My early experience with numbers was the progression from arithmetic to algebra to geometry to trigonometry to calculus, each with its own benefits and challenges. From my father’s teachings on the abacus and slide rule to how my allowance was determined to learning that an algorithm was not a Vice President’s music genre, numbers have always been a part of life.
A brief search shows that numbers and math can been found as far back as 2000 BC with evidence of being used for taxation, commerce and astronomy, at the time the Pythagorean theory, or ‘demonstrative discipline’ emerged and served as the basis of the math from 6th century BC until today.
Then the great numerical seismic shift occurred. Numbers were used (and abused) through marketing to influence how and what you eat. We shifted from counting calories to counting carbs to grams of protein to counting plant -based ingredients. One could no longer simply enjoy exercise without one’s ‘smart’ watch calculating the number of steps one has taken, or miles logged on the elliptical as an indicator of good health. The most dramatic and life-altering use of numbers has made Media and its sibling, Social Media, a hotbed of calculations. Friendships have been created or destroyed by the number of ‘likes.’ Brands concentrate on reviews and ratings as much as on building relationships through direct customer contact and satisfaction.
And of course, business has always been based on mathematics and numbers with the demand to comprehend and manage all factors that can affect the P&L, COGS, interest rates, depreciation, margins, equity, valuations, ROI, APs, ARs, FIFO, IPO, the list seems endless and often requires the overview of a CFO, CPA, CFP, CIO, or one’s business coach or advisor. Once one grasps the priorities, there is the additional mathematics of one’s bottom line and new deduction for 1% for the Planet or 2% for one’s aligned charity.
These mathematical complexities can make starting or running a company or launching an initiative stressful and often dampen the passion and purpose that one had when starting an endeavor. Yet at the core, transforming dreams into reality transcends numbers.
With 30 years of experience in helping to build successful mission-driven brands, we have developed a methodology that helps take one’s dream to mainstream, proficiently and profitably while maintaining one’s core values:
- Clearly define your passion, goals, and vision with the end in sight.
- Research the playing field, competition, and opportunities.
- Build your trusted team of advisors and allies and benefit from their expertise, while staying true to your goals and the current opportunities.
- Define the deliverables and establish production, distribution, and sales.
- Build your brand, your community, and your messaging to educate and inspire.
- Set and manage with your own business statistics to reflect your success and value. Knowing numbers is vital and determining which truly represent success even more essential.
- Acknowledge your successes with the satisfaction of knowing now that your numbers do add up…to success.
We are always here to help take your Dream to Mainstream – navigating the numbers and transforming them into signs of your success.
Gillian