is an entrepreneur a leader?

Social media allows us to do more than just market and sell – it also gives us the opportunity to start conversations, make new connections, and deepen relationships. And as an online business owner, you already know how important it is to use your platform and influence responsibly. But is an entrepreneur a leader?

Last week I had a brand strategy session with a new client – she’s in the trenches of an exciting pivot and essentially trying to determine wtf she actually does now. She knows she helps people in HUGE ways, understands her clients’ clear transformation from Point A to Point B, but was unsure how to articulate her role in that transition (which is why she invested in developing her brand strategy!).

So I asked her: “Do you consider yourself a leader?”

She pondered it for a while, and then turned the tables to ask me: “Well I don’t know, how do you define a leader?”

And besides the fact that answering a question with a question is a VERY clever way to avoid the original question (yes, my clients are very clever indeed), it was still a great question. Here’s what I landed on:

A leader is someone who, despite fear or doubt, courageously decides to go first and invites others to come along with them.​

I know leadership has kinda turned into a buzzword in the online business world. I also know you might not consider yourself a leader because you’re humble. Love that about you, [FIRST NAME GOES HERE] – however, as always, brand strategy with asia dore is a humble-free zone. We absolutely MUST tap into your strengths in order to figure out what makes you unique!

Because here’s the goddamn truth: I know you’re not out here owning a business, being an entrepreneur, or building a personal brand for your career only because you want to make money.

You want fulfillment. You want to actually fucking help people. You want to build something bigger than yourself – a movement, a community, a legacy, a goddamn revolution… but whatever it is, building something bigger than yourself requires you to lead.

So is an entrepreneur a leader? Hell yes they are. Because the only way to get people on board with your ideas is to, despite fear or doubt, courageously go first and share them.

If this fires you up at all and there’s a spark in you that’s screaming, “YES! THAT’S WHAT I WANT TO DO! THAT’S MY THING!” but also “…oh shit, I have no idea how to do that…” ​The way you find the courage to share your big ideas is with your brand. Your brand gives you permission to show up as a leader.

Ready to start building a brand that gives you permission to show up as a leader? Start by downloading the No-Bullshit Guide to Branding: