If you speak to someone who runs an independent ASEA business, they’ll likely tell you they value our company culture and ethos. It is what sets us apart from all other companies, both within network marketing and outside this industry. In large part, we have ASEA Founder Tyler Norton to thank for that. He is passionate about the unique soul that defines and guides a corporation, and on the same level, he values the unique soul of each individual person.
One of the great things about the strong company ethos at ASEA is that it provides a positive, principled identity for people of different backgrounds looking to make a difference. However, we know that your identity goes beyond your connection to ASEA. If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to find an ethos statement for yourself or your business. We’ve provide some helpful tips below for doing it this year!
Why You Need a Personal Ethos Statement
Ethos statements help you clearly define your purpose in life, and they provide focus by bringing together your core values into a few succinct sentences. Having an ethos statement for your business can help guide your sails and help you feel more satisfied in your everyday life. Think about the word ethos or soul. What does it mean to you? Remember, this exercise is about you, so use your terms. An ethos statement should help define who you are and how you intend to live your life; it can also provide daily focus, help you set goals, and set the foundation for a successful business.
Getting Started
Step 1. Start listing your successes, both personal and professional. See if a common theme emerges. This will help you identify the skills and qualities that set you apart. Reviewing your successes, list out some of your core values or attributes that describe you. For example, if your successes include organizing a fundraiser for a group or your child’s school, you might list community as a value or proactive as an attribute. Who do you want to support with your unique skills and abilities? What qualities, talents, and traits do you have that can propel your business forward in a way that is true to your ethos?
Step 2. List some ways you’d like to make a difference in the world. Want to empower people in your family to start their own business? Write it down. Would you like to mentor another person of the same gender, culture, background, or origin so they can experience the same successes as you? Write it down. What about making an impact in your local community? Write down every way you can think of that you’d like to make a difference in the world. Think about the problems you care about, why they bother you, and what you’d like to do to fix them. What do you want to create, change, or maintain that will make a difference for others?
Step 3. Write down what energizes you, draws your attention, and motivates you. Do you feel amazing after a good run or yoga session? Do you love writing poetry or prose? Does painting, drawing, or playing music cheer you up? Or does cooking and baking invigorate you? You’ll find that improving the world around you is easiest when you use your skills and motivation to accomplish your goals—whether it’s providing advice or insights to a friend, preparing delicious food, creating materials for fundraisers, or organizing an event that will entertain and educate attendees.
Set Your Goals & Intentions
With your lists in hand, you have what you need to write your business ethos statement. Consider the legacy you want to leave on the world and how your values and skills will allow you to do that. How would you like the world to be different when you leave it?
An ethos statement should reflect who you are and how you act. It should elevate the principles you live by, almost like a moral code. Once you have that in place, your mission statement—which aligns with your goals and what you’re trying to accomplish—should naturally follow. Your ethos and mission statements may follow a pattern similar to the template below, or they may take a quite different form. What matters is that it carries clear meaning for you.
I will . . . by using my gifts of . . . to change . . . for the following people . . .
Here are some examples of mission statements inspired by a business ethos:
- To help men, women, and children find ways to cope with loss.
- To inspire change through teaching business skills.
- To positively impact the lives of those with which I do business.
- To support and elevate business owners by developing accessible training.
Keep it short, be true to yourself, and share it with your peers. Let us know what your business ethos is and how it compares to our ASEA company ethos! Share your ethos with your team, family, and friends and encourage them to create their own. We can’t wait to see the positive ways you’re going to change the world.