Mission Driven Business Building A Vision-Driven Business with Cara Bedford
Brian chats with marketing expert Cara Bedford. As the founder and CEO of Infinite Marketing, Cara leverages the global talent economy to drive impactful campaigns for mid-to-large-sized businesses, startups, and Fortune 500 companies. On the episode, Cara shares why having a clear vision for a business can create an authentic, cohesive brand narrative. She also stresses the importance of clear communication, effective delegation, and asking the right questions.
Episode Highlights
Mission-driven businesses are vision-driven businesses.
When Cara thinks about mission-driven businesses, she can't help but associate the word mission with the day-to-day tactics of running a business. But what inspires her is the vision that a mission-driven business works to make a reality.
"When I think about why I get out of bed everyday, vision really resonates with me," she said. "Mission is tactical, whereas vision is the future, the dream, the destination."
At Infinite Marketing, Cara's vision is to create a future where work is a source of joy and growth for everyone. She aspires to run a company that moves beyond work-life balance into work-life freedom.
"From the growth of our digital nomad culture that we're seeing in the creative class, people are seeking not just employment but a journey of self-discovery and personal growth and purpose," she said. "I want a world where work is a source of pride and fulfillment and gratification, not simply a means to an end."
Create a brand guide.
Cara is a big believer in the power of brand guides, which can help inform the branding decisions for a business and identify gaps in business processes. The brand guides Infinite Marketing builds for clients are living documents that span 34 to 112 pages and detail the rules and processes of going to market.
"This booklet guides all of your branding decisions," Cara explained. "People don't understand how impactful that is to a business."
Don't be afraid to hire outside help.
Entrepreneurs can often benefit from outside expertise to help increase their chances of success. For instance, when working to redesign her logo Cara learned to trust the designer's process, which resulted in a design more beautiful than she could have imagined.
She passes on that same advice to companies thinking about hiring a marketer. Once a business reaches a certain size, hiring someone to run marketing and sales efforts will further that business growth. For instance, a new business may not need a detailed brand guide, but Cara says investing in a brand guide is imperative for businesses with revenue in the $2 million - $5 million range.
"It's a living document that grows with you," she said. "You add pages to it as you grow, and you build frameworks as you grow."
Resources + Links
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The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks
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Cara Bedford: LinkedIn
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Brian Thompson Financial: Website, Newsletter, Podcast
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Follow Brian Thompson Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Forbes
About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast
Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit.
On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.