Building towards a vision

If you have ever worked for someone who is a visionary, you know how inspiring they can be. Unlike a strategy, a vision is meant to stimulate emotion. I actually picked up and moved my life across the country after a couple of meetings because I was drawn to the vision one person painted. What I didn't know at the time was that it was just a vision. Having a vision essential for building a brand and a business, but it's not enough on it's own. This is a common problem in the fashion industry. There are some very talented visionaries in the field, but very few with the skills and foresight to execute on a vision.

In my opinion a great strategy starts with a vision. Who do you want to be to your customers? What are people saying about your brand? What does it feel like? How are your customers shopping? Why did they choose your brand? How does your brand inspire its customers? These are some of the many intangible things you think of when creating a vision. Once you have a vision established, how can you build towards it? What is your strategy? What are the activities you create in order to construct your strategy? While I stated earlier that a great strategy starts with a great vision, a vision is nothing without a great strategy. A vision will never go anywhere unless you commit to it and build a strategy to support it.

Learn more about the fashion industry from Career Coach Kate Kibler at www.katekibler.com.