Tips & Talk 2 – The “We” or “I” Dilemma

Hi there.

I see that you made it over to the new tips

and talk portion of the podcast.

These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and

things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small bits.

I've got a great topic for you.

I don't think I've ever seen this discussed anywhere before.

So this might be a first,

I don't know what the topic is as a solo preneur.

How should you refer to yourself?

Is it I,

even though we all know you're only working by yourself or

should it be,

we what's the right way to refer to yourself as a

solo preneur.

Obviously you're the only one in your business right now,

but lots of times you think like,

well, I don't want people to know that I want people

to think I'm this big company.

So I'm going to refer to myself as we,

well, is that the right thing?

You're saying,

we, when you know,

it's really you and I get that when I started my

gift basket business way long time ago.

Now I had that same dilemma because I'd been used to

working in corporate and now all of a sudden it was

just me.

And eventually I knew I was going to be having a

team. So maybe I was projecting the future,

but it didn't feel right.

So I am with you.

If any of you are in this situation where you're trying

to decide what to do,

and you're really being so super careful with your words,

that's the conversation we're going to have here.

Yeah. I mean,

you want to say we,

because you want to present yourself as a professional business.

We all know that just because it's you,

it doesn't mean that you're any less professional.

You're just still smaller.

Or you may have decided that this is the way you're

always going to run your business.

You're going to be the only one.

That's how you've set it up.

That's the way you like it.

And that's the way it is.

But still,

what do you do?

We are,

I sometimes you feel like you need to say we,

because you feel like it adds more credibility and professionalism,

and that will equate to more sales.

That would be the reason you would do it.

Right? We present that it's a bigger business.

It's a more credible business.

It's more professional.

Maybe there's this feeling of longevity there.

And that's going to convince somebody to buy your products.

If you say we like,

kind of goes without saying that you would think about doing

that, but that only works for so long because when people

become close to you and to follow you,

they, at some point are going to understand more about you

and your business.

That it's not a we scenario or might just be a

use scenario for the time being.

Have you seen the new reel that is very popular?

You know how on Instagram reels,

they're the themes that are going.

And right now,

one of the current ones is a handmade creator or any

small business is doing different clips.

The owner says,

I want to introduce you to my staff.

And then the first clip is her being the bookkeeper and

then her being the creative designer,

and then her being the social media person,

all of this really it's just her,

but it's just showing.

And it's doing kind of a play on all the different

roles that you play as a business and joking around with

the fact that as a solopreneur,

you have to play all the roles.

People get this,

people understand that this is the case with your business,

that many small businesses,

you're a one person show in the beginning.

And I actually think that that is just fine because when

you're showing up as your true self,

there's a level of trust there.

People believe you more because people are going to catch on.

If you're saying we,

and you're not a we,

right. If it's only you.

So I would just be yourself.

It also allows you when you do this to position yourself

as the owner of the business.

And so when you're talking and sharing something,

whether it's on social,

whether it's a blog article,

wherever you find yourself speaking,

you're the authority.

You're the specialist,

you're the top dog.

And there's no reason why you can't be saying I now

having said that there are some times when you can interject.

We versus I,

for example,

when you're talking about a conversation where you've been interacting with

a customer or in a customer group,

like if I'm talking about,

well, this is a great example.

This question came up from somebody in gift biz breeze,

our Facebook group.

And so I can talk about the fact that we are

having the conversation around this,

right? That would be one time when you could use we

another time that you can use we is,

if you're at a craft show and you're talking about your

fellow exhibitors,

right? That's a we situation or other people who are coming

up to the booth,

we had such a good time together.

Or you have somebody who's helping you out at the show.

And so you are working the booth together,

then it's we,

right? So there are times,

even if you're a solo preneur,

you can interject the plural,

right? The weep word in,

and it's truly authentic.

It's virtually representing what is happening in real time.

Also, if you're working with any outside resources,

let's say you do hire out for a bookkeeper or a

photographer, or maybe you have,

you recruit some people within the family to help you with

shipping during the holidays.

Things like that.

That's we?

Right? So there are times even as a solo preneur that

you can say we and be representing accurately,

what's really going on in your business.

My feeling always is to go with what is true.

And I'm going to talk about that a little bit more

in a second.

I'm kind of jumping ahead of myself in the way I

wanted to present this to you.

But if you think about it right now,

like I do have a team behind me,

but I'm the one talking to you.

We are not all talking to you.

I'm talking to you.

So when you're on social,

and when you are sharing things about your business,

like how you got started,

why you pour the candles the way you do,

or the sense that you choose or how you've done your

packaging, that's you.

And when you're talking about it,

you can use the word.

I was thinking,

I, whatever,

you're the designer and producer and the owner.

So you can definitely say I,

the other thing here is the way you get the most

customers is to start developing relationships.

That's why I'm coming on,

live on Instagram.

I want you to know me,

see who I am decide,

whether you like me and want to be with me and

follow me or not.

But it's me.

It's not my whole team behind me.

This is you and I one-on-one talking on Instagram,

live on a podcast just when I'm in your ears,

talking all of that.

It's one-on-one.

So if you say we,

that's kind of a disjoint of the relationship.

If you want to be talking one-on-one with your potential customer.

So you want to be saying I,

and I think we need to get out of the idea

that I is a less powerful and strong word than we

there's places where you could use both of them.

So in the conclusion of this dilemma,

the we and I dilemma,

what I say is own your place,

where you are right now in time with your business.

If you're a solopreneur and you're just starting,

let's say this is the first month you've been in business.

Well, you are probably an I,

and you know what?

I want to see you and know you and hear about

your story and hear that you're just starting.

And I want to buy your products because I want to

support you and watch you go along in your journey.

And that's the thing that you lose.

If you start saying we too early,

think about it.

If you come online and you want to represent yourself as

a bigger company than you are,

where's the story that you get to tell when you do

reach that level,

right? When you hire your first employee,

that's something to be excited about.

If you do some people never will then,

because people have known,

you've been doing this by yourself for the whole time,

you're able to celebrate with your audience that you're hiring.

If you've been saying we all along,

you've lost that opportunity.

And if you do decide to show it on social,

if you've been saying we all along,

then people are like,

wait a minute.

I thought it was we already.

And you lose some of that trust.

You see what I'm saying?

So own where you are in your business.

If you're just starting.

If you've been in business for a year,

if you've been in business for five years and you still

are a solopreneur,

because that's the way you've decided to run your business,

then good for you own it,

claim it and be that in the end,

people buy because they make an emotional investment or they always

talk about what can be the price free shipping.

In the end,

everyone makes decisions on what they're going to purchase with their

heart, through their emotions.

And when you're able to connect with someone on a deeper

level, because you have a relationship with them,

you have developed a level of trust.

By the way you speak that people feel that you're being

genuine and authentic and just showing up as you,

they are more likely to buy from you.

So claim your spot,

be who you are.

If your aspiration is to go from being a solopreneur,

to having employees in your company,

then let that story unfold to your followers as well,

because they'll support it.

And they'll celebrate with you.

And in that way,

when you circle it all back and you're,

you're your authentic self you've developed trust with your community and

those who are following you,

watching you,

you continue to share with them on a day-to-day basis are

the ones who are going to continue to buy from you

and tell others about you.

So I want you to go out and own who you

are, where you are in your business and come as yourself

as you as I that's a wrap.

I may get to the point kind of girl.

And this is what you can expect from these quick midweek

sessions. Now it's your turn.

Go out and fulfill that dream of yours.

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