Could Pleasure Be the Secret?

I respect and appreciate when artists building their brand authority say, ‘I think my brand should be,’ or, ‘I think my followers should ...’

But, I say enough!  Don’t tell me what you think—tell me what you feel! 

One of the things I focus on with my private clients is getting them to identify with what they want their brand to feel like and how they want their followers/creative teams/casting directors to feel.  

When you build a brand from the space inside of you that feels like the truth, you begin to follow your intuition (your gut).  Your intuition never steers you wrong.  Your intuition allows you to stand out from a place of authenticity so that you get to be 100% you.  When you do that, you eliminate ‘competition.’  You stand out in an oversaturated industry in your own white space.  

One of the first things I ask my clients is, ‘What are your top 3-5 values,’  meaning what do you stand for?  What motivates you?  What are your guiding principles?  

My top values are pleasure, wealth, freedom, accomplishment, and expansion.  When I first started on my journey, I didn’t realize it, but I built my performing career with these values in mind, and it worked for me.  Later in my career, I focused on the hustle and grind, and my flow dried up. I didn’t realize I was 100% out of alignment.  I had begun to listen to and believe what other artists said about lack and scarcity in those days.  I took that as the truth over what my truth (based on my values) was.  

I then began to live life on my terms—with purpose—and decided to build my personal brand solely from my values.  I permitted myself to allow that to be enough—that I didn’t need more, and I get to make it easy, fun, and pleasurable.  I do not deviate. 

I also offer my clients the sacred space to discover that no matter what their values are, they are worthy of them.  You may or may not fully understand how important this is.  

For example,  a client’s top values are community, fun, and freedom.  When she’s working on the big ideas for her personal brand, she always goes back to these.  If she’s not in alignment, we drill down to find ways to get back to her values.  

Here’s another example, since pleasure is a top value of mine:  I always need a sense of adventure, beauty, luxury, fun, titillation, and excitement in my life and business; that is my personal definition of pleasure.  It took time to accept that as the truth. I was conditioned to think that pleasure was frivolous, immature, and even irresponsible.  For years it was my dirty little secret.  When I got super clear, I realized that I’m on the planet for pleasure.  Pleasure comes first.  Wealth is a pleasure.  Well-being is a pleasure. Adventure is a pleasure. Freedom is a pleasure.  And, it is 100% me, so I need to stop pretending and just own it.  

You might be asking what all this has to do with creating brand authority.  Simple: When you allow yourself to be you and let the universe’s life force easily and effortlessly flow to and through, you realize your unique expression is exactly that—unique.  No two artists will have the same vision, desires, talent, training, and artistic expression.  Stand in the truth of you, declare, and live by that; this creates a space in our industry that only you can fill.  That eliminates any idea of competition, which gives you total brand authority.  You are your very own unique mechanism. (Check out this week’s  ‘Goodie Bag’ for a video about unique mechanisms [UMs]).  

So my love, what are your values?  And does your identity currently align with them?  If it not, what’s blocking you from being, doing, and getting what you are meant to have?  Hit the reply button and let me know where you are.  

Luv Luv,

Keenah

PS.  To dig deep into your values, I invite you to check out ‘The Pivot Turn Process’ digital course.  It’s a beautifully designed, self-guided journey into all things you!  One of the powerful lessons in this 3-module self-guided course is on values.  It” intended to show that you have to access the truth and chart a course with your values as your foundation.