Find Your People
Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash
There is a viral video titled Leadership From a Dancing Guy. It’s 3:00 minutes of pure gold. Watch it at your leisure. You’ll thank me. In a nutshell, one dude courageously dances alone amidst a crowd and inspires a second dude to join him which in turn inspires a crowd to join in the fun. For me, it’s so much about the psychology of the dude with the original idea and the first dude who turned the “lone nut” into a leader. Now, I am assuming there was no liquid courage involved — just pure unadulterated alcohol-free ‘dance like no one is watching.’ It’s the idea and the execution of that idea that intrigues me to no end. It’s doing the thing you want to do with no validation, no assurance that it will pay off — and certainly not in the form of a video watched over 2.1M times.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve lived by the mantra: When you do things from your soul, people really dig that sh*t. I was the kid who didn’t sit at some self-aggrandizing table in the cafeteria with self-appointed “cool” kids. I was friends with them as much as I was friends with the nerds, the jocks, the poor kids, the rich kids. My niece recently told me that her nickname at school is “homie-hopper” for that very reason. She likes everybody. I dig it. A kid after my own heart.
The SOFIA TEE
We might just design a shirt inspired by her. Be on the lookout — hot Guy & Beau TEE merch about to drop —-> The SOFIA TEE, specially designed for people who are anti-clique.
What does a dancing guy and a homie-hopper have to do with business? E V E R Y T H I N G.
Lesson #1 — It is true that when launching a business, you have to consider what the world needs. However, the world needs a lot of things. Bring to life the thing that YOU need - the thing your soul yearns for. The chances are others might yearn for it too. Guy & Beau TEE was launched by two professionals who know too well that our confidence comes from feeling good about what we’re wearing. Enough with the stuffy business attire. Our mission is to redefine the work/life wardrobe. We want to wear creativity + comfort. Launching a business is so much like dancing to the beat of your own drum. You hear the beat, the calling, get up and dance. Don’t overthink it. And because you’re doing it with conviction, you’re bound to have that “first follower” bust out some moves alongside you. And guess what? That first follower becomes your guide to finding your people. They unequivocally bring more fun people to the party. Remember that old adage ‘like attracts like.’ It’s true, especially in business.
“When you do things from their soul, people really dig that sh*t.”
Lesson #2 — Business is so much about having fun doing business. Otherwise, what’s the point. When the “dancing guy” jumped to his feet and began to dance in front of a crowd, he didn’t do so with the intent to start a movement. He probably didn’t even consider the crowd. He did so because he was moved by the music — (and quite possibly a drink that rhymes with schmequila on the rocks). All jokes aside — there is no room for discouragement when you are passionate about an idea. This is why getting clear on your core values is crucial. It will redirect you when you start to veer off. It will remind you why you started. Guy & Beau TEE’s core values are: integrity, creativity and FUN. Yes, fun!
Upon further research of the video, the guy danced by himself for almost 20min before anyone joined him. He danced because he was having fun. Don’t get easily discouraged. Keep dancing. And when you least expect it, an online order comes through, the customer in Colorado texts you “I LOVE LOVE LOVE my shirts!” Yes, she typed LOVE three times. Or the last order shipped to Philadelphia is now a TikTok video of our customer walking to her mailbox, boasting about our packaging, and opening it with excitement. Or a pickleball friend, best known as DougieFresh (not to be confused with the Barbados-born American Rapper), comments about the content you’re putting out to the world via our TEE-log on lessons of launching a business. Soon, if you stay the course, the “first follower” jumps up and starts to dance with you. No matter how big we grow our business, we will never forget the love we received from Colorado, Philly, and our favorite humans at Donner Park, in the beginning phases of our venture. They kept us going. They are our people. They helped us find our people.
Lesson #3 — People are your business. All people. One of the benefits of launching a business is the vast network you build. In the early stages of cultivating Guy & Beau TEE’s guiding principles, we did an exercise where we brought our muse to life. Who do we design for? Who inspires us? Our muse is the dreamers, the creators, the movers & shakers of the world. They are bold, fun, radically-courageous, and adventure-seeking. The quote that came to mind as we breathed life into our inspiration incarnate was those of Jack Kerouac — not “Live, travel, bless, and don’t be sorry.” although that one is oh so good. But rather “the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars…” I don’t know what it is about those words that make my spine stand taller and the hairs on my neck stand at attention. The incredible thing is meeting people who personify Kerouac’s words. The coolest thing is learning that all kinds of people personify Jack’s reference to the mad ones. They come in the form of octogenarians and high school grads, tall and short, CEOs and blue-collar, white and black, differently-abled and 5.0 DUPR pickleball skilled players. They are ALL our homies. We adore them. Each one is revered. We are committed to giving each one the “Wow! It’s you!” experience. Homie-hopping is one of our specialities. We understand that without people, we do not have a business. And more importantly, we would be friends with these people if there were no business.
Lesson #4 — Last but not least in importance: when you find your people, make them a part of your business strategy. They have great ideas. They are your focus group. And if you listen with the intent to learn what you might be missing, you’ll learn new ways to approach business. Ask them for feedback and assure them you want the good, the bad, the ugly. Be sure to listen to their feedback and take it to heart. Whatever they may share, don’t take it personal. Be generous in expressing your gratitude for their time. Think of novels ways to solve. And while you’re at it, learn as much about your people as you can. Figure out ways to support them with no expectation in return. Do they have an upcoming tournament? What are their goals? Learn and then surprise them. No strings attached. Simply because you love the people who make it possible for you to do what you love and call it a business. We are champions for “don’t mind your business, share your business.” This is why Guy & Beau TEE’s purpose is to invest in the entrepreneurial spirit of women around the world. One top, one bottom, one hat, one design at a time.
Four lessons to ponder. In the meantime, do things from your soul, dance like no one is watching, and if you see someone dancing their heart out, join them! Lastly be the most hoppiest homie on planet earth. The world needs more Homie-Hoppers and First Followers!
