Be original. (maybe)
What makes you stand out. Sure. Saying you have to be “original”, “authentic”, “focus on the experience” will do the job… of saying nothing, or put you in a place of analysis paralysis not knowing how to move forward and take action. Originality is an spectrum. If you’re thinking “But I got nothing new to say” or “It’s been already said before”, aka “It will (and by default, I) won’t be original”, you might be right. And to be original you don’t need to say something that is *always* new to…
A vision over an enemy (or a monster)
It’s not about taking a stand against something —an enemy/monster— to change it. Does it help? Absolutely. It’s about defining what you see in a future without that enemy/monster. Reason 1. We humans can’t process the negatives.Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT think of a pink elephant. See? ????Focusing on a negative won’t last. Reason 2 What’s next after the enemy’s been destroyed? Your mission accomplished? Reason 3 What if the monster/enemy is only a symptom of something even bigger, larger? What…
Defining an enemy
Here’s another example of the downside of “choosing an enemy”: introducing animosity. Fabian Geyrhalter Do you want to rally people up? Or to get them ready to war? One is about moving forward, the other, about winning/losing.
Don’t choose an enemy
Some say “You need to choose an enemy. This way you and yours will rally together and will make your brand meaningful. ‘Look at Patagonia. They fight climate change.'” Well intended. But bullshit. Patagonia is not focused on defeating climate change. Ryan Gellert, Patagonia CEO, sustains “We must use all the tools at our disposal to secure a safer, more just future.” A future. Opportunities… The difference between those 2 is simple. Fighting is built on a narrative of threats. This is a…
Being the expert
Even if you don’t see yourself as THE expert, or the authority to be listened to in the work you do with your clients, THEY DO. Doing what they need might not be the best way to approach things. Doing what you want might not be either. Doing what they tell you is for sure a recipe for dissatisfaction. Here’s why While they’re experts in their business and at what they do, they’re not (in 99,9999% of cases) experts at what you do. If you don’t get to ask the right questions. If you only follow…
Thought leadershit
“You can produce thought leadership.”It’s bullshit. That’s like saying that you can produce leaders. A step-by-step process where you get a person in and, like an output, they return being leaders. That can be anything but leadership. Just think about it: if it were the case, why don’t we have more, better leaders? Leadership is the personal decision to help others to do and be at their best. It’s not about having followers, but to open the path for others so that they can lead. First,…
Maybe you need help
If you were thinking of writing, publishing and share your POV in your industry so that you can help your customers, doing it solo is ultra hard. And maybe you need help. (Maybe not, and that’s ok, too) I know I did. And I found it, after 5 —or was it 6?— attempts of starting and quitting in different ways: programs, cohorts, solo… It didn’t stick. I didn’t stick. I couldn’t. But, here’s where E365 came in, led by Jonathan Stark. The guidance, and especially the way you get interactions and…
Are you waiting for the big moment?
Are you saving your BIG IDEA for when you have the big audience and everyone is waiting for what you have to say? You’re not alone. This fear hits us all the time. You think that you’ll “save” your big idea for when you’re famous / recognized and don’t want to “spend” it early in your journey. But what if you’re not spending your best ideas? What if you’re refining them, live, with an audience? Think of it like a song you just wrote. It sounds good in your head, but unless someone else…
Less is less
And more is more —no shit, Sherlock. ????️♀️ You’ve been taught that “less is more”, as in the belief that simplicity and clarity will always mean more, by taking off what’s not necessary. However, what if it’s not less, but actually more? “More is more” by Monotype. To make it “less” cluttered, cleaner, clearer, complex, you need more. More thoughtful, more experienced, more nuanced, more focused on the other side: your customer. More “others-focused”. And less will be less brain work for your…
2 dangerous things in business
There are 2 dangerous things in a world of fit-ins (besides being standard/average/best-practice): → Fit in Imagine this: you’re a square and have to mold yourself to fit in a circle shape, because everyone else is a circle. In the end, you’re still a square, only now hiding your edge. → Blend in Picture yourself as a color. You’re a color (choose your fave one) and get into a blender with other colors. You get blended in dissolving and dissipating your hue and intensity. You get an average…