Position Your Brand,Business and Life with 7 Words

Nicholas Kuhne
14 hours ago
3 min read

In this episode of From Startup to Wunderbrand, I sat down with Ian Chamandy, a veteran purpose strategist who’s helped hundreds of businesses distil their purpose into a powerful, short-form statement — seven words or less. This isn’t branding fluff. It’s a razor-sharp tool for strategic decision-making, growth, and clarity across your business operations.

Why Purpose Matters More Than You Think

Most companies think they have a purpose — but they can’t articulate it. They’ll tell you their purpose is to “drive growth” or “serve customers,” but when pressed, those statements fall apart. They’re vague, generic, and unmemorable. Ian flips the script. He helps companies discover the one thing that makes them uniquely remarkable — and then turns it into a seven-word (or fewer) purpose statement that becomes the guiding star for the entire business.

“Opening Sooner”: The Purpose Behind an $800K Deal

One of Ian’s best examples is a retail shelving company. They’d been in business for three generations and had systems that helped them complete store installations much faster than their competitors. But they didn’t realise that speed was their superpower — until Ian helped them define their purpose: “Opening Sooner.” That clarity transformed their business. Staff suggested changes to timecards, RFPs were submitted earlier, and the message resonated so well that Best Buy handed them an $800,000 contract after just one purpose-driven pitch.

Purpose Isn’t Just for Branding

Many people assume this is a brand exercise. It's not.

Your brand is one shadow cast from your purpose — just like marketing, sales, hiring, and operations. Ian explains it like this:

“Your purpose is the stone. Everything else is a shadow cast from that stone.”

This makes purpose not just a North Star but a filter. It helps you decide:

Who to hire
What clients to attract
What markets to avoid
How to prioritise projects
How to align your team

Startups vs Mature Businesses: When Should You Define Purpose?

Ian makes a bold claim — almost every company starts for the same reason:

“You think you’ve found a better way to do something.”

But if you don’t define that clearly from the start, your messaging becomes fuzzy, your team confused, and your strategy reactive. That’s why he argues startups should define their purpose as early as possible, while mature businesses should surface it consciously and use it as a framework for growth.

Purpose Accelerates Mergers and Aligns Culture

Even in M&A, purpose becomes a critical tool. Ian shared how two conflicting entities — a hospital and a research facility — were brought under a single vision using one unifying purpose. Without trying to force either party to fit into the other, they built a new identity that both could aspire to. That’s not just emotional buy-in — it’s strategic velocity.

Final Thoughts: Clarity Is a Strategic Asset

Ian’s own blueprint purpose is: “Transforming confusion into clarity.”

If you’re facing misalignment, unclear messaging, or stagnation, then it might be time to find your seven words. Because when your purpose is clear, your team acts faster, your brand communicates better, and your business moves with conviction.