Your Digital Marketing Coach with Neal Schaffer

Finding Your Marketing Purpose with Ikigai

• Neal Schaffer • Episode 330

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Do you feel there's a missing link in your marketing strategy? It might be time to incorporate 'Ikigai,' a Japanese concept that brings purpose and meticulous precision into the equation.  I'm here to show you how focusing on the details, embracing who you are, and finding joy in the little things can contribute to your professional success.

In this intimate solo episode, we'll unlock the meaning of 'Ikigai' and explore how it's been a driving force in my life and career. Drawing from my 15 years of living and working in Japan, I'll share tales of sushi chefs striving for perfection and question how your purpose or mission manifests in your content. Whether you're a marketer, entrepreneur, or content creator, it's time to discover your Ikigai and take a new purpose-driven approach to marketing.

Are you ready to grow? Let's get started.

Links:

  • Awakening Your Ikigai: How the Japanese Wake Up to Joy and Purpose Every Day by Ken Mogi: https://amzn.to/47kKMwA [affiliate]

Learn More:

Speaker 1:

Did you know that 82% of consumers make purchase decisions with purpose in mind, yet brands struggle to put purpose into practice? This is going to be a slightly different episode of the original marketing coach podcast, because I want to go deep into this concept of purpose and how it can exponentially improve your marketing, both personally and for your business. Stay tuned for this next special episode of the Digital Marketing Coach Podcast. Hey friends, my name is Neil Schaefer, I am your Digital Marketing Coach and welcome to my podcast. It is always an honor to be welcoming both old friends and listeners, as well as new listeners. If you are a new listener, these podcast episodes are done half-half, half-interview and half-solo.

Speaker 1:

Today is going to be another solo episode and, as I reflect on my time in Berlin working with my developmental editor on my next book, it was actually at the Berlin Airport where I saw a book called the Little Book of Ikigai. Now, if I were speaking, I'd say, hey, how many of you in the room have heard of the concept Ikigai? It was funny because recently on an interview, I was actually asked about the concept and I said, hey, how did you know? I just picked up that book at the airport, but as I was reading it, it really resonated with me, especially because Ikigai is a Japanese concept and I spent 15 years of my life in Japan speaking fluent Japanese, and actually I'm on a plane going back there right after this episode is released. When you listen to it, I'll probably be in Japan, but nevertheless, I want to talk about this because I began in that intro about purpose and I want to take a step back. So I've been interviewing a lot of potential clients these days for my fractional CMO services.

Speaker 1:

I think that this concept of a fractional CMO has begun to well. I won't say it's mainstream, but more and more companies realize it is an option If they don't want to work with an agency, they don't have a big staff, they want to get an outside perspective, even if it's for a short period of time, or they really want to move their business forward working with an experienced marketing executive. For all these different reasons, I am getting asked, getting inquiries and what have you, and one of the things that I explain about my role as a fractional CMO is I am not coming in with an agenda Right Now. I have a framework. That framework is actually going to be really what my next book is about, right, you'll have to stay tuned for that, but I have a framework. But every client is fundamentally different. They're all in different industries, different brands, different brand legacies, different competitors. There is no cookie cutter approach to this, but there are similar things that every brand needs when it comes to digital marketing. But I say, look, you control my hours, right, I am just looking for perfection. And this is where I want to talk a little bit about IkiGuy, and I want you to find your own IkiGuy. If you don't have one, and ideally, if that's related to marketing or your business, even better. But I want to go through this concept a little bit, so in this book.

Speaker 1:

Now, the cover of this book is different than the one that's selling on Amazon, which I'll introduce shortly, but basically it starts by talking about a sushi chef who was chosen to be the sushi chef when President Obama went to Tokyo. So I want to talk a little bit about that sushi chef and how it relates to the meaning of IkiGuy, because that sushi chef spends decades of his life trying to prepare the ideal sushi, the ideal tuna. He spent every morning at 2 am to go to the fish market in hopes of finding the perfect fish for his clients and then therefore creating the perfect sushi for his clients. It's not about having a huge franchise chain globally. It's about serving his clients in his small little Tokyo sushi place that only has stools that President Obama was able to go to. So in the book and I'll read you some sections that I think are really relevant to this conversation the chef's last name is Ono. So the book reads you can take it that Ono's incredible success is due to exceptional talent, sheer determination and bloody-minded perseverance over years of hard work, as well as relentless pursuit of culinary techniques and presentation of the highest quality. Needless to say, ono has achieved all of this. However, more than that, and perhaps above all else, ono has Ikigai. It is no exaggeration to say that he oases incredibly fabulous success in the professional and private realms of his life to the refinement of this most Japanese ethos.

Speaker 1:

Ikigai is a Japanese word for describing the pleasures and meanings of life. The word literally comes from icky, which means to live, and gai, which means reason, in other words, reason to live. If we take a literal translation In the Japanese language, icky gai is used in various contexts and can apply to small everyday things as well as the big goals and achievements. It is such a common word that people use it in daily life quite casually, without being aware of it having any special significance. Most importantly, icky gai is possible without you necessarily being successful in your professional life. In this sense, it is a very democratic concept steeped in a celebration of the diversity of life. It is true that having icky gai can result in success, but success is not a requisite condition for having icky gai.

Speaker 1:

It is open to every one of us and really, if I was to define as the book goes into more details and on Amazon you'll find it under Awakening your Iki Guy how the Japanese wake up to joy and purpose every day, by Ken Mogi, who is a Japanese journalist, I recommend you buy the Japanese version. I know that there are various versions out there. I'll put a link in the show notes as well, but really it is about five elements starting small, focusing on the details, releasing yourself, accepting who you are, not trying to compare yourselves with people that are more successful than you all the time and thinking your failure. Harmony and sustainability. Relying on others. Find ways to collaborate right. The joy of little things. Appreciate sensory pleasure and being in the here and now finding your flow.

Speaker 1:

So, as I was reading this book and I'm not even done with the book yet I realized this has been a part of my DNA and it's why, when I talk about being a fractional CMO, I am aiming for perfection. With every client I am looking at, are there marketing channels that we are not using? And of the marketing channels that we are using, are we optimizing them for every additional ROI, for every additional dollar generated or lead generated or dollar saved? And it is that perfection that I aim for. It's why I love that fractional title, because I love working with a variety of industries, a variety of challenges. It makes me a better marketer and it makes it that when I go to another client, I can bring all that I have learned to them. I am able to make better sushi for that analogy with these sushi chef. But it's also what gives me my passion. This isn't work for me, right? This is my passion.

Speaker 1:

I'm not going to say all of my icky guy is just work, because it's not, obviously. But you know, as my father may he rest in peace and many others say, if you love what you do for a living, it doesn't feel like work, right. So that is my icky guy right, and that's why I'm so passionate about these podcasts and teaching you. It's why I love working with clients as a fractional CMO, even if it's only for a short period of time, to serve them in that short period of time, to help them cross that digital marketing calcium, and it's really fueling the passion and writing this next book of mine Details to follow soon.

Speaker 1:

So, getting back to how I started this podcast episode, how consumers want to work with brands that have a mission, that have a purpose. What is your mission or purpose as a business and is that part of your messaging? Is that part of your website? Does it come out in your blog content? Does it come out in your social media content? And then my next question is you, whether you're a marketer or an entrepreneur, a business owner, a content creator, listening to this podcast, what is your icky guy?

Speaker 1:

And how can you find icky guy in the work that you do? How can you find icky guy in the marketing that you do? Because if you can find that and if you can find your flow being in the here and now, if you can focus on the details, starting small, you can fulfill your icky guy and I think in doing so, you're going to be a much more successful and better marketer and it'll help grow your business in that way as well. So mission purpose have a broad meaning in our society. We can take it from a branding perspective, as I led, or from a personal perspective, but I guarantee you those with purpose in life, for some the icky guy is serving a higher other, according to whatever religion they follow, and that's fine, right, that is a very, very common icky guy, I believe.

Speaker 1:

But if you can find icky guy in your work, in your business number one, but also relate that as part of everything you do, it should come out naturally. People should meet you and go, wow, that person is really passionate about what they do. This is a comment that I get a lot. I'm really blessed to be able to get that content, but it shows that the passion is understandable just through body language, just through tone of voice. So I want you to think deeply about that. And, yes, this podcast recording, as I mentioned a few podcast episodes ago, is helping me flesh out concept for my next book. Right, and in fact, this conversation will probably become part of the introduction as to why I am writing the book that concept of icky guy, but it's a deeper concept and it doesn't have to be personal. If you focus on your business because every founder of a company has an icky guy as to reason why they develop that business right, well, it's time for you to really share that in many ways through your content, through your branding, and I want to leave you with that homework for today. Right?

Speaker 1:

If you have an icky guy, or if you found your icky guy, I'd love if you reached out to me. I'd love to hear from you and continue this conversation. Contact me at neilneal, at neilchefercom, neal s-c-h-a-f-f-e-rcom. And if you are interested in bringing on someone whose icky guy is perfecting digital marketing, feel free to reach out for me for my fractional CMO services. You can go to neilshaffercom slash CMO.

Speaker 1:

And well, I'm going to get ready to go to Japan. I am actually the Japan evangelist for TubeBuddy, one of the leading YouTube tools, so I am very much looking forward to spending a week in Japan, meeting YouTube creators as well as businesses that are leveraging YouTube, and seeing how I can serve them and help them, not just through using TubeBuddy, but also any way else that I can help them with all the knowledge and experience that I have. So that's it for me. Make sure you follow me on Instagram. That's normally where I post all of my personal photos from all of my travels. That's instagramcom slash neilshaffer. It's all spelled the same way, nealschffer, and I look forward to serving you in the next episode. This is your digital marketing coach, neal Schaffer, signing off.

Speaker 2:

You've been listening to your digital marketing coach. Questions, comments, requests, links go to podcastnealshaffercom. Get the show notes to this and 200 plus podcast episodes at nealshaffercom to tap into the 400 plus blog post that Neal has published to support your business. While you're there, check out Neal's digital first group coaching membership community If you or your business needs a little helping hand. See you next time on your digital marketing coach.