People, Redhead went through a bout of angst this spring.

This is not something business owners/entrepreneurs/experts like to admit. I mean, we’re supposed to have all our shinola together, right? Particularly a place like Redhead that advises others on how to communicate their ideas. (And that has a cool office with a bar cart. There, I said it. Our place is bossome.)

I learned maybe three or four years ago that this happens to everyone. A mentor I admire told me so. That was a sad, deflating realization. But onward and upward, yes? So what if established businesses still go through the same brouhaha that younger businesses go through? Turns out there is no end. It’s an intentional effort every day. If you’re up to it, you’re up to it. If you’re not, well.

Moving on. A day came that I looked at some other guy’s website and I saw the same words and the same general template and the same sameness. Gah. I die. Which clearly means it’s time to reassess and deeply think about who we are and what we do. (Pro tip: Whether you’re a small business like me, an association or a retail shop, look at your marketing materials. The words you use. Your vibe. If it feels redundant, move along. I know, I know! You were there first! You said it before anyone else! *And* you really mean it. Who cares? Ping me for coffee if you want the long list of words and trends that are dead now and that you should cease using immediately.)

Whoa, that was a tangent. Moving on, again. Do I have the whole answer to who Redhead is? Goodness, no. That would be a eulogy. But do I have an answer that my heart loves and that reflects Redhead’s absolute strengths today? I do!

Our strength lies in using our expertise to make the world a smarter, more beautiful, and more equitable place. To do that as fully as possible, we seek clients who contribute to our world in a meaningful way. When we hold our clients up to this measuring stick, we find we’re pretty proud of how we spend our days. Our strength is in our overflowing creativity. If creativity was a physical thing we’d be tripping over it, shoving it into closets, and wiping it away from our eyes like long hair in a windstorm. Our strength is in wanting to do things right—not just done, but done well and with care. Our strength lies in knowing that our work serves others, and with it comes a responsibility to do the right thing.

This, my friends, is what our identity crisis led us to articulate. I assume moments of self-reflection like this will come along somewhat regularly. Particularly if I am paying attention.

P.S. Bossome. My kid made that word up. It means boss + awesome. Admittedly, it might be a word somewhere else. But in his 7-year-old brain, he came up with it all by himself. (Which, sad to say, is how half of all good concept ideas die. You’ll come up with an AMAZING!!! IDEA!!! but then the Googles tell you someone else already did it. So, even if you never, ever, heard of that other guy’s idea, yours is dead. Sad panda. But I digress.)