3 Empowering Identities to Build a Fulfilling Life (And a Business You Actually Love)

May 5

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

Why identity is the foundation of everything you create in business and in life
How to use an identity-first approach to manifest your goals faster
The three core identities I hold that shape how I show up every single day
Why keeping your word to yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do as an entrepreneur
How to stop outsourcing your happiness to external results

There's something I think about a lot, and it's the reason I built my entire business the way I have, the reason I show up the way I do, and honestly, the reason I feel as grounded as I do even when things aren't going perfectly.

It's not a strategy or a system, it's something so much more foundational than that, and it comes down to the way I see myself and the identities I choose to hold. If you've ever felt like you're doing all the right things in your business but something still feels off or like you're one bad month away from questioning everything you've built, I really believe this is the conversation you need to hear. In this episode, I'm sharing three of the most important identities I hold that have shaped my life and my business in ways I genuinely couldn't have predicted, and the best part is that they're simple enough that you can start adopting them today!

What Is an Identity, and Why Does It Matter for Entrepreneurs?

Before I share the three identities, I want to give you a working definition - when I say "identity," I mean how you see yourself and who you believe yourself to be. Not who you're aspiring to be someday, but who you decide you are right now. I truly believe our identities are actively creating our lives at all times and the way you see yourself informs every decision you make, every risk you take, and every time you show up (or don't) in your business.

When I'm working toward a goal or trying to call something in (you might call it manifesting) I always start with identity first. I ask myself: who would I be if this were already my reality? Because behind every single thing you want is a feeling, a version of yourself you want to become. And here's the shortcut: you can choose to start being that person now. You don't have to wait for the external result to confirm the internal identity. This is what I call an identity-first approach, and it has been one of the most powerful tools in both my life and my business.

The three identities I'm sharing today are ones I chose specifically because they're simple enough that your brain won't resist them, and powerful enough to actually change how you move through the world.

Identity #1: I Am Innately Capable of Living Out My Destiny

Put differently: when it comes to the desires in my heart, I am the girl for the job.

I believe that the desires and dreams we carry aren't random. They exist in us specifically so that we'll act on them, so that we'll step into our highest possible version of ourselves. So if there's something you want to build, create, or become, that desire is not a coincidence. It's a trigger point. And I believe you are exactly the right person to make it a reality!

The foundation of this identity is this: you were not given dreams you aren't capable of pursuing. The desire and the capability come as a package deal.

For entrepreneurs especially, this identity is everything. Building something from scratch requires you to take action before you have proof that it will work. You have to be someone who trusts that she is the right person for this before the results confirm it. Which is why I find adopting this identity to be so supportive!

Identity #2: I Keep My Word to Myself

This one might be the most underrated form of self-trust that exists, and I think it's the reason some entrepreneurs tend to plateau while others continue to grow, even when their strategies look identical from the outside.

When I say I keep my word to myself, I mean I follow through when I say I'm going to do something. Which also means I've had to become really intentional about what I commit to in the first place, I don't say things willy nilly. I think carefully about what my priorities actually are, and then I do what I said I was going to do.

Over time, this has gifted me with an immense amount of self-trust because I have put in the reps (over and over) to know that if I want to do or create something, it will happen. That is a kind of confidence that no one can give you. You have to build it yourself, through follow-through.

If this is an identity you want to adopt, here's my recommendation: start extremely small. Think about the satisfaction of writing something on your to-do list that you already did, just so you can check it off. That's the energy you’re looking for. You want to give yourself a quick, easy win first, so you can immediately create positive momentum. Then grow gradually from there. Building self-trust through consistency is like compound interest, the early deposits feel small, but they add up to something significant.

Identity #3: I Can Be Happy No Matter What

This is the one I came to through one of the hardest seasons of my life, and honestly, it might be the most important of the three.

In my early 20s, I was going through an extremely challenging time, I was under enormous pressure, facing a decision that felt impossible, and the stress had been going on long enough that it was compounding in a way that felt crushing. I remember sitting in the bathtub, crying, and literally Googling "how to make decisions." That search led me to a TED Talk where the speaker shared something that completely changed how I saw my life: as humans, we are so resilient that we can be happy no matter what. Most times, both choices can lead to happiness.

And then she said something I have never forgotten: if you give something the power to make you happy, you are also giving it the power to make you deeply unhappy.

That realization shifted everything for me. I stopped placing my happiness on outcomes I couldn't fully control. I started learning the gift of choosing contentment — not as a settling, but as an act of sovereignty. Understanding that no matter what happens, I can be okay. I can be more than okay.

In business, this identity is what allows me to ride out any wave. I don't place my worth or my wellbeing on whether a launch hits a certain number, or whether a piece of content goes viral, or whether I hit a revenue goal in a specific month. I can feel content no matter what — which means I can keep showing up, keep creating, keep building, without the kind of emotional volatility that burns so many entrepreneurs out.

If you want to explore this more, I highly recommend looking into eastern philosophy, the practice of contentment (santosha in yoga philosophy), and learning how to meditate. Learning how to let go is one of the most liberating skills you can develop.

The Takeaway

Identity is the foundation that comes before the strategy, before the content plan, before the offers. It's how you see yourself that shapes what's possible for you. These identities have changed my life and my business, and the beautiful thing is that you don't have to earn them. You just have to decide.

If this resonated with you, come listen to the full episode, I go even deeper into each of these and share the real stories behind them!

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If we haven’t met yet, hi! I’m Shannon Blanchard, an online entrepreneur of over 5 years. I help ambitious girls (like you!) start the business that will change their lives - all while listening to their heart & building a business that lights them up.