Start With Why: Answering the question 'What do you do?'

A Why doesn't close the deal. Your Why opens the conversation.
What do you say when you're asked "what do you do?"
Put words to your Why using these tools:

[andreakoehler]

Can I just tell you how much I love that your desk is messy! And, by messy, I mean ... in use, filled with papers and post its and books, etc. I find myself often trying to have the "Martha Stewart" of office desks ... and never quite get there! Actually, I never even get close! Thanks for the leadership in showing up as you are to do great things.

[hiffnyaryff]

Simon, I'm a 20 y/old university student with a lot of plans about WHAT I wanna do and achieve with my life after I graduate. But ever since I started following your idea of 'Start with Why', I'm starting to see that all of the things I had planned had no 'WHY' to back it up.

I am extremely lucky to have come across your idea/philosophy when I did and at such a young age too. Who knows, maybe I'll be great national leader when I grow up because I started my 'life's journey' with why instead of what.

Thank you for sharing with me why you do what you do.

[NEWHOMESALES]

This has been a game changer for me personally and professionally. I have recommended countless people to your book and TED Talk. By the way, your teaching about Starting with Why is really starting to influence the home building industry nationally. Many trainers are adopting your philosophy and it is having a positive affect in many organizations. Its the difference between saying, "Hi my name is Quint and I sell lots of houses" verses "Hi, I wake up everyday and my goal is to contribute to the lives of others and make a positive difference in the world" - I just happen to help people own new homes! Thanks again for this perspective! Keep up the good work! I am one of the people that you have inspired! Quint Lears

[simonu.x.heereman]

Gosh darnit, Simon :-) This is (a) Simon from Germany writing. I do wake up everyday to inspire and motivate people within organizations in order to inspire other humans with their products and services. It is in my DNA, as I am a personality type like that. Everytime people search for Simon Heereman Motivation or something like that they end up with you. It‘s a good thing I am in Germany, not the US, or else I would have a harder job :-D you inspire to inspire.

[AndreaCairella]

Your "Why" philosophy is ground-breaking. It is funny how we start a conversation with what we do and not why we do it. Your message is also very inspiring, I would love to talk about this topic with you on my radio show, Relationship Lovecast. Let me know if your interested.

[karenzhang]

This is super powerful. Now I know how to give my own " what do you do" answer. And it is so true that people always ask " what do you do" but they never care the answer.

[joeh]

Hello Simon, thank you, you've changed the way I look at my job !

[elaineagnesbannon]

Really inspiring, mind opening words! I've been a follower of yours for just under a year, to 25 and have become a team leader in the mean time. However, find my team is reluctant to move on from being a self-involved, selfish team to becoming a team that works for eachother. I find when i make sacrifices to give what the ask and need, instead of inspiring them to give to each-other the focus is more on what they can get for them selves. It's very disheartening ... How to battle through and make them see the light?

[izawaniek]

Why is the key :-) great observation. Thank you.

[tesaaa]

This is an incredibly powerful concept. Thank you for sharing your brilliant ideas!

[robtaggart]

Hi dude love your philosophy and clarity in communicating your thoughts.

[tedwjones]

I love this video format! Please make more!

[happyheartsforLove]

It has been a good practice for me for sure! It does get easier to define your why and answer with that first. Thank you for the information :)

[KimTollefsen]

Appreciate the advice and inspiration...thank you!

[mrchocolateeva]

The thing with this why is it’s hard to tell what you do. I go to some company website to figure out what they do and sometimes its impossible to find out what they do.

It’s like a car company saying on its website.

“We are here to help make you powerful.”

[priyanshubhardwaj]

#sir Simon, you are the person from i have lot to learn and i hope i will learn as much as i can.

[IndraTatum]

Hello Simon, Thanks for your inspiring philosophy. After watching a couple of your videos, I'd changed the way i work in Insurance Company. But This day i'm still looking for how to do with "WHY" in this industry. Maybe you can give me a tips to breakdown the why in Insurance industry to sell more?

Thank You Simon

[LuisIgnacioDiazdelDedo]

Simon, you are one of the persons I admire the most. If you come to Spain sometime please call me I'll love to invite you to eat and talk :D

[saujanyatimalsena]

Hi, Simon you, re doing really a good job inspiring and helping start ups and wish for your greater achievement in coming days.
Here to ask you something. Hope you will help me.
I, m Saujanya a 17 years boy from Nepal and the foundation here is really bad, the system is worse for teenage entrepreneurs and is becoming hard as a high school student. People have mediocre thinking and same traditional perspectives and all those things holding stuffs but I won, t let this things hold me down. Had a frequent high school drop out thought because of that foundational base in our system and all other stuffs didn, t do so.
I want to create a travel brand that will conquer the travel and tourism industry of world and for now I want to start small with a travel channel in youtube that posts a video per month, a travel agency-advisor and a travel magazine that publishes every month which has similar function and are dependent among each other.
But I, m lagging something for this thing like a bit of capital for things like camera and capital. All things are brain storming? What shall I do now?
Hope you will answer me.

[shantelwilliams]

I'm here looking for how to answer a question with a question