Most of us are in the food and bev business because, in some way, we want to make a positive impact on how people eat. Most of us also have a Vision for the impact we want to make but might not know exactly how to accomplish this big dream.
You may have heard the old phrase “a vision without a plan is just a dream.” Today on the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva shares her simple (but not always easy) 5-step process for accelerating towards making your vision a reality.
Brand Strategy Streamlined Is Live!
First on the podcast, Katie briefly shared that her course that takes you through the 1:1 process she uses with all of her clients is now available for you on-demand Brand Strategy Streamlined is a self-paced walkthrough of her step-by-step process to Define, Align & Activate your brand strategy. You also have the chance to ask Katie questions on content or add 1:1 sessions to review specifics about your own brand.
Here is a quick recap of Katie’s 5 step process to help accelerate towards your vision.
1. Dream It
The first step is to identify your goal. What keeps you up at night because you are so excited to think about the possibilities? Don’t focus on what a food business “should” be trying to achieve, like national distribution. Instead, think about something big that means something to YOU, even if you have no clue how to make that dream a reality…yet.
2. Write It
Katie is a big fan of putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. Finding the right words for what you’re working to achieve forces your brain to get clear on what it looks like. While it’s tempting to skip this step, it’s a helpful way to help solidify what you dreamed in step 1 and set you up for success as you work through the next three steps.
3. See It
Taking your dream from concept to work to something more tangible can make a world of difference as you accelerate towards making it happen.
Katie has a great story about her dad, who wanted to one day own the car dealership he worked for. He mocked up the logo with his name on it and kept it on his desk, next to a picture of his family. Through good times and bad, it gave him the motivation to keep working towards and eventually achieve his dream because he could see it right there in front of him.
For you, this could be a vision board or another physical reminder—the important thing is it puts a fire in your belly.
4. Say It
For some people being bold and speaking about your big dream, or vision, is easy and for others, this is the hardest part. However, this step combined with step 5 is where things really start to happen.
Nobody will know what you’re trying to do if you keep it in your head. Get to know people who have been where you want to go, or who know pieces of how to get there. As Katie says, “There are so many wonderful people in the natural food and sustainable farming industry that are eager to help if they know what you need.”
Once you say it out loud and share what you’re thinking about or working towards, the resources often start to show up sooner than you may think if you’re watching for them. By just asking questions and listening to the questions people ask you in return or checking out a resource they mention you can “follow the breadcrumbs” and start to see what’s needed to reach your vision.
5. Do It
Once things start falling into place, be ready to take the next steps. If someone makes an introduction or points you in the direction of a resource that might be helpful, you need to be ready to follow through. As the saying goes, even the longest journey begins with a single step. Those steps can give you the plan you need to make sure your vision is not just a dream.
Now, let’s go shake up shopping carts!
Quotes:
“Have you ever had that uneasy feeling, like your ideas extend beyond your current field of view or maybe you can see it but you have no idea how you’d build the capacity to achieve it?” – Katie Mleziva
“If your vision is truly bigger than your current view or capacity, you’ll need to look outside of yourself to make it happen at a faster pace.” – Katie Mleziva
“There are so many wonderful people in the natural food and sustainable farming industry that are eager to help if they know what you need. ” – Katie Mleziva
In This Episode:
- Why Katie developed the Brand Strategy Streamlined Course
- Why getting your brand strategy in place is crucial to serve as the North Star to inform every other part of your business
- Why you should let yourself dream big
- The importance of putting things down on paper
- How a visual reminder can help make your vision tangible and motivating
- Why it’s so important to speak to people about your vision
- How to be ready when things start to happen
Resources: