Ikigai is a concept that has been ingrained in the cultural fabric of Japan for centuries and simply means “reason to live”.
When I started Dynamic Brands, I felt fortunate to be able to start my own idea in a field that I really enjoy. I was aware that I had to take small steps that would allow the business to grow and eventually achieve economic and financial stability. But this is not all. I had to find a way to turn it into a life motivation. My goal was to align my professional aspirations with what I want to achieve in my life. In other words, to bring my personal values into the business environment.
Defining the purpose serves the company from its inception both as a guide for its development and as a starting point or reference, on those occasions when it is difficult to make the right decision and even in bad times. Through the application of the purpose, people who share similar values and principles were also selected for our team of professionals. Having something so important in common, allows us to achieve a strong degree of involvement of each employee with the company, creating new forms of collaborative work, which go beyond the formation of work teams on an ad hoc basis. Moreover, this collaboration between people requires understanding, which will result in greater cohesion between all members. But the applications of purpose are not limited to this, but extend to negotiation as a source of empathy; be it with customers, partners, suppliers, the measurement of goals and financial results, or the orientation of strategic and day-to-day decisions.
Finally, I would like to add that numerous studies in the field of neurobiology have shown that purpose helps to achieve happiness, to reduce illnesses and is a driving force that makes us stand up when plans are frustrated and prevent us from moving forward. It is from the absence of purpose that the concept of Ni-Ni, traumas, unemployment, conflicts and a long etc. arise. In short, we humans need purpose to guide us both in our personal lives and in directing and redirecting our businesses.
