Creating Your Own Mission Statement

By James Todd, CEO, Dimples USA, Los Angeles

Are you here to survive? Make money? Are you seeking prestige, or are you here for a bigger purpose?

My father, Bijan Todd, created Dimples from scratch in the 1960s. As a child, I grew up learning about hair, everything from colors to styles. I also learned how to buy and sell. Although at the age of 6 I wasn’t dreaming about taking over his business, I later fell in love with Dimples and realized a greater purpose. I am proud to be the CEO of Dimples and to continue to pass down my father’s legacy of hair solutions.

The Journey of Hair

At the start of it all, I thought the initial reason behind having or owning a business was to make money. I did not understand the “why” that my father held behind his company and realized it was something I had to discover for myself. I had to not only understand his “why” of Dimples but my “why” as well.

During my journey of discovering my “why”, I came across Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk. Sinek, a British-American author, and inspirational speaker was someone I resonated with due to his heritage and his visionary type of leadership. He explains that a vast majority of companies focus on “what they do” rather than “why” they do it. Huge corporations such as Nike or Apple are led by this “why” and it's the reason behind their greater worldly purpose and success.

To break it down, Sinek created “The Golden Circle,” which illustrates the importance of the “what,” “how” and “why” of businesses. The why is the core of it all. It is the foundation you create for yourself and as a business. In other words, your initial purpose. The purpose that you create for yourself and for your company will help attract employees and consumers who are long-lasting and hold the same values. Goals and growth become aligned, which will drive natural success.

Understanding and creating your “why” can take many tries. When I embarked on my “why” journey it took me 18 months and more than 200 different versions to come up with it.

At Dimples, our “why” is to help build self-love and happiness for all those around us.

Our “how” is by listening and educating. We advise and use the Dimples PerFit Proven Process.

Our “what” is through creating simple, natural, comfortable hair solutions that include wigs, toppers, eyebrows, and wet line products.

Here’s how to start your journey of discovering your very own why. Start with “What you do,” then ask “why do I do this?” Keep asking yourself “why” until your purpose becomes clear and true. A “why,” or core purpose statement, is generally no longer than seven words.

Your “why” could start like this:

What do I do? “I sell wedding albums to photographers.” Why do I do this? “To make money and support my family’s living.” Why do I do this? “Because I love photography and time flies when I’m taking pictures.” Why do I do this? “Because I’ve been captivated by film since I first held a camera.” Why do I do this? “Because I want others to experience the power of photography.”

Overall, as a second-generation owner of Dimples, my “why” has become one of the reasons why I wake up every morning.

Here are examples of larger corporations that use Sinek’s method:

Apple Inc.

Why: Question the status quo How: By leading with design inside and out, we create user-friendly, highly intuitive devices. What: Phones, music players, computers, tablets that are some of the best on the market, all having a similar clean design and simple interface.

Nike Inc.

Why: To equip the very best athletes (and anyone striving to be) in the world. How: By having the best athletes in the world use and endorse your products over and over. What: 99% of all wannabe sports enthusiasts think they’ll be “just like Kobe” in the shoes, or putting just like Tiger with the clubs.