Mike Holmes is my hero.

I admire Mike for a pile of reasons. I admire the empire of television, books, services, and merchandise he’s built. I admire him for his seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of construction and contracting best practices. I admire him for his commitments to quality, integrity, and trust in all of his building projects. But most of all, I admire him for his desire to use his skill and talent to help people.

Mike’s slogan is “make it right.” Actually, this is closer to what Guy Kawasaki refers to as a mantra. It’s short, but it summarizes all that Mike Holmes is and does. It’s so synonymous with Mike it’s even the URL for his website.

What’s your mantra? When people ask you what you do, how do you respond? Can you give them a message as succinct as Mike’s? What would it take to make your message that simple? Having a mantra can be a powerful tool to help you tell your story.

Here’s a couple things to think about to help you find your personal version of “Make It Right.”

Short

“Make it right” is effective because it’s simple. It’s Mike Holmes boiled down to three words. Everything extra has been eliminated. It might seem like it was probably easy for Mike to come up with this phrase, but I bet it actually took a good amount of thinking. Brevity is only achieved through great effort. If you’re coming up with a mantra, don’t do it in an afternoon. Be prepared to spend the time necessary to make it brief. Brevity will also make it easier to remember.

Actionable

“Make it right” serves as a guide for Mike’s decisions. It tells why he does what he does. It tells what his books, television shows, magazine, and foundation are about. It also answers any question you could think to ask Mike. If Mike created a video podcast, guess what it would probably be about?

Your mantra should do the same. It shouldn’t just be a phrase. It should lead to action. It should guide you. It should tell you or anyone on your team what to do in any given situation. At any moment, remembering this phrase should shine a light on the correct course of action.

True

It may be obvious to say this, but if you don’t (or can’t) live by your mantra then what good is it? If it doesn’t accurately reflect your approach to what you do then either make the changes necessary to get in alignment with it, or change it. Your mantra, unlike a mission statement, isn’t meant to be framed, hung on the wall, and forgotten. It should be active, in the forefront of everyone’s mind, used on a daily basis. It should be impossible to tell your story without it.

[image: holmesmagazine.com]