I've been meeting with entrepreneurs and business leaders in my community lately, and the same conversation keeps coming up no matter what the industry–branding, Why branding is important, and what it means has been a common theme.
It got me thinking about my brand, Flowyo, what it stands for, and what I stand for as its founder.
Have I really defined my core values?
Have I used these tools to help carve out my business initiatives and future goals?
I realized these answers exist in my mind, but I haven’t translated them into words. To help organize my thoughts, I created an acronym to define FLOWYO as a brand.
Freedom (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual)
Love (yourself and others, there's no greater purpose)
Oneness (community + connection)
With God (all things are possible)
Young (at heart)
Odyssey
Here's a little more depth about what these pillars mean to me.
Freedom
Our modern world has too many social and economic restraints and boundaries. So many of us live to make others happy or to simply "fit in". One of my favorite movies says it perfectly: "Death isn't sad. The sad thing is most people never live at all," – Peaceful Warrior, Dan Millman. I desire to feel free in my body, mind, spirit, and environment, and I hope those around me can sense a greater level of freedom through meditation, movement, discovering oneself, and overcoming fears.
Love
When I say love for yourself and others, I don’t mean that soulmate kind of love or love for your new puppy. But rather a higher level of love, that agape level kind of love, where it just doesn't make sense how loving that person can be possible. I often remind myself of the saying, "the ones that are the most difficult to love are the ones that need it the most."
Oneness
We live in a busy and lonely world, yet we know we are undivided spiritually. But in a world that thrives on convincing us we are divided on pretty much any topic under the sun, we forget that truth. Just because people are married, have kids, or have successful careers with a packed social calendar doesn't mean they don't still feel lonely. Our modern lifestyles encourage independence and self-sufficiency. Don't get me wrong; these are wonderful qualities, but not at the expense of helping others, asking for help, and connecting on a greater level. So let's create and cultivate community and connections with all of us.
With God
With God, all things are possible. Without faith in God, this world can be terrifying. I believe when you focus on faith and trust in God/the universe/Yahweh/Jehovah/Allah, or whomever you identify with, you step outside of yourself and remember there is so much more going on than what your senses can tell us.
Young at Heart
I enjoy observing children at a young age because they are untainted by the world and demonstrate such a great level of innocence. They don't have worldly skeptics, stereotypes, or self-esteem issues. They can just play in the sandbox with one another so effortlessly. They are 100 percent in the present moment without thinking about what's for dinner or how the car payment will be covered this month. I hope we all can experience a level of youthful innocence throughout all our years.
Odyssey
An odyssey is "a long wandering or voyage, often spiritual and usually marked by many changes of fortune." This symbolizes each of our own unique journeys that no one else can navigate for us. We are here as individuals, and each has our own point of view. May these adventures and journeys be progressive and productive no matter how long or where the destination may be.
I hope these pillars help explain Flowyo’s mission and core beliefs. More importantly, I hope you can experience Flowyo first-hand by attending a studio class, workshop, retreat, or private lesson.
I pray that we and all beings here on earth can experience freedom, love, oneness, God, childlike youth, and innocence, with a sense of journey and adventure to keep our spirits inspired and grateful through all the seasons of our lives.
[Check out the Retreats section of Flowyo.com for more details!]