The Purple Couch Story: A lesson in authenticity and letting go of things that no longer serve you.
A little over a year ago, I bought a new couch. The leather reclining sofa I had for the previous 12-ish years was heavily worn from kids and dogs and multiple cross country moves. The frame on one side was sagging and it would often take multiple attempts to get the footrest to fold up just right. As I poured over pages and pages of candidates, I kept gravitating towards bright colors and patterns. Then I’d balk, telling myself to be practical and stick with something “grown up” and respectable. After weeks of looking, I was just about to settle for a definitely lovely, but absolutely boring gray sectional when I saw it– a luxurious velvet sofa in a rich, deep purple and it absolutely kicked my practical side in the ass. When I say purple, I mean purple with a capital P. The kind of color that makes guests say, “holy shit!” in a way that you’re not really sure is a compliment. I went for it, and it was the biggest expression of my authentic self I had made in a long time.
Making authentic choices is scary. We spend so much time worrying about others opinions and trying to please everyone, that we end up watering down the very thing that makes us unique. We abandon our own needs and vacillate on our core values and boundaries. When we make a commitment to being authentic, we communicate to the world who we are and what we stand for. This month, we will explore authenticity, both personal and in your small business–why it matters, how to express it to your customers and the freedom that comes with letting go of things that no longer serve you.
What is your purple couch? What parts of yourself have you been diluting for the sake of maintaining relationships, or gaining new customers? How does it feel to let go of things that no longer serve you in the name of a more authentic choice? Let us know in the comments!
Be unapologetically yourself. That's easier said than done, but most worthwhile things are.
Fun facts about small business…
There are 28 million small businesses in the U.S., outnumbering corporations 1162 to 1
70% of small businesses are owned and operated by a single person
Small businesses employ 57% of the private workforce
Small businesses pay 44% of the U.S. payroll
Only half of small businesses survive past 5 years, although 70% hit the 2 year mark
