For many, the idea of minimalism is about living with fewer material possessions for the freedom it brings. But how might this relate to you and your business / brand / influencer life?
People, more than ever, are not just valuing the pretty picture on Instagram or the person who can post the most. We value creators who aren’t just pushing an agenda, but trying to teach or entertain or make us laugh.
In other words, Social Media accounts that add value to our lives.
A huge point in minimalism is the idea that if something isn’t adding value to your life — maybe it was at one point, but it’s not anymore — you should get rid of it. Which is why I think more entrepreneurs should apply minimalist principles to their everyday pursuits.
Minimalism in business isn’t about having less to live with and restricting yourself, but, rather, it’s about learning and understanding what’s really important.
Rhetorical question alert:
Are the number of likes you’re getting on a photo really important?
What matters much more is the number of lives you can reach, people you can serve, and relationships you build. Stop worrying about all of the outside noise.
Never before in history has there been more information readily available. All of the trends / hacks / tips /strategies to follow, books to read, podcasts to listen to, and shows to watch. You could easily get bogged down by all of it!
As people who are influencers in different fields, it’s imperative to just take a deep breath and remember what matters most to us.
Comparisons and analytics are useful when we’re judging the successes of our business and assessing whether or not the processes we’ve been using are working out. However, those comparisons and analytics are not useful when you’re constantly after more — trying to feed the ego.
As humans, we’re always going to want more because it’s just part of our DNA. Today’s standard is tomorrow’s intolerance. I mean, for hundreds of thousands of years we didn’t have all this plenty.
A grocery store down the block? No way. How cool! But wait, now Amazon delivers my groceries — which I can order wrapped up in a blanket from the couch — the same day I click to purchase? Sign me up!
Hence, it’s easy to get lost in wanting more and better all the time.
This all applies to business, too. It’s important to not just search for more followers or try to make more money or increase your number of customers. Will that ever really be enough?
The trick is to consider WHY you want all that stuff. That, right there, is what I think minimalism is all about in business.
Focusing on what’s important, like:
- Relationships
- Serving your following
- Empowering others
Any and all of whatever noble causes matter to you. We must minimize our scope to what really matters and become minimalists when it comes to our approach of growing a business online!
For more detail and examples on all the above (plus, Brock Johnson shares how he practices minimalism in his entrepreneur life), check out the Build Your Tribe podcast below:
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