The WHY’s of 5 Women on the Rise and Tips for Writing Yours
Here we organized some some example WHY statements from 5 inspiring women, each building different types of businesses, along with tips for drafting your WHY.
The process of crafting your WHY is exactly that: a process. There is this idea that we’re supposed to have our WHY completely clarified and articulated exactly so. NOT TRUE.
Taking the time to draft a version one of our WHY is a step in the direction of understanding ourselves a little bit more. It’s a step toward making something that’s unconscious, conscious. When we put into words something that is unconscious and make it conscious it becomes a powerful tool to guide continued self-exploration and growth. In the context of building an entrepreneurial life, our WHY becomes our compass for making aligned and sustainable decisions as we grow.
We reference the below “formula” for a WHY” statement from Simon Sinek, the mastermind behind the concept.
To ________ So that ________
The first blank represents your contribution—the contribution you make to the lives of others through your WHY. And the second blank represents the impact of your contribution.
Check out the examples below, then create some whitespace time in your life to write a bunch of different WHY drafts. Then come back to your page and review and refine—here are some questions to help gut-check: “Does this feel true?”, “Do I feel energized by this?” “Does this feel big enough?”. If you’re just arriving at this article and are looking to jog those find-your-why juices, check out these fifteen prompts to spur your brainstorming.
Komal Minhas, Founder of Kaur Space
Storytelling and community building are at the core of what I do, and a large part of my identity is wrapped up in seeing the ones I love succeed and find joy. Creating kaur. space is my opportunity to do these things at a greater scale.
Contribution: Storytelling and community building.
Impact: Seeing the one I love succeed and find joy…opportunity to do these things at greater scale.
Maxie McCoy, Author and public speaker
I am obsessed with giving women the tools they need to believe in themselves. I’m here for the global rise of women.
Contribution: Giving women the tools they need to believe in themselves.
Impact: The global rise of women.
Sarah Ashley Schiear, Founder of Salt House
I want to show the world that we are all creative and capable of finding and creating our own happiness. That no matter what we’ve been through, we have a choice. We can do the work to get to know ourselves. We can learn to love ourselves. We can create the world we want to live in.
Contribution: Show the world that we are all creative and capable of finding and creating our own happiness.
Impact: [so that we] Create the world we want to live in.
Andréa Ranaej, Leadership Coach and Writer
I am deeply committed to supporting you in making your unique impact in your life + the communities you call home.
Much of my life has been about two questions: "Why is the world the way it is?" and "How can I grow/heal?" In my pursuit to answer these questions, I've come to another question: "How can I live, work and grow in a way that supports and contributes to social change?"
Finding my own answers to these questions has become my life's journey and I lovelovelove partnering with other's who are also in these questions to support them in finding their own answers. When it comes to oppression and injustice on all levels, there is so much work to do and I believe we each hold some very important roles in deconstructing and transforming the reality we've inherited.
Contribution: Partnering with other's who are also in these questions to support them in finding their own answers.
Impact: Supporting you in make your unique impact in your life + the communities you call home.
Jacquelyn Tierney, Photographer
It is my mission to create environments and experiences that facilitate and cultivate radical presence in the body and the reclamation of divine feminine power and self….I am most intrigued by how we see ourselves, how we want to be seen, and how we actually show up in the world. My work is inspired by the transformation that occurs within and outside of us as we redefine and reclaim who we are in age, love and collected experiences; and therefore, it best serves women on journeys of self-discovery and transformation and those who are ready to show up more fully in their relationships with themselves.
Contribution: To create environments and experiences that facilitate and cultivate radical presence in the body.
Impact: [So that women] reclaim divine power and self.
