What Does It Mean to Be the Face Of Your Company?

When someone says "you are the face of your business" to an entrepreneur, what do they mean?

It means you have to represent the company with excellence that reflects the mission and vision of the company. It means you have to embody the spirit of the company so outside partners can trust and build stronger connections with you and the company.

How you carry yourself and how you make connections with others is the only way to communicate the spirit of the company to the outside world. The perception of the company is also impacted by your ability to deliver on your promises. It requires a human touch.

I have worked with several companies where people have said this to me. I always play a bridge role between my organization and outside partners.

To be the face of your business, what responsibilities will you have? What does it look like?

First, you have to understand the values of the company. You have to know the message the company wants to convey to the world. You have to know the problem the company is trying to solve. You then have to align yourself with the problem and identify areas where you can connect and deliver positive results. As the face of your business, you have the responsibility to map out how it will get to the solution. You have the responsibility to guide your problem-solving team. You have the responsibility to demand that your team is 100% present; that they show up physically, mentally and emotionally. You have to apply quality control to yourself. Are you leading with the principle of the company's value? Are you able to lead the customers to be satisfied you lived up to your promises based on the agreements? Showing up, executing, problem-solving, building trust/connection and being memorable. Those are your responsibilities.

How can entrepreneurs be a positive face of their business and use this responsibility for positive growth?

As an entrepreneur, you have to align with the mission of your business and understand your market through your direct participation. You have to understand all of the different moving parts of the market you are in. Outside data is great but having your own hands-on experience gives you the insight you need to innovate and create the reality-based problems you want to solve; to find the solutions you are innovating for.

The mission is the igniting force that influences how an entrepreneur shows up. If you do not align with the mission, then how you show up and face challenges will be compromised from the start. The entrepreneur needs to embrace challenges and difficulties. You have to expect that “being stretched” is part of growing. Being stretched is not always fun, especially if you have not developed flexibility in certain areas. It is important for the entrepreneur not to wait until they need to be forced to flex. Waiting until an impact occurs might be too late. You need to identify areas you are good at and areas you struggle with. Carve out some time to continue to improve on areas you struggle with. Then when you are forced to stretch, you will be ready to adjust.

You must use your solutions to inspire others about your offerings. Most people engage/buy because of the connection they make with the individual who is representing the business. Identify the humanity behind your product, the humanity of connection to the process of building your product in order to elevate the story that is most relevant to your potential buyer. It has to be authentic. Being authentic and standing out is an important part of building interest. Once the interest is there, you have to deliver by making a compelling case.

I frequently coach people to take ownership of their growth and mission beyond their employers’ goals. I work with people who feel stuck in their career and are looking for change. I often encourage them to have their own sandbox where they can practice their skills outside the controlled space of their 9-5 life. I help employers retain their talented creative employees by providing them with time to work on relevant matters. Employees are looking for alignment within the organization they work for, especially with the temptation of the gig economy pulling them away from their 9-5 jobs. If employers are not intentional in identifying how employees align with their mission, the risk of their people misrepresenting their company will increase. The work I do now represents my business and I am the face of my business. I have to always bring my A game for how I show up and interact with clients, buyers or users in order to positively position my business. The success of my company depends on how people associate my business with me and that depends on how I connect with people.