140: Laura Quick on Telling an Authentic Story
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Summary:
Welcome to episode 140 of the Executive Minds podcast. On this episode, Kevin Jennings sits down with Laura Quick, Founder & CEO of Good Grit magazine, to discuss the necessity for authentic storytelling in business and how to locate our unique contribution in a maturing market. Laura, herself an overcomer with a damn good story , has built a brand in Good Grit that reflects this distinct uniqueness in its approach. A southern culture magazine, Good Grit truly captures the authenticity of the perseverance that exists in the human spirit.
In this episode, we learn that the path to telling an authentic story begins with authentic inspiration. Consumers are always asking questions: Why should I buy? Why are you selling? Why should I care? Answering these genuine inquiries will empower us to meet people where they are. Laura is quick to point out that regardless of where we re from, we re all hungry for an authentic story. We hope this conversation helps you rethink your story and emboldens you to tell it proudly through your business.
Links + Resources
Three Takeaways:
- Embrace trial and error. Often, the path to discovery is filled with many dead ends and false starts. It can be easy to get discouraged, but these are necessary steps in honing an authentic story. The moments where we fail don t define us, but rather make us better. This is the best time to explore the unknown. In this season of life, take internships and jobs that might be bad fits. These experiences will reveal our strengths and weaknesses, while also creating a deep empathy for other people s diverse skill sets.
- Find your unique contribution. A very well known entrepreneurial axiom is that good businesses find a hole and fill it. In that way, telling an authentic story requires being intentional about identifying where a voice is lacking and speaking to it. When surveying an existing market, we must not fall victim to traditional thinking believing that something has to be done a certain way just because it always has been. This conventional approach will produce stale results, stunt growth, and shorten the lifespan of our business. A unique contribution, whether something newly created or reinvented with excellence, is of vital importance in a mature market.
- Foster a community. Greatness doesn t happen in isolation. As a creative and a leader, one must combat the natural inclination to detach and insulate oneself. In order to succeed and breakthrough, it s imperative to build a team of colleagues and mentors that has been empowered to speak into the business. Be strategic about building a community. Find people who are partners that complement weaknesses. Provide seats at the table for those trusted to speak hard truths, because that is the only way to truly grow.
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