By Dr. Elizabeth King, LCSW, CHt
People
We are very clear that the key to our success is having the right tribe behind you. In every business, finding, training and retaining the best people to be part of our team is essential. I always say “you can teach a skill, but you can’t teach personality traits”. This is why when we are looking to fill any position in our organization, we not only look for skills, we look for people that embrace our message of empowerment and leadership whole-heartedly. They must be altruistic, positive-minded, creative, heart-centered and a team player.
After you recruit the right people, then the next step is to teach and mentor them so they can be part of the culture that makes your organization unique. In SSL, we are sticklers about this because we need to ensure that our message and member experience is consistent in every SASSY community across the globe. Whether you are a paid staff, a volunteer or a member of SSL, everyone understands that it is their responsibility for creating a sense of belonging for all. This is paramount to our success and a true testimony to the type of people we attract.
Product
Our product is to provide first-class, supportive, effective and unique experiences that teach women the tools for self-growth. Our message is for women to put their oxygen mask on first, by nurturing their body, mind and spirit. We are in the business of empowering and inspiring women to be their authentic self and go after their dreams.
Process
We take our mission to empower women to live a healthy, happy, balanced and purposeful life very seriously. The key factors to making sure that you are delivering the product that you promise to your customer is having a blue print, accountability and the right team in place.
As the Chief Inspiration Officer, I spend a lot of time designing and creating the vision for the different events, but it takes a lot of people working together to make it happen. There are so many moving parts that go on behind the scene. Every event that we produce is a collaborative effort. The old saying “it takes a village” could not be more true here.
I leave all ego aside when it comes to developing the process. I rely on the experts in different fields to help me bring my vision to life. I think this is one of the hardest things to do for most entrepreneurs. I get it. It may feel like you are turning over your baby to a stranger. But here is the deal, one day your baby is not going to be a baby any more. They grow up and go out on their own. What you hope you have done as a parent, is teach them how to be independent so they are successful. It is the same thing with your business. After you have put together the people that believe in your mission, and if your product is quality, it’s time to let go and let others complete the process. That’s how you scale and grow.
Putting it All Together
I am absolutely convinced that the growth that SSL is experiencing is because of the people, product and process. We work hard every day to make sure that we are ALL in alignment with our mission and vision. Please don’t get me wrong, we have our share of growing pains, but at the end of the day, what counts is what women walk away with after attending our events. The surveys continue to reaffirm that we are living up to our company promise. That to me is priceless.
Although, so many of you give me the accolades for our great success, I honestly have to say that it really is not about me. I just happen to be blessed to have so many amazing people in my life that believe in our mission whole-heartedly and are willing to work tirelessly to make it happen. If that is not what is going on in your life, please reevaluate what you are doing. There is no shame in bringing about positive change.
Now it’s time to put on your lipstick attitude and get out there and live a SASSY life!
