Finding Your Why—A 3-Part Series on Discovering Your Purpose and Building a Killer Brand

Do you have a great idea but don't know how to bring it to life? Well, before you start calling manufacturers or building a website, there's one thing Idalia Salsamendi says you have to do first: Find your why. Okay, so it sounds like a school project at first but here's why you need to take the time and put in the effort. Your "why" will be the backbone of your business and when building that killer Media Kit which can land your dream partnership jobs. Not sure what your "why?" is or how to make the perfect Media Kit? Don't stress, we asked Salsamendi, CEO and founder of top influencer and brand strategy company Idalia Salsamendi INC and founder/host of Realization Podcast to take show you how in our three-part series. Read on to start creating yours, then join her at our Vision Summit in Miami for her workshop, Pitch Perfect: How to Create a Media Kit That Turns Brands Into Paying Clients exclusive to C&C Insiders and she’ll show you how to turn that “why” into money.

Photo: Courtesy of Create & Cultivate

PART ONE: No really, what’s your “why?”

“I want free clothes and trips, Idalia.”

“It’ll be so fun to make a lot of money for posting selfies about myself, Idalia.”

“I want to be famous. Can you make me famous, Idalia? Please!”

You may be chuckling to yourself right now, but truth be told, nine times out of 10 when I ask any influencer why they actually do what they do, those three answers are the most common. (Insert yawn here). Here’s the clincher: this is my first and only question I ask an influencer when deciding whether or not I want to work with them. Sure, I can hook you up with killer brands to get you designer clothes and five-star trips. Yeah, I can make you seven-figures a year. Sure, I can also turn you into a household name. This isn’t me blowing smoke up my own ass or channeling my inner Kanye West—ain’t nobody got time for that. This is me stating the facts about my career which I’ve been doing in one way or another for the past 16 years of my life. But guess what, it doesn’t matter to me. And if you’re playing this social media game correctly, it shouldn’t matter to you either.

“Really focusing in on your why and translating it into a solid mission statement will always be your north star.”

Throughout the years I’ve been managing talent and models, I’ve realized that the one thing each successful talent has had in common is the notion of giving back. These are women and men alike that at the early stages in their careers were able to identify their “why?” and trust me when I said it had nothing to do with those three examples I gave above.

Take a scroll through your Instagram at the OG bloggers—Chriselle Lim, Jacey Duprie, Arielle Charnas (all which I’ve managed at some point in their career)—and you’ll see that they started their business to connect with other women. It may have been because of a tough break-up that they found their strength, or understanding that they had to own that they were a minority and set an example for a younger generation of inclusivity, or showing that a small-town girl can make it to the highest tiers of the exclusive industry. Whatever their respective background story may have been, it came from a selfless place.

So now I ask you: What’s your why? And please don’t answer so quickly. Between this week’s session and next, I really want you to sit down and figure out why you actually want to be or are an influencer. Better yet, I want you to come up with a mission statement for your company/yourself. Really focusing in on your why and translating it into a solid mission statement will always be your north star. Anytime you don’t know whether or not to accept a deal or work with someone, you can go back to that mission statement and see if matches up with what your work will be.

Photo: Courtesy of Create & Cultivate

Here, let me give you an example. After leaving Next Models in NYC where I was the Director of the Talent Board, and branching into my own company, I had a very specific goal of the type of women and men I wanted to work with. For the first time in my life, I was saying no to big paychecks because it dawned on me that my soul couldn’t be bought. Yeah yeah, it may sound dramatic but the inner workings of the fashion industry can get kinda shady.

So, I sat myself down in my tiny studio in the West Village at the time, grabbed a dry-erase marker and for three months revised my mantra-inspired-mission-statement time and time again until it made sense:

1.     I will only work with people that I can consider friends or family. In other words, I kinda have to like you as a human being, a lot.

2.     I will only work with people that do good work. Anyone can take a pretty picture on Instagram, but do they actually do good work. Do they give back to charity? Do they understand that the universe doesn’t revolve around their selfies? What are their goals in life?

3.     I will only work with people whom I can do good work for. You may be the best sumo wrestler in all the land, but let’s be frank, I’m probably not the best fit to be your manager or consultant. So whoever I team up I need to know that I can fully cater to 110%.  

“I’ve realized that the one thing each successful talent has had in common is the notion of giving back.”

Now with that in mind, my “why?” became to “Inspire, Inform, Empower.” That’s exactly what I do. Whether I’m consulting for a top-tier influencer and fashion house, whether I’m on my Realization Podcast interviewing incredible guests, or creating my Online Business Kits.

Each of us has something to offer this world. Each of us can use our platform for a bigger purpose. And let’s get one thing straight here before we say goodbye: there is nothing wrong with getting free clothes, taking magnificent trips, and being famous. It’s actually pretty awesome! But I want you to understand that all those material things are the consequence of being authentic to yourself and to your audience and always living your true “why?” 

Don’t miss Idalia Salsamendi’s workshop, “Pitch Perfect: How to Create a Media Kit That Turns Brands Into Paying Clients” at Vision Summit in Miami on December 7, exclusive to Insider’s members. Not a member? Sign up HERE!

About the Author

Idalia Salsamendi, CEO/founder of Idalia Salsamendi INC and founder/host of Realization Podcast

Idalia is an industry-leading business strategist, and social media consultant. With over 16 years of experience in PR and top-tier talent management, Idalia opened her company in 2016 with strategy for both brands and influencers at its core. Known for being selective towards the types of projects and clients she engages, the mantra for her company is to inspire, inform, empower. Her roster includes Chriselle Lim, Brittany Xavier, Jacey Duprie, Chopard, and Valentino to name a few.

Also an enthusiastic public speaker, Idalia makes time to speak at top international conferences and businesses such as WWD Style Summit, FOHR U, Karlo Otto Paris, and now Create and Cultivate to share her knowledge of the digital media space while also gaining a wider and more global perspective about the industry.