Your business has a spirit — are you nurturing it?
- Huw David
- Mar 28
- 3 min read
Discover the hidden energy that sets your business apart.
Every business has a spirit — a unique vibe, an energy that shapes how it operates, how it feels to interact with, and ultimately how successful it becomes.
Often, this spirit emerges organically. The best businesses carefully and intentionally craft their spirit, taking great care to nurture and protect it.
This is an ongoing challenge. As businesses grow, evolve, and change leadership or teams, that spirit can become muddled.
Siloed working, busy tasks, and shifting priorities can push people away from what once felt instinctive — leaving the business disconnected from its core identity.
Unearthing the golden nugget
In our experience, when we start probing — asking questions, listening carefully, and digging deeper — we often uncover this spirit like a golden nugget hidden within the business. It’s always been there, just sometimes forgotten or overlooked.
The key to bringing it back to life is to translate that spirit into a clear vision, values, and behaviours that people can see, feel, and act on.
From these pillars, you can build a strategic narrative that has clarity and is authentic.
This alignment creates a powerful foundation, helping unite teams, attract talent, and engage ideal customers, partners, and investors..
The mistake of copying others
A common pitfall is looking outward for inspiration rather than inward for truth.
Businesses often adopt generic values or imitate competitors — sticking words on walls that sound impressive but carry little real meaning. Without authenticity, these efforts fall flat.
Instead, the real magic comes from understanding what makes your business unique — and letting that guide your branding, culture, and decision-making.
The art of asking (and listening)
The clever bit — and where many businesses struggle — is knowing what questions to ask and how best to listen.
This is where Bright Collie’s approach comes in.
Like a collie — inquisitive, attentive, and always observing — we know that the right questions unlock the deepest insights.
Here are some practical tips to help you uncover your business’s spirit:
Be curious, not leading: Instead of asking, “What are our values?” try asking, “When we’re at our best, what behaviours stand out?” or “What would our clients miss if we weren’t here?”
Listen beyond the words: Often, people reveal more in their tone, hesitations, or what they leave unsaid. Pay attention to what feels important, even if they can’t quite articulate it.
Involve people at every level: Don’t just ask leadership — include the team on the ground and, crucially, your clients. They’ll often describe your business’s true spirit better than you can.
Look for patterns: Repeated themes — words, feelings, or experiences that crop up in different conversations — are usually where the gold lies.
Test what you hear: Once you’ve identified what feels authentic, weave it into how you talk about your business. If it resonates with your team and clients, you've struck the right chord.
A shepherd’s role in guiding the spirit
This is where the role of a shepherd becomes crucial.
Shepherds — like great leaders — don’t dictate. They guide. They listen, observe, and bring the flock (or, in this case, the team) together with purpose.
At Bright Collie, we see ourselves as shepherds — helping businesses rediscover their spirit and ensure it shines through at every touchpoint.
Whether through design, messaging, or internal culture, we guide our clients to find clarity and use that spirit as a powerful driver for growth.
A final thought
Your business’s spirit is always there — you just need to find it, feed it, and let it shine.
Ask the right questions, listen carefully, and stay curious — and you’ll unlock a powerful force that can inspire your team, attract the right customers, and drive your business forward.
Whistle, and we’re there
If you’re struggling to capture the true spirit of your business — or if your brand feels disconnected and unclear — get in touch to see how Bright Collie can help you rediscover what makes your business unique and bring it to life across your sales and marketing.