The Pursuit of Purpose with Amy Austin

Launching a podcast is a lot of work. But it has been a fun learning experience.

If you've seen my social media posts, you know I'm getting ready to share a podcast with the world. The Pursuit of Purpose has been on my mind for quite some time but I was hesitant.

Excuses, Excuses.... 

First I had no idea how to do it. So one January day while looking at my Instagram feed I saw a post about a course seeking beta testers. Without much thought, I replied saying I was interested. Not long after, I got a message and a link to the course materials. Here we go! I was committed - and being held accountable.

So now I have a guide to teach me how to do all the things I didn't know how to do. That excuse is gone. So what is the second one?? Do I have enough content to be consistent? I won't know the answer to this question for a while but I am confident. I'm reaching out to experts in various fields, asking them how they do their jobs with purpose. And would they like to be a guest? Many are saying yes.

Third, the technical aspect of producing a podcast was intimidating. Fortunately, my husband has a broadcasting background so..... he is doing the editing and some voice-over work for my shows. So much for that excuse.

That leaves me with NO MORE EXCUSES. The podcast launch is coming. The Pursuit of Purpose will become an actual show and not an idea in my head.

Here is what to expect:

• I believe the most successful brands are built on a foundation of intentional decisions - a PURPOSE or a WHY which guides them through their development & growth, how their service solves a problem for an understood audience, the quality of their culture and teams, and is known and respected. We'll talk about how to get to this point with people who have done it and believe in the power of purpose.
• I'll share my process for uncovering the purpose behind the brands I help define and build. To be successful in my previous jobs, I recognized the power of understanding every aspect of the business - operations, finance, referral sources, audience segmentation, customer service & experience.... the list goes on and on. My brand discovery process is rooted in this philosophy.
• Healthcare is close to my heart. Not only because I worked in hospital marketing departments for close to 20 years but because of the impact it has on all of our lives. Expect to hear from providers and others in the industry about how their purpose drives them in both their personal and professional lives.
• Healthcare is also the setting where I started to see (first hand, not as an employee) how having a well-established and understood purpose can shape the experience and outcomes of the patients & families they serve and the employees who deliver the care.
• I am a podcast junkie so sharing what I'm learning from the shows I listen to or the books I read as a result of a podcast will be a regular feature.

If all of this sounds interesting to you, sign up for my email list so each new episode lands in your inbox as it is released. The show notes for each episode will be housed here on my website under the blog tab (because let's face it, this podcast is going to replace my blogging days!)

There are many business strategies influenced by your target audience. And yet often businesses try to be all things to all people, especially when just getting started. And I admit, I've been there.

In this episode of The Pursuit of Purpose, I cover nine business strategies that benefit from a clear target audience definition - and as a result, your business will benefit too.

When you bring education to your marketing tactics, you ensure you are covering all the bases of what your audience needs to know about you, your services, and why they need you.

Have you considered that your marketing efforts are a form of education? We need our audience to learn about us, what we stand for, how we can help them solve their problem, and continue coming back to us. This starts with education.

In episode 44, I introduced the idea of using education, engagement, and empowerment as the three E's to create a successful marketing strategy. In this episode, I take a deeper look at education and what details to consider when evaluating your tactic's ability to educate your audience.

Daniel Pink digs into whether there is such a thing as perfect timing. His book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing attempts to answer this question and explain how there is more to timing than most of us believe. Holly Adams and I both read the book recently and decided to bring our discussion of it to the podcast this week.

We share our thoughts on larks, owls, and third birds - which we think we are - and other key takeaways from the book.

Reviews, experiences, and fitting in are the three primary topics for this month's favorites. Each plays a role in building a brand. Starting from a place of purpose and intention will make each of these aspects of business easier.

Don't ignore or stress over reviews.

Customer experience offers opportunities for personalization.

Know what your brand stands for and embrace it.