…are pointless. Yet often the first marketing act by new business owners is to put up a sign like this one. Why? If I liked the business before you got there, now I’m worried that it won’t be nearly as good. If I didn’t like it, a sign announcing your arrival won’t encourage me to [...]
Big Versus Small
I wrote this last year for Shawn Murphy’s Wake Up & Shake It Up series. The article is now part of an e-book from Achieved Strategies. Here’s what it takes to create a business of value: Think big; act small. This is the best business strategy that I know. Sound easy? I’m sure it does. [...]
Are You Afraid?
How do you react to new ideas? Do you handle change well? When was the last time you pushed a project to an unexplored edge? It’s easy to resist the thing that scares you. And it’s easy to be afraid of the idea, change or edge that you don’t understand.
Clean Up Your Grammar
I didn’t intend this, but my website has become a noun. No one cares about a blog if someone isn’t blogging. I haven’t done that in quite a while, which has turned this site into an inanimate object (for now). It’s no different with anything else. Do you care about fish? Paint? Bicycles? I’m fairly [...]
Being Meaningful
Shortly after his return to Apple in 1997, Steve Jobs defined the company’s purpose to employees. The brief video below captures the essence of this message. Belief in the mission matters. Do you believe in yours?
Loyalty Isn’t a Program
I went into the bookstore of a major chain the other day. As I was checking out, the clerk asked, “Are you a member of our loyalty rewards program?” “No…” I smiled, wondering if she would persist. “Would you like to become one?” “Not really.” Then, of course, I got curious. “How many people say [...]
Legacy
Fingerprints don’t fade. Especially those placed on the lives you’ve touched. If you can explain why we do what we do in fewer words, you win.
Shake It Up
My friend Shawn Murphy doesn’t follow. He leads. Shawn (@shawmu on Twitter) just launched the Wake Up and Shake It Up blog series. Need a push to think bigger than you have before? Here it is. The first post, Big versus Small, went live this morning. I think you know the author – check it [...]
Yes, But
How many times have you heard someone say “yes, but”? “Yes, I’d like to ship that for you, but you can’t use that box.” “That’s a good idea. I’d like to say yes, but this isn’t the time to try something different.” Somewhere along the line, people were conditioned to say no. What would happen [...]
Don’t Change Your Story
It’s frustrating to listen to people, companies, and politicians say they stand for something while at the same time they try to please everyone. It doesn’t work that way, no matter how hard they try to convince us otherwise. A company’s story can’t be about convenience, low-cost, premium-value, and great selection. A politician can’t talk [...]
