
