Finding Your Secret Sauce

Do you know your secret sauce?

What comes to mind when you think about a secret sauce? If you were born in the 1970s, like me, you think about that infamous 1974 jingle. “Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun”. What made you want a Big Mac…the special sauce, right? The secret sauce that only this franchise could create.

Every business has its own secret sauce. It's that special something that makes you stand out.⠀It's what makes your customers ignore the thousands of businesses that offer the same product or service to do business with you. 

What flavor do you give the secret sauce that no one else can?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Here's how I found my secret sauce.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I started with WHY. The process of uncovering your why can be a process. It often starts with you revisiting what brought you joy as a child. Long before, you were limited by society's expectations and boundaries.  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I discovered and explored my passion. Passion is the fuel for your purpose. Your passion will motivate and inspire you.

Steps to finding your passion

1. Take inventory of your goals

2. Pay attention to what gets under your skin

3. Think about what you loved when you were younger

   Here are some questions to help you identify your passion.

• What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? 

• What can you lose track of time doing or when you hate to stop doing something

• What would you do if success was guaranteed?

• What would you do the majority of your waking hours if you had a billion dollars in the bank?

• What sparks your creativity? 

• What do you love to do? 

I asked for feedback from "my village", colleagues, former supervisors, and customers. Good or bad, I welcome feedback.

After you discover your secret sauce, it’s time to blend those ingredients together and share how your secret sauce makes your company uniquely qualified to solve the problems of your customers.

Once you tap into your secret sauce, don't be shy about sharing it. This message should be key element in your marketing strategy.

And remember, no matter how hard someone tries, they cannot duplicate your secret sauce because they are not YOU!