It’s 3 am. I’ve been thinking about this workshop for over a month now and I am about 3/4 way through preparing to teach it. I know it’s a subject that WILL help the small business owner, entrepreneur and dreamer alike, and I’ve had a feeling it was going to be a big hit. And it was, because it sold out in less than a week after just one registration post on my Facebook page. Well…sold out meaning, sign ups were full.I made $0 dollars. LOL. It’s a free workshop.

What sets you apart from anyone else? What makes you unique? Who are you? What is your promise? How are you achieving it? I ask these questions to clients that we work with in developing their brand. According the Seth Godin’s blog on “Small is the new Big“, all these questions can be summed up in one simple question; “what is your BIG?” For public companies, their BIG is the growth. For example, their BIG might be 10% growth year after year to infinity. This keeps the shareholders happy, keeps the doors open, the economy pumping and everyone making a profit. Their market to the masses and their ability to create products and services are at the highest performance rate with efficiency…that’s what they do. For us, we can’t even begin to compete with that. But we CAN offer something big companies won’t do that will add even more value. Our small is our BIG.

Okay, back to “It’s 3 am.” It’s a lot of pressure trying to prepare for a group of intelligent, talented and creative people from all different backgrounds…people with new incredible business ideas, people switching to a new industry, people with current successful businesses just wanting to do it better, people starting and running non-profits from an idea that birthed from their own pain and passion. I feel the pressure from my own doubts. “What could they possibly learn from me?” “How am I going to present this information so that it’s engaging and easy to follow?” “Is this even going to help them in their own entrepreneurial journey?” “Why am I offering this for free?” “How will this help me and my business?” I’ve poured a lot of time and energy into this workshop and according to my ROI calculation, a CFO from a public company would advise me to stop.

But I don’t. Because it’s 3 am, and I feel more energized than ever. I feel that I am in my element being useful, resourceful, relevant, and intentional. I feel this information I am about to share can motivate and help others to do well. And in helping others do well and helping others reach their dream, won’t it help me to fulfill mine? Yes! It will!.

This is my BIG. It won’t make sense in a P&L report, but it’s my BIG in the relationships I make and the lightbulbs that I help turn on and the inspiration and encouragement that I offer. So, what is your BIG? What is the unique piece of your business and culture you can call your own? What value can you continue to offer in exchange for your trust and your authenticity?

It’s 3 am, and I am more awake than ever! Let’s go BIG or go home.