I’ve got a question for you: What’s a time when everything felt right, like every aspect of your life had clicked into place?
That’s what we mean when we refer to your Arc. It’s not just where you’re going when it comes to work or how you make your income; but also about how you live your life. When everything aligns, your ability to fulfill your potential and—to borrow from Oprah, an icon to Arcbounders and most sentient beings—”live your best life” accelerates.
At Arcbound, we see our work with clients as so much more than deliverables: “Here’s your book. Here’s your podcast. Here’s your social media content. Here’s your community.” We see it as more than services to build and bolster your brand. It’s not just functional; it’s foundational. We want to help you pursue the things meant for you in all aspects of your life—and to make an impact on others.
Find Alignment
You know those people who just seem to “glow”? When you’re with them, their energy isn’t frenetic, but calm. Often, they’ve got a lot going on, but for the duration of your conversation, they make you feel like you’re the only person on their radar. To me, that’s what it feels like when you’re around others who have been intentional about their life, aligning what they want with what they do.
They’re comfortable with who they are as people, they know where they want to go next, and they’re excited about it—even if the journey ahead promises to be hard. Of course, things don’t always go to plan, they’ve given depth of thought to who they are and what they want, even if something goes off course, they’re still confident in their ability to reach their goals.
We’re all capable of radiating that shine. That’s why we’re building a one-stop shop for personal branding: because alignment is paramount to your Arc. At Arcbound, it’s not just about furthering a professional trajectory, but a life trajectory. Plus, when we help shape our clients’ Arcs, the ripple effects of their work—and ours—are immeasurable.
For example, one client started from scratch with us a few years ago. We didn’t start our engagement by asking, “What kind of content do you want to put out on LinkedIn?” or “What book do you want to write?” We started with, “What do you want your life to look like in 3–5 years?” Then, we collaborated to identify the strategies and tools to get him there. He committed to the process, getting clear on what he wanted and showing up day after day as his full self—who he is at work and beyond. Together, we’ve grown his following from near zero to over 100,000 and helped him secure five-figure speaking opportunities on ever-growing stages.
Meanwhile, if work and life aren’t aligned, you’re constantly searching for what could be or simply feeling disappointed by what is. But when you ask 95% of the world where they want to go or how they’ll get there, very few have given it much thought. Instead of making life happen, life happens to them.
Of course, we all get off track sometimes. This summer, I made a short-term decision that didn’t align with what I wanted. I felt real tension inside when I decided to leave San Francisco for a few months. “Stay, stay, stay,” my heart seemed to beat, while my head listed all the reasons it made sense to leave.
I went.
A few weeks in, I felt trapped, out of alignment overstimulated by the sights, sounds, and summer smells of one of the most frenetic cities in the world. It was a 180 from how I felt in San Francisco.
Don’t get me wrong: I don’t regret it. Being in New York was incredibly productive. I lived with Carson, my co-founder, and together we pounded the pavement both literally and figuratively, hiring incredible talent, adding some remarkable new clients to the roster, fundraising, and plotting our five-year vision. We had a lot of fun too.
But I quickly learned that, just as I suspected, New York wasn’t a long-term fit. It was just like a few mentors had told me before I left: “What is going to make you happy? Ultimately, that is going to make the business the most successful long term.” That struck a nerve.
What’s the point of me telling you this? Building an aligned and successful Arc is a process of constant reflection, big changes, and small pivots to stay on course. So many of us in this world are neglecting the voice inside, and when we do this constantly, we get way off course. We forget what that voice even sounds like. But when we seek alignment, listening to ourselves and acting on it (even when it’s difficult), we almost always arrive where we’re supposed to be. It really comes down to what we value and taking action to honor that. Do you want to prioritize your family, your health, your social life, your hobbies? What’s most important?
Today, I’m committed to honoring the following priorities, in the following order:
1) Work and finances: To be there for the people in my life, I need to have a steady company that doesn’t just support others, but myself and the things that matter to me.
2) Health: I’ve learned that without good health, we are nothing—emotional, physical, and spiritual.
3) Community and family: having the right people in my life keeps me going.
4) Everything else in my life
Our priorities shift over the course of our lives. This is what alignment looks like for me today. For you, it could be entirely different. There’s no right way—as long as you’re being honest about what matters most to you and acting accordingly. That’s how you launch your Arc.
If you haven’t considered your Arc yet, start by asking yourself:
- What do I want my life to look like 3–5 years from now—my health, work, family, community?
- What do I need to do to get there?
- What are the daily and weekly habits necessary to make it happen?
- Who are the people that can help me achieve these priorities?
Finding alignment isn’t always easy— It requires forethought, reflection, and constant attention. But we’ve only got one life, and when we put in the work to launch an Arc we can be proud of, we can fulfill our potential and tap into endless possibilities.
If you’ve been feeling like there’s more out there for you, that you have more to say, more people to inspire, more impact to make, more to do to make the world better—and to make more money doing it—we can help you not only launch your Arc, but also accelerate it.