Felicity

Felicity
I have been an entrepreneur unable to share my services in a way to attract more clients. A few, but certainly no steady stream. I’ve also been a career position-seeker frustrated that my career seemed to be reduced down to a checklist of skills.

For the entrepreneur, I saw the funnels and marketing systems and all the social media channels. As the employment-seeker, I saw the resume and LinkedIn profiles and the information sharing and the online connections. There are aspects of inauthenticity in both worlds. Both have the frameworks in place to “funnel” people to your content and make them want to work with you. So, I ask myself now, how can we use these frameworks authentically?

The key is a word I newly learned, “felicity.” It’s root comes from the same word as “happiness.” But felicity is more. It has facets of appropriateness, expression, and effectiveness. Webster’s definition two says “the ability to find appropriate expression for one’s thoughts.” Oxford says “capacity for apt expression.” I think this might be a reason, maybe even the reason, that solo-preneurs and employment seekers have trouble getting found. Making real connections. Or attracting clients. It’s the missing element between “what I do” and applying any framework for online marketing, promotion, or business growth.

The inauthentic link baiting and churned-out content make promotion such a huge ordeal, especially to those of us who are helping others become more authentic. It feels opposite of what we do in our work.

I hypothesize: Framework + Felicity = Authentic Promotion

Without felicity, we swing the pendulum too far toward what we think our audience wants to hear. Without felicity, our products, services, and skills start sounding like everyone else in the same category, or maybe it even feels that way to us as we deliver.  

A seed is encoded with the ability to become a magnificent plant or tree. It is pure joy that it is expressing its singular purpose as it opens, sprouts, and becomes free to absorb the sun’s rays. As humans, we are encoded with a purpose, too. But our mindsets are not always focused on growth. We get distracted, overwhelmed, and end up on a hamster wheel of habitual thoughts and actions. This keeps us from thinking about felicity. Like the seed, it must be nurtured.

Here's what I have observed in myself and others about the missing link of felicity:

• Rather than what I do, felicity focuses on who I am. Every person is unique. Five people who do the same profession or offer the same service all do it differently because of who they are.
• Felicity’s expression is that of our innermost values and joys.
• I’ve noticed that when I express what I value in an enjoyable way (and for me, currently, that’s writing or combing quotes and images) that promotional efforts are actually fun.
• Some people make videos, some podcast. Some turn podcasts into videos with absolutely no production efforts, just roll camera as they speak into a microphone. Some like playing with Memes. Some write articles and “Ask the Expert” entries. All are doing what they are best at.
• Authentic expression always has more to say. If coming up with content for promotion is difficult, then maybe your passions have changed or your services are not fully expressing your true content.
• Authentic promotion is inspired effort that organically happens as we focus on our joy. Not effortless, but yet not the exhausting strain of efforting for promotion’s sake.
• Authentic promotion is best served through authentic connections with people who are like-minded.

I don’t have all the answers, but I think this is a good start to fire off discussion on this topic.