This document provides guidance on developing an effective personal pitch or mission statement. It encourages individuals to define who they are through their various roles and passions, identify their unique strengths and abilities ("superpowers"), and articulate how they hope to change the world or share their message through their work. Sample mission statements, elevator pitches, and taglines are provided as examples.

1. so, what’s your site about?
making your pitch tight
alt summit 2015 :: salt lake city :: january 21, 2015

3. why is this necessary?
• to take yourself seriously
• to speak with brands
• to guide future business decisions
• to sound really cool at cocktail
parties

4. 4 opportunities to communicate
your message
• about page
• mission statement
• elevator pitch
• tagline

5. who are you?
wife, mother, daughter, attorney,
engineer, sister, photographer, writer,
photoessayist, activist, public speaker,
author, knitter, LEGO enthusiast, SCUBA
diver

6. who are you?
wife, mother, daughter, attorney,
engineer, sister, photographer, writer,
photoessayist, activist, public speaker,
author, knitter, LEGO enthusiast, SCUBA
diver

7. what are you passionate
about?
my husband, my daughter, photography,
blogging, philanthropy, leadership, travel,
LEGO, beaches, trinidad & tobago, good
food, connecting with people, storytelling,
fighting discrimination

8. what are you passionate
about?
my husband, my daughter, photography,
blogging, philanthropy, leadership, travel,
LEGO, beaches, trinidad & tobago, good
food, connecting with people, storytelling,
fighting discrimination

9. what are your superpowers?
• taking photographs that tell stories
• helping folks identify their beautiful different
• making a mean tuna melt
• making the foreign feel familiar
• opening minds to world issues without alienating
• public speaking (without too much fear)
• curing a kid’s bad day with warm vanilla milk

10. what are your superpowers?
• taking photographs that tell stories
• helping folks identify their beautiful different
• making a mean tuna melt
• making the foreign feel familiar
• opening minds to world issues without alienating
• public speaking (without too much fear)
• curing a kid’s bad day with warm vanilla milk

11. about page

12. how will/would you change the
world?
• Inspire resonance by sharing images from around
the world
• Make people realize connections by sharing stories
of diverse people doing amazing things
• Institute a global ban on adding pineapple to pizza
• Create tools – ecourses, books, workshops – that
inspire folks to live their best, unique selves
• Fight against discrimination and poverty, and for
peace and equality
• Harem pants for everyone!

13. how will/would you change the
world?
• Inspire resonance by sharing images from around
the world
• Make people realize connections by sharing stories
of diverse people doing amazing things
• Institute a global ban on adding pineapple to pizza
• Create tools – ecourses, books, workshops – that
inspire folks to live their best, unique selves
• Fight against discrimination and poverty, and for
peace and equality
• Harem pants for everyone!

14. what messages do you hope
people receive from your work?
• “The world is truly a beautiful place.”
• “My world is truly a beautiful place.”
• “I learned something today about a
person/people/a culture I didn’t know before.”
• “I should celebrate myself. I’m a pretty special
person.”
• “I should celebrate other people. The world is full
of pretty special people.”
• “Life is definitely for living.”
• “I need to lay off the pineapple on my pizza.”

15. what messages do you hope
people receive from your work?
• “The world is truly a beautiful place.”
• “My world is truly a beautiful place.”
• “I learned something today about a
person/people/a culture I didn’t know before.”
• “I should celebrate myself. I’m a pretty special
person.”
• “I should celebrate other people. The world is full
of pretty special people.”
• “Life is definitely for living.”
• “I need to lay off the pineapple on my pizza.”

16. create your mission
statement
“I will [change the world] by doing [a
superpower].”
“I will [tell you my message] by doing
[a superpower].”

18. elevator pitch
“What do you do?” ~ person sitting next to you on your flight.
“I’m a photographer and a writer who shares stories and images that show
what it means to thrive.”
“So, what’s your site about?” ~ social media conference attendee
“Chookooloonks is a collection of stories and images that illustrate what it
means to thrive.”
“So … what do you do?” ~ job application question, or someone who
really needs impressing, like your new boy/girlfriend’s parents
“I own a media company that produces beautiful visual and virtual content,
on the subject of leadership, self-determination and the concept of thriving.”

19. taglines
• “Look for the light.”
• “A camera. A passport. A ukulele.”
• “That’s right. She went there.”
• “Be yourself. Be natural. Be beautiful.”
• “Where design and motherhood intersect.”
• “Playing with our food.”
• “The fine art of living.”

20. put a bow on it
• Consider the 4 ways you can communicate
what you’re about: about page, mission
statement, elevator pitch, tagline.
• Consider your roles, your passions, your
superpowers & your message for each.
• Consider omitting pineapple on your pizza.

21. so, what’s your site about?
making your pitch tight
alt summit 2015 :: salt lake city :: january 21, 2015