What do you want to be known for?

Being the CEO and partner of a new(ish) advisory and consultancy firm in Canberra, this is a question I get often. And it’s closely followed by questions like:

• What do you do?

• Who are your clients?

• What are you trying to create?

As partners, our want for Ora Advisory is quite simple:

• We want to be known for providing exceptional quality advice and support to our (mostly government) clients at a great price.

• We want to be easy to work with and easy to work for. That may be as an extension of your team, or simply delivering work you don’t have the skills or capacity to. We’ll be your confidant and trusted advisor.

• We want to break consultancy norms. We’re not afraid to tell you no if that’s what needs to be said, and we won’t upsell you things you don’t need.

• We want to share our knowledge and expertise, from years of work in senior Australian government and private sector roles, and build your confidence and capability at every opportunity.

• We want to have fun! We take our job seriously but want to be the reason you smile and have a laugh while solving wicked problems and kicking serious goals.

So, when you ask me what we want to be known for...it’s making your life easier.

I don’t share this as a sales pitch to work with us (although, reach out for a chat if you’re keen!). I’m sharing this because, it’s critical to your personal and corporate brand that you can genuinely and authentically answer this question when asked.

If you’re stuck or don’t know where to start, here’s my top 3 tips:

1. Take your time and give yourself space to think. I’ve never been one to pull out a piece of paper and nail it first go. I do my best thinking when out on a run, the sun is shining, and my head is clearer. In fact, that’s where my biggest ideas are born.

2. Think about what you’re good at, what you’re passionate about and what you value most. For me, that’s about being confident about being me – be bold. Because when we’re truly ourselves, we are happier, we work smarter, and we shine for us and our clients.

3. If in doubt, ask! You don’t need to do this on your own. Ask your colleagues, friends and clients what they think your unique skill is…in other words, what sets you apart from the crowd! You might be pleasantly surprised what you learn.

Sharing is caring, so let’s keep this conversation going. What have I missed? What are your top tips?

Happy Friday!

Lisa Milin | CEO and Partner