Your message is the foundation of it all. Three keys.

Today we’re talking about your message: the core “inside” of your business that powers everything. Think of it as the crisp, singular idea at the center of your work, and how you show up in the world.

While the message will evolve as you inevitably grow and change, what stays the same is its single-mindedness. It’s one message.

One message. Three keys.
Here are three keys to creating a message that serves you well.

Make it digestible.
I think of Jessica Murnane’s One Part Plant as a great example of this within the health space. Murnane asks folks to eat one plant-based meal each day. The one message at the core of her work (and new cookbook) is “One part plant."

What makes this message easy to digest?
It’s concise. Three words. One syllable each. With alliteration, and strong consonants. Because of this, it’s easy to say, remember, and share like simple directions for a recipe passed along orally.

It’s clear. One part plant. Not two, not ten.

It’s concrete. You're guided to a single positive behavior change, framed within the rhythm of your daily life. Action rather than a flow of detailed information.

It gets you curious. What are the other parts?

Make it distinct.
Again, Murnane’s message is distinctively phrased, and thus easily recalled and shared. But that’s not all. Murnane ties it to her personal story of using food as medicine, in the wake of her own endometriosis diagnosis. The message "One Part Plant" is more than just a nice thing to do. She includes the endometriosis story in her cookbook, and in the forward by Lena Dunham. 

Make it a throughline.
A throughline is a thread that connects you to your larger purpose, and extends beyond any one project. 

Murnane talks about her work as being a part of a One Part Movement, and even has a podcast by that name. She’s all about “one part” as meaningful change: one new commitment can lead to big transformation. Implicitly, she’s positioning herself against "all or nothing" attitudes. That’s the real power at the foundation of her work, "eating real, one meal at a time."

Or look to Sarah Britton of My New Roots. In her Tedx talk Her message: make “one new healthy choice each day.” At the end of a year, you will have 365 healthy choices. Again, a crisp idea that you can wrap your head around.

I also think of my client (and sister) of cookwithcheftraci.com  Her core message: "Cooking together is a joy."  With it, her personal chef business has grown into a vibrant series of cooking classes for individuals and corporate teams. Traci is all about the joy of making and sharing food together. Her reviews back her up, as clients see themselves bringing this positive energy back into their daily cooking and work lives.

And lately, I’ve glimpsed this message at the core of my own work: Trust your beautiful idea.

With that, it’s….
Your turn:
What is the message at the core of your business and brand? Can you simplify it to make it: 
Digestible (concise, clear, concrete, curious)
Distinct
A throughline
Would you like a sounding board? Share here, and I’ll reply.
If you’ve got something workable, then ask, does it power all the details of your customer experience, from the first inquiry to the final thank you?