Page 82 - The Magic of Tiny Business

Chapter Four  Listen to Your Tiny Voice

What worked for building our Tiny Business was to lis-
ten closely to our own fan base and be informed but not dis-
tracted by our naysayers—all while the competition was
growing. A cacophonous movement was being built (the
green movement) and we were, literally, an accessory to it.

By engaging with and listening to the naysayers, I
learned that it’s not always about the brand or the idea; it’s
also about how easily we can fit into a category and be set
up for success. For example, I was set up for independent
buyers. The naysayers introduced me to the more complex
broker-rep-distributor world of commissions and dis-
counts for growth.

For the folks who walked past me with blank stares
because my brand was of no value to them: what I had
didn’t fit with what they needed or how they worked at
that moment. My job was not to sell to them. They would
cost too much in time and energy.

My job was to talk to them, to get them to tell me
more about what they needed and why, and who else they
knew. I figured they would come around at some point; I
just didn’t bank on it. And even if they never came around
and we just went out for a beer, I knew we had a connec-
tion that would play out in some way some day.

Trusting Your Voice Takes Practice

With a Tiny Business, you practice trust by making deci-
sions rooted in your intentions over and over again.

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