Perhaps you might have noticed that in a lot of our posts we try to have a set of core beliefs guide our messaging; it is our “why.” For those unfamiliar with the concept, it is Feel State’s sense of purpose and how we desire to connect with individuals on a deeper level. Our philosophy on this topic is heavily influenced by the book “Start With Why” from author and motivational speaker, Simon Sinek (the book is worth a read if you have not done so).
In the book, Mr. Sinek talks about forming a golden circle, where one’s “why” (sense of purpose) should come before their “how” (processes or methods) and “what” (results or outcomes) when communicating with others. For example, Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines, wanted to bring travel to the common man (“why”) by offering inexpensive flights (“what”) in an era when air travel was not affordable for most and at a time when a lot of other companies were attempting to implement a similar strategy. Mr. Kelleher and Southwest were able to succeed where others failed because they were ultimately guided by their “why.”
While the book itself focuses more on leading at the individual level, at Feel State we believe this concept still holds a lot of merit in our quest to be leaders in the cannabis industry as a collective group. Current macro-environment challenges aside, from the beginning, we have always felt this was a very important objective to focus on building our company around.
So, what is our “why”? Ah, we bet you would like us to tell you! However, that would kind of be like giving you the answers to the test beforehand. We want our connections to be real and authentic, based on a mutual level of respect and admiration for one another.
While this next part may sound like shameless self promotion (you cannot blame us!), the best way to find out the answer is to read our blog, watch our videos, and follow us/continue to follow us on social media. Let’s be honest, we do not expect our message to resonate with everyone and that is perfectly acceptable (the book goes into detail about this!). We cannot be everything to everyone and it is of little benefit to try. However, what we can be is the best version of ourselves and work every single day to ensure that we do not lose focus of why we are involved in the cannabis industry.
To fully implement our “why” will also require that we not live in a bubble of our own preconceived notions. We can (and should) certainly hold strong to our convictions but at the same time seek, desire, welcome, you name it, feedback from others for ways in which we can constantly improve.
The “mainstream” cannabis industry is just beginning and its evolution and maturation will continue for quite some time. It will be a major challenge, but in order for us to become the best leaders we can be, we must be willing to adapt without losing sight of who we are and our “why”.
