The Seven Wonders of Branding

This article was first published in 2004. Here’s a link to the original.

Have you recently become brand saturated and blogged out? I sure have. In my desire to keep up with the evolving “body of knowledge,” I’ve been increasingly subjected to a bunch of babble about brands and branding. Everything from what a brand actually is to the critical importance of brand names and brand positioning. And it has been coming from everywhere: from authors and the media to academics and agencies. Here are my seven wonders of branding (as in, I wonder why these dated concepts still flourish in these postmodern times):

1. Positioning

Here’s how Ries and Trout defined positioning in their seminal book of the same name:

“The basic approach of positioning is not to create something new and different, but to manipulate what’s already up there in the mind, to retie the connections that already exist.”

And that may have worked well twenty-three years ago when product and service options were a fraction of what they are today and people were still influenced by propositions like: “We try harder.”

People today are better informed, well connected and extremely hard-nosed. We’ve been trained to be highly skeptical of any type of marketing claim. Which makes ours and era of action, not talk. We expect you to prove your pitch with new, exciting and relevant products, services and business models. We’re living in a marketplace driven by creativity and innovation. The concept of branding is a much more dynamic idea. Sticking to your knitting, and trying to persuade people with clever advertising and image-building campaigns, is a sure route to the retirement home.

2. A brand is a promise

This particular babble makes plain that a brand is an identifiable entity that makes specific promises of value. If this is true, then customers of the brand should be able to articulate those promises. Right? Because that’s how they differentiate between – and ultimately choose – brands. Isn’t that so? Uh huh. So what’s the unique brand promise of Nike? Nike what? Pick one: watch, golf ball, soccer shoes, sweatshirt. How about BMW? The Z4, 645 Ci Convertible, Mini Cooper? The brand promise of the NFL is different than the NBA, MLB, and NHL in what way precisely?

Forgetaboutit! A brand is NOT a promise (Please don’t tell me that people are buying the Mini because of the promise of German engineering. Most people think it’s a British car.). A brand is a performance. It’s about arousing people’s emotional drives through a unique expression of those emotional drives – with the cool design of a Mini, the enriching experience of a Starbucks, the cultural immersion of a Nike, etc.

3. Be consistent and repeat…repeat…repeat

The rationale behind this bit of jabber? The customer’s mind needs to be repeatedly exposed to a message (I’ve read everything from at least five times to nine plus) for it to cut through the marketing clutter. Plus the fact that repetition helps build familiarity, which in turn helps build credibility.

It is true that mere exposure to something results in a more positive attitude toward that thing. But running the same ad – or mailing the same piece – month after month is simply shallow and unimaginative. Like many of the impersonal, scripted remarks of service personnel. “How was your stay? We appreciate your business. We know you have a choice. Would you like fries with that?” Sure, an emotionally provocative message may touch a chord with a customer… the first time. The tenth time, it touches a nerve. And that’s no way to build a relationship.

4. Top of mind awareness

This piece of brand wisdom is tied directly to the previous one and is closest to the dated, classical idea of branding. It goes like this: “If we can burn our name and proposition into our audiences’ minds, then when the desire arises they’ll automatically think of – and choose – us!” Brain autopilot. Click. Whirrr. I have news for you (perhaps). The age of branding as brainwashing is over. I can hear it now: “Come on, Tom. For habitual buying, which occurs when involvement is low and difference between brands is small, top of mind awareness is key.” You know, you may be right. Or maybe, low price is key. Either way, I wouldn’t want to take my customer relationships for granted and hope that my product or service category remains low involvement and undifferentiated.

Comic Jackie Mason once cracked about Starbucks’ business concept:

“If I said to you, I have a great idea for a whole new type of coffee shop. Instead of charging 60 cents for coffee, I’ll charge $2.50, $3.50, $4.50, and $5.50. Not only that, I’ll have no tables, no chairs, no water, no free refills, no waiters, no busboys, serve it in cardboard cups, and have the customer clean it up. Would you say to me, ‘That’s the greatest idea for a business I’ve ever heard! We can open these all over the world’? No, you’d put me right into a sanitarium.”

In fast-evolving markets, new kinds of competitors with different business models spring up all the time. So be aware (beware). Your product category could be the subject of Jackie’s next joke.

5. Personal branding

It was management guru Tom Peters who started the personal branding noise with an essay that appeared in Fast Company in 1997 under the title “The Brand Called You.” Peters wrote:

“…think of yourself differently! You’re not an ‘employee’ of General Motors, you’re not a ‘staffer’ at General Mills, you’re not a ‘worker’ at General Electric or a ‘human resource’ at General Dynamics (ooops, it’s gone!) Forget the Generals! You don’t ‘belong to’ any company for life, and your chief affiliation isn’t to any particular ‘function’. You’re not defined by your job title and you’re not confined by your job description. Starting today you are a brand.”

With all due respect to Tom’s rant, he was right about one thing: In today’s rapidly changing world, jobs are NOT for life. But neither are companies, relationships or brands. In the article, Tom points to Arthur Anderson as a “model of the new rules of branding at the company and personal level.” Hey Tom! Ooops, they’re gone too!

Consultants and personal coaches have jumped all over this buzzword and have in essence rebranded Dale Carnegie–like success secrets as “Personal Branding.” With a little dedication (time and money), you too can become an Oprah, Madonna, Eminem or Donald Trump (although I’m not really sure why you’d want to be). Do yourself a favor. Dump this self-involved concept and get back to being a caring, passionate, curious, human being. You’ll enjoy life a hell of a lot more, and—as a bonus—you’ll probably make more money in the process.

Take a look at Peter Jackson, the short, portly director of the “Lord of the Rings” megahit movies. Does he look like a recent graduate of a dress for success seminar to you? Cripes! He comes across more like one of Tolkien’s Middle-earth characters. But he does have what success is all about: passion for the possible; sensitivity and caring for people; the willingness to try new things, to take risks, to learn and to grow; and a self-deprecating sense of humor…all of which I refer to as Sandbox Wisdom.

6. Brand inside

I understand this one, I simply don’t believe in it. The grounds for creating this brand adjective gibberish are that executives by and large ignore their internal audience (employees) when developing and executing branding campaigns (Hey CEO! It’s strategy, not a campaign). As a result, employees end up undermining the expectations set by the company.

So now we need a distinction to get executives to understand the importance of organizational alignment? Of getting everyone to live the brand? Or…do consultants need the distinction to position and sell their services? You know, I suppose one could also draw a distinction between the retail outlet outside and the retail outlet inside. That way, employees who work inside the store can be conditioned to rush past gum wrappers in the parking log on their way to their real jobs.

7. Brand logic (with a focus on USP, UVP or what ever you want to call it)

And last but not least on my notorious list, a return to rational, features and benefits marketing (Déjà vu all over again). A scientific sales mentality brimming with arguments, metrics, dollarization, etc. Irresistible logic. “How can you NOT be persuaded to choose my brand? I’ve proven it to you the way that one proves a theorem. Are you stupid, or what?” This is direct marketing gone mad. You can find it on websites, in brochures, sales letters and presentations, infomercials…you name it! You know when you come across it, because it always begins with a rhetorical question (we really shouldn’t call such questions rhetorical, because they don’t enhance the persuasive effect. Stupid or manipulative comes to mind); e.g. “Do YOU want to lose your shirt in real estate? If not…blah, blah, blah.”

Look. Branding today can only work through ideas that customers WANT to connect with. People can neither be hypnotized with media images nor cajoled with flowery prose. You must truly understand their language, and be felt like a part of their inner world of hopes and dreams. The old world of branding was similar to an adolescent’s view of love. It was about gazing into each other’s eyes and being dazzled by the reflection. Today, great branding is about a mature love. It’s about standing side by side in a trusting relationship with both sets of eyes focused on the horizon of life’s amazing possibilities.

New Year predictions.

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” — Viktor E. Frankl

The reality of the coming year is that the precipitous decline in the economy will create a collective pause; a “space” of epic proportions for organizations and individuals. Yes, it will be unpleasant for many. But it will also be an opportunity in disguise for those willing to seize the moment.

#1 The Earth will complete its 584 million mile, 67,000 mph trip around the Sun without incident

I know, that’s a pretty lame kick-off prediction. But think about those numbers for a minute. We’re all outgrowths of a living mass that is rocketing through space around an enormous ball of fire. Does that make any sense to you? Me either. So stop trying to figure it all out. Stop trying to protect yourself from an unknowable future and instead be a connected and passionate part of the here and now.

“What is important in life is life, and not the result of life.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

#2 Many things will change, but many people will not

Most of us will be doing, thinking and feeling more or less the same things this time next year as we are now. If you don’t want that sameness, grab yourself by the collar and yank yourself off of that comfortable, well-worn path and onto the one less traveled by you. Let go of your past and grab onto your future. Because while you’re waiting for that grand insight to point you in the right direction, the beauty of life is flying right on by.

“Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.” — Frank Herbert

#3 Most people will sit quietly in their seats and watch life unfold around them

A New Yorker magazine cartoon made it comically clear: There’s a lot that we all want to experience, but not much that we actually want to do. Most of us simply want to go along to get along and enjoy the ride. Well, the ride is slowing to a crawl. And when it starts back up, it’ll be a much different ride. What kind of ride? The best way to know that is to put yourself in charge of creating it. Grab the wheel and get moving. Let the pull of what excites you and what you care most deeply about be your guide.

“The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.” — Robert Frost

#4 A lot of people and businesses will fail

That’s the unfortunate nature of life. You try something, it doesn’t work. You try something different, it works. If it works big, people copy you (or steal it). You try something new, failure again. If you’re trying, if you’re living, you will fail. So what? I remember college friends years ago telling me that they could never “do what I do.” I didn’t know what that meant, so I asked. “You know,” one replied. “No security. Going out on your own.” “Security is an illusion,” I countered. “Everyone is ‘on his own.’ And for the record,” I added. “I could never do what you all are doing.” Live a life of no regrets. Seize this opportunity to learn and grow and experience, while everyone else snuggles deeper into their comfy routines.

“He who has never failed somewhere, that man can not be great.” — Herman Melville

#5 Many “friends” will be lost and many new ones made

Social networks are all the rage today: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, as well as the many recurring real world gatherings. And indeed, they can be great ways to stay connected and to gain attention. But many of the people who have “friended” you through these groups did so for a reason; their reason. And once that reason goes away, so will they. Don’t sweat it. Keep connecting. Keep reaching out and sharing with people with similar interests and beliefs. But also, spend more slow and deep time with your family and your true friends; those who accept and care about the real you, not the social status you.

“In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends.”— John Churton Collins

#6 The passionate will not only survive, they will thrive

What’s bugging you? Whatever it is, for your sake⎯and for those unwilling or unable to change⎯do something about it! That’s the key to growth and success. The inventor David Levy referred to it as the curse effect: “Whenever I hear someone curse, it’s a sign to invent something.” Well, perhaps that someone is you and that “cursing” is resonating between your ears. If so, don’t let it irritate you and drain your life and passion. Use it to fuel you and drive you forward. The future belongs to those unwilling to accept the stifling status quo; to those who stay puzzled, excited, frustrated and surprised.

“Whenever anything is being accomplished, it is being done, I have learned, by a monomaniac with a mission.” — Peter Drucker

#7 Success will go to those with the best questions, not those with the cleverest answers

Do you know the definition of an expert? An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing? And a generalist? A generalist, like so many afflicted with digital A.D.D., is someone who knows less and less about more and more until he knows absolutely nothing about everything. Successful people know that they’ll never know enough, especially about what really matters. So, they pay attention. They catch on and refocus rapidly. They never stop trying and learning. They’re driven by the questions, by their desire to understand and to change things.

“All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.”— Mark Twain

#8 Execution is the new strategy

E.L. Doctorow wrote, “Planning to write is not writing.” Here’s the funny thing: Writing is not writing. It’s editing. You’re really not sure where you’re going until well after you’ve begun; until you’ve put pen to paper (or type to page). And then, the work unfolds in unpredictable and mysterious ways. Sure, vision and planning are important. But with the accelerating pace of change in today’s world, the important insights are more likely to come through doing and editing, than through speculating and strategizing.

“Change will lead to insight far more often than insight will lead to change.”— Milton H. Erickson

#9 Making a difference will trump making a buck

Walt Disney’s mantra was, “I don’t make movies to make money. I make money to make movies.” What about you? Why do you make money? Think really hard and long about that simple question. If you’ve been putting off being passionate about your work in order to make a lot of money, now may be the time for you to make a change. Why? Because the business of making money simply to make more money is quickly coming to an end. The future is not in making a buck; it’s in making a difference.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill

That’s it. My nine prognostications. Email me next December and let me know how I did. In the meantime, please pass this around to your friends and colleagues. It may help them understand, and more importantly deal with, their impending “space” in the coming New Year.

The great Danish physicist Niels Henrik David Bohr wrote, “Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” But, the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, Edna St. Vincent Millay, reminds us, “It’s not true that life is one damn thing after another; it’s one damned thing over and over.” Physics and poetry. Such is the nature of our paradoxical world. Just remember, it’s your future that you have control over, and only you have the power to change that one damn thing.

Stay passionate and Godspeed!

Bomb and gouge.

Six foot one, 240 pound Bryson DeChambeau won this year’s U.S. Open.
No, not tennis… golf.
And his aggressive victory is a metaphor for our troubled times.
Bryson bombed and gouged his way to success.
Swinging for the fences and angling from the rough.
Unconcerned with how he looked or what other people thought.
He simply took advantage of the game as it exists today.
His brute strength supplanting finesse and accuracy.
And his $2.25 million end justifying his bombs-away means.
The dynamics of incentives and rules drove Bryson’s game.
And it will, eventually, change the game of golf.
If we’re not careful, those same dynamics will reshape the very game of life.
Incentives and rules.
Gaming the system.
Power over principle.
That seems to be the way of our dog-eat-dog world.
It has changed the game of American football.
Fans desire for violent visual drama.
Plus millions of dollars in advertising-supported incentives.
Equals bigger, more aggressive players with high tech, armored uniforms.
It has also changed the game of investing, business, politics, and policing.
Do you see it?
We have fallen into a lazy and dangerous paradigm.
One which has created a culture of clever winners and stupid losers.
And a bomb and gouge mentality.
Increasingly aggressive and cunning rhetoric and behavior.
A “what’s good is what’s good for me and mine” mindset.
Please open your eyes and behold the truth.
We are mismanaging the tension of incentives and rules.
And it will end up tearing us apart.

Tilt!

Tilt!

Tilt is poker lingo.
For poor and irrational play.
Brought on by unchecked emotions.
Ones that interfere with a player’s ability to think and act strategically.
Many factors can lead to tilt.
A bad beat.
A prolonged losing streak.
Trash-talking opponents.
A feeling of invincibility.
Bodily influences can also increase the likelihood of tilt.
Stress, lack of sleep, alcohol, drugs.
Going on tilt costs players.
A lot.
So they naturally try to stay aware of, and overcome, tilt.
America is presently on tilt.
Caused by a collision of factors.
Fear of the virus and the prolonged effects of social isolation.
Anger at political gamesmanship and unjust economic and judicial systems.
Poorly informed ideologues and trash-talking leaders.
And the resulting stress, lack of sleep, alcohol and drug use.
All of which is manifesting in poor and irrational “play.”
Identity politics and cancel culture.
Hateful speech and violent outbursts.
Overall confusion, anger and irritability.
An atmosphere that’s ruining the “game” for all of us.
But here’s the thing.
We choose how we play the hand we’re dealt.
And those choices are what determine our destiny.
We can either allow ourselves to be triggered by the world.
Or we can slow down and be more conscious of our choices.
So please step away from the table and calm down.
Stop posting and tweeting divisive rhetoric.
Relax and breathe.
Take a walk in the woods.
Sit quietly and write a poem.
Be judicious and fully aware.
Yes, be responsive to the work to be done.
Of course, work to restore a sense of objectivity and fair play.
But do it with integrity and class.
With a sense of curiosity, caring, and respect.
By doing so, you’ll eliminate our collective experience of tilt.
And that’s the most constructive thing you can do right now.
Because as the American poet Charles Bukowski pointed out,

”We’re all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn’t.
We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing.”

Tilt!

The folly of our preferences.

Stuart Russell is a world-renowned computer scientist.
He literally wrote the book on artificial intelligence.
In a recent podcast, he pointed out some of the potential dangers of AI.
As well as a way to ensure that machines remain beneficial to humans.
According to Dr. Russell:

“We should not be giving the AI systems a goal. At least not one that is precisely defined and known to the AI system. Because it’s exactly when the AI system believes that it knows the objective correctly that whatever action it comes up with in furtherance of that objective… it then sort of believes that this is the correct action to do and doesn’t tolerate, necessarily, interference from people who are jumping up and down saying, ‘Stop doing that! You’re destroying the world.’”

And that makes perfect sense to me.
He went on to say that AI systems should operate on three principles:

1. The system’s only objective is to maximize realization of human preferences.

2. The system is initially uncertain as to what these preferences are; and

3. The ultimate source of information on human preferences is human behavior.

And that’s where he lost me.
Because isn’t that the dominant theory of how our economic system works?
A system that is destroying the world.
Killing the environment, abusing animals, and making people emotionally and physically ill.
Which is all because of human preferences.
And the paradoxical fact that those preferences are… goal-oriented.
Instead of designing a system to maximize the process, or experience, of being alive.
Interdependence, caring, flourishing, and play.
We view the economy as a way to turn life into things.
Things we think we’ll need to stay alive.
Popularity, financial wealth, possessions, and status.
This present crisis is revealing the folly of those preferences.
And the resulting extent of our social and environmental malaise.
It will inevitably stimulate the great debate of our time.
How do we create a new theory about how the economy should work?
One that prioritizes shared prosperity.
And the flourishing of all life on the planet.
As Buckminster Fuller made clear years ago:

“It is now highly feasible to take care of everybody on Earth at a higher standard of living than any have ever known. It no longer has to be you or me. Selfishness is unnecessary and henceforth unrationalizable as mandated by survival.”

He also wrote:

“You never change things by fighting against the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model obsolete.”

Let’s stop fighting and defending the status quo.
And let’s get to work creating a new world.
That is the higher service to which we are all being called.

Will everything change?

We are in the midst of a global pandemic.
And no one knows the extent of the virus’s spread.
Or the ultimate consequences.
But one thing has become very clear.
COVID-19 will change the world.
Because we’ve been shaken awake.
The forced timeout has made us conscious.
Of our beliefs, choices and habits.
Like a struggling sports team on the sidelines.
We’ve become aware of various aspects of our lives.
Ones that we didn’t notice.
And which needed to change.
Like how we govern, work, eat, and shop.
And even how we relate, care for each other, and socialize.
Will this timeout create a new era of possibility?
Will we design new and better ways to live and play?
Ones that foster openness, candor and cooperation?
I wouldn’t bet on it.
Fear and uncertainty tend to narrow perspectives.
Giving rise to a myopic and suspicious self-interest.
And so we will likely turn inward.
Like turtles withdrawing into protective shells.
Strengthening governments and reinforcing nationalism.
Curbing economic globalization and international interdependence.
And yet, as history has proven, over and over again.
The power of the human spirit will prevail.
We are already seeing it.
An outpouring of goodness, kindness and heroism.
In the courageous efforts of healthcare providers.
Risking their own well-being to save the lives of others. 
In the resilience of teachers.
Actively planning online lessons for their anxious students.
In the kindness of neighbors.
Offering assistance to the poor, infirm and elderly.
In the gestures of enlightened leaders.
Caring for their customers and employees with acts of generosity.
Will everything change?
That’s a rhetorical question.
The coronavirus will affect work, education, healthcare, diplomacy, globalization, even climate change.
The more important question is:
Will it change… you?
Will you become the person the world needs you to be?
Will you empower your loved ones to overcome their fears?
Will you selflessly serve your community and encourage others?
Will you dance with reality as a more compassionate and inspired human being.
Victor Hugo wrote, “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”
Yes, the sun will eventually rise on a new normal for all of us.
In the meantime, let us be a bright light that shines the way.

You are living art.

The 20th-century psychologist Jerome Bruner famously stated:

"The essence of creativity is figuring out how to use what you already know
in order to go beyond what you already think."

What you already know are your memories.
Your limited accumulation of information and life experiences.
Creativity is about using those memories.
To escape your personal mental constructs and constraints.
Who you think you are and the way you think things ought to be.
To create something new… something more… something unique.
Something that adds new sensations and fervor.
An awakening to the value and possibilities of life.
To you and to others.
Creativity, then, is a manifestation of authenticity.
When you’re being creative, you’re wrestling with your freedom to choose.
And with your unique inner passions.
You’re getting in touch with what moves you.
Struggling, like everyone else, to make sense of life and your place in it.
And submitting yourself to a disciplined approach to living.
One aimed, ultimately, at discovering and creating the best version of yourself.
What you’re really trying to do is set your essence free.
In an ongoing labor of passionate self-creation.
Take a look at the inspirational memes being spread around today.
And what you’ll discover is creativity in every domain.
From Picasso and Warhol to Bukowski and Walt Whitman.
From Gandhi and Jesus to the Buddha and Bruce Lee.
From Emily Dickinson and Helen Keller to Richard Feynman and Julia Child.
Marcus Aurelius and Martha Graham.
Isaac Newton and Isaac Asimov.
And what did all of these people have in common?
Creativity!
Passion for the possible and a relentless drive to keep going.
Despite the rejections from others.
They were compelled by a childlike curiosity and spirited desire to explore and to improve.
They transcended their conditioned ways of being to create something personal.
Their unique ways of seeing, experiencing and living.
Through their painting, their writing, their inspired ideas and spirited presence.
They escaped the constraints of their conditioned existences to create something dynamic.
And how?
By breaking free of their static roles.
The boxes imposed on them by others and by society-at-large.
The Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda wrote:

“Life is painful. It has thorns, like the stem of a rose.
Culture and art are the roses that bloom on the stem.
The flower is yourself, your humanity.
Art is the liberation of the humanity inside yourself.”

You and I are living art!
We are forever creating ourselves.
And, through that process and our connection to the earth and to others.
We are literally creating our very world.
Moment to moment.

Winners don't think.

I was standing in line at one of a chain of gas station/convenience stores.
Inching forward to pay for a cup of coffee.
Suddenly, a disgruntled customer burst in.
“Excuse me,” she interrupted. “The car wash shut down and left soap all over my car.”
The stoic cashier paused and glanced out the window.
At the customer’s soap-covered car.
He then turned and walked away from the register to make a phone call.
Since he was the only employee on duty, the rest of us simply watched and waited.
And waited and waited for his climactic response.
“You’ll have to come back on Monday and speak to the manager.”
The customer was frozen with disbelief.
Had she heard correctly?
She was supposed to drive away with soap all over her car (for which she spent $10).
Figure out how to rinse it all off.
And then go out of her way a few days later and return to “speak to the manager?”
How could a scene so ridiculously wrong be allowed to arise?
Especially in today’s hyper-competitive, customer-connected marketplace?
The notorious boxer Mike Tyson once quipped.
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
In my mind, Tyson was trying to convey the character of failure.
Especially in an involved, fast-moving environment.
(Truth be told, one is never quite sure what Iron Mike is thinking or saying).
In the boardroom, on the playing field, in the ring, or behind a register.
When losers get hit with the unexpected, they flinch.
Instead of following through on their intentions, they start thinking.
“What should I do?”
And, like the aloof cashier, that’s precisely when they blow it.
Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy made it clear.

“Champions don’t do extraordinary things.
They do ordinary things, but they do them without thinking.
Too fast for the other team to react.”

Winners think through the precise activities required to move forward.
Winners train obsessively to instill the requisite habits.
Winners prepare for the unexpected.
Winners feel psychologically safe and free to maneuver.
And when times get tough, winners lean in to their well-honed instincts.
Losers, on the other hand, do their thinking in the heat of the performance.
Losers walk on eggshells and convene endless meetings.
Losers let their minds paralyze them with free-flowing information and a plethora of options.
Losers wander into the ring to get punched in the mouth.
After making this view clear during a presentation, a business owner challenged me.
“Are you suggesting that we develop a response for every possible scenario?”
Yes. Yes I am.
You, and your people, should know precisely what to say and what to do when the curtain opens.
Sure, make adjustments when necessary and learn to improvise on the fly.
But always know what role you play in the scene and why.
Winners don’t think when the pressure is on.
They use their minds to plan their performance.
Then shut it down and perform their plan.

The real goal.

Tis the season… to become obsessed.
With the mesmerizing story of you.
Focused on your fantasy future.
And working diligently to make it happen.
Renewed resolutions, audacious goals, and sticky habits.
The coherent path to personal success.
And enduring happiness.
I’ve spent decades examining it.
And the evidence is crystal clear.
It’s absolutely… absurd.
The future is a limiting illusion.
A dangling carrot or a raised stick.
That separates you from your experiences.
And blinds you to the energy and potential of existence.
A full and vibrant life doesn’t happen linearly.
And happiness isn’t planned and achieved.
So relax and slow down.
Be aware and spontaneous.
Get out of your head.
And wake up to the magic of connection.
Silvergrass dancing with the winter wind.
A wild creation of a precocious child.
The fearful gaze of a troubled coworker.
Stark silence from a sensitive friend.
The crazy exuberance of a joyful dog.
The restless urge to move, stretch and grow.
Each moment reveals the truth and beauty of life.
Your real goal is to fearlessly open up and embrace it.

Trust your gut?

When my daughter was a little girl she asked me an odd question.
One of many to burst out of her bright-eyed being.
“Daddy, if I jump off the roof of our house and land on my feet, will I be okay?”
Not surprisingly, it was a very high roof.
I suppressed my amusement and asked her what she thought.
She answered that her gut told her that she’d be fine.
Afterall, she had never seen or heard anything to the contrary.
Plus cats fall from high places, and they just walk away.
I proceeded to paint her a graphic picture.
Something about blood and death.
Bones shattering and arteries exploding.
She was appalled and, thankfully, she believed me.
Most of our gut instincts come from our beliefs.
Stories told to us by people we trust.
Others come from our narrowly perceived experiences.
They’re all designed to simplify our assessment of life.
Our intuition once told us that the world was flat.
Because, in our immediate environment, the world is flat.
But on a grander scale, it is much different.
Gut instincts are assumptions and predictions.
A subjective form of information processing.
They are not infallible.
They arise in a particular place and time.
Created from memories and animated with narratives.
What was intuition in 1950 is no longer intuition.
Your intuition when you were 14 is not your intuition today.
On the one hand, your intuition is designed to protect you.
To keep you safe and comfortable.
“It’s not worth it.”
“He doesn’t seem trustworthy.”
“That doesn’t feel like a practical decision.”
But your gut also wants you to grow and thrive.
To jump off of roofs and land on your feet.
To write your book.
Sing your song.
Open your heart.
And dance your dance.
Learning and growth come from trusting your gut.
Mine told me to write a movie screenplay.
And I followed that feeling into a new world of possibility.
One filled with passion and insight.
Serendipitous encounters and soul-enhancing relationships.
So should you trust your gut?
You should definitely listen to it.
And then, if you discover that it’s not going to kill you, you should probably jump.
Because you may not land on your feet.
But you will walk away.
A more bright-eyed and resilient and human being.