Why Try To Get Out Of Your Box, When You Can Use What's In It?
Surprises. Easter eggs. Hidden items. Shiny objects. Luck.
It all exists.
Chasing them is a strategy in and of itself.
But the empresario of a leader knows what they’re searching for… and it’s none of those items.
Those items are either 1. happened upon on the journey to the main goal or 2. chased after the goal is attained.
If you want to inspire others, it helps to focus on an iconic goal… one that is present, tangible, and not as flaky.
Stay Positive & Get The Cake First, Then Add Sprinkles
The concept of writing down the calorie count of the food you consume as you have it throughout the day surely helps you keep track. But, more importantly, it stops your brain from craving more when you’ve hit your daily intake. Your brain can’t argue with you about being hungry – you’ve got the numbers to prove you don’t need it.
The idea of noting three things you’re grateful for every day is a brilliant practice. It makes you feel good, sure, but it stops the brain from focusing on the bad or complaining about the rough parts of the day; it can’t, you’ve just forced it to acknowledge the good things.
The more brain stops you can put in place, the more fulfilled you can feel at the end of every day.
Stay Positive & Send Your Tricks My Way
One of the earlier instances of understanding ebb and flow came from building out the forecast for the bar during planning stages. I applied a percentage to each month that tied to the percentage of the target revenue goal we would hit. The percentage actually drops two times during the year – winter months and the first true summer month (it’s based in Madison, WI) – other months we exceed the target. In the end, it manages to be a profitable business and there are no tears when it drops – it’s expected; planned for.
I met a friend for coffee yesterday and we got to talking about the attendance of events at venues in town. Post pandemic there was an uptick. Now it’s down again. We both believe it’ll go back up in the next couple of years, but then go down again a couple after that. Ebb and flow.
Victorinox understood that when you are playing the long-game (Simon Sinek, calls it the The Infinite Game), the smartest business decisions you can make are not the ones that help you flow faster, but that help you manage and thrive through the ebb and flow. They prepared for the ebb during the flow while competitors tried to get the most they could out of the flow.
The skill here (and it is very much a skill; something you can acquire and build upon) is foresight.
Might as well assume there will be an ebb and flow. In what ways can it happen? What will you do about it?
Answering the questions is what will give you the competitive advantage when the ebb or flow hits.
Stay Positive & Done Right And Even The Ebb Can Be A Flow
In most scenarios, people love lists. Listing all the reasons you’re going to do something they don’t like, though? No one wants to sit through that list.
You’ve got two options. You can categorize and simplify the gains they’ll get. You’re covering all the reasons, but more quickly.
Or you can share what they’ll avoid by making the choice.
Turns out people are more persuaded by what they can avoid more than what they can gain.
Stay Positive & It’s Good To Have A List Of Reasons, But It’s How You Package Them That Makes The Difference
A smile from one person lends itself easily to another.
A guest from a business brought in cupcakes for the team members of the business because she was thankful for how great the staff is. Then a team member brought in coffee for the other team members. These two experiences are sure to add to the encouragement of others to express their appreciation to the team, too.
More often than not, if you don’t see things going the way you want them, it’s because you’ve lost the momentum of generosity.
PurpleSpace works because nearly every person that is part of the community comments on someone else’s work 3x more than they post about their own work.
Toast had an intriguing IPO because it leaned into generous marketing during the pandemic while competitors turned selfish.
Insert your favorite author here and I’d be they give more of their time, attention, and empathy throughout the week than they actually make back in book sales.
The in interest aspect of momentum we forget is that we always feel a bit detached from it; out of control of it. It’s an uncomfortable spot to be in, but a meaningful one when it comes to the momentum of generosity.
Stay Positive & Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
Running a brick-and-mortar bar and marketing B2B SaaS might seem like two different worlds, but look closer, and you’ll find striking parallels. Both require a deep understanding of customer needs, consistent delivery of value, and a willingness to adapt. Here are a few lessons from the bar business that every B2B SaaS marketer should consider:
Bars thrive on repeat customers, and so does SaaS. Whether it’s a favorite drink or a personalized recommendation, regulars feel valued because the staff knows them. In SaaS, this means nurturing existing customers through tailored experiences, understanding their pain points, and solving problems before they arise.
SaaS Tip: Build customer personas that go beyond surface-level demographics. Use customer data to personalize campaigns and create onboarding experiences that feel uniquely suited to each user. And most importantly, it’s on you to have as good as a relationship (if not better) than the customer success team or product team has with the regulars.
A bar’s atmosphere is its brand—the lighting, music, and vibe all contribute to why people come back. Similarly, in SaaS, your brand is more than your product; it’s the total experience customers have with you.
SaaS Tip: Ensure every touchpoint—from your website to customer support—reinforces your brand promise. Consistency builds trust, and trust drives loyalty.
Bars regularly tweak their menus based on customer preferences, seasonal trends, and new experiments. In SaaS, product iteration should be just as dynamic.
SaaS Tip: Actively seek user feedback through surveys, interviews, and analytics. Use those insights to prioritize feature updates and communicate changes transparently. Positioning / message strategy needs to be a consistent thread through every communication – whether they are talking to sales, leadership, past employees, etc.,
Every bartender knows the chaos of a crowded night where service slows and customers walk out. In SaaS, this is akin to scaling challenges—too many users with too few resources can damage your reputation.
SaaS Tip: Plan for scalability from the start. Whether it’s server capacity or customer support bandwidth, make sure your team and infrastructure can handle growth without sacrificing quality. Knowing what you’ll do when you face adversity is important; but so is knowing how to handle success.
Bars live and die by their reputation. A great experience leads to recommendations; a bad one travels even faster. SaaS operates the same way—your happiest customers are your best advocates.
SaaS Tip: Invest in customer success stories and referral programs. Turn your most loyal users into champions who spread the word about your product. This needs to be a company-wide initiative – not just marketing. If anyone in the company runs into a customer that sings the products praise, they should know what steps to immediately take to turn it into usable collateral.
Bars host anniversary parties and special events to bring people together and strengthen community ties. SaaS companies can do the same by celebrating achievements and milestones with their customers.
SaaS Tip: Highlight customer successes in webinars, case studies, or social media shoutouts. Celebrate how far your customers have come with your product. That’s the important piece – don’t just show where they are; show where they come from and where they are now (thanks to your product and team).
At its core, product marketing is about connection—with customers, teams, and the market itself. By borrowing lessons from the bar business, marketers can create stronger relationships, drive loyalty, and deliver more meaningful value. Because whether you’re pouring a drink or rolling out a new feature, the goal is the same: to serve your customers well and keep them coming back for more.
How you influence the way someone feels, ultimately influences their motivations. Not the other way around. Those motivations then determine how they act.
This means people don’t buy products; they buy stories they see themselves in.
Great product marketing doesn’t manipulate; it empowers.
Being specific creates connection. Imagine meeting someone else who has a daughter in sports like yours. That’s cool. Now imagine meeting someone else who has a daughter who plays defense position in little league hockey just like yours. Which person will you connect better with?
When it comes to product positioning: simple beats smart.
Different isn’t of value unless different equates to meaningful.
All aspects of solid marketing are rooted in emotions.
Stay Positive & Positively Influence Emotions, Positively Influence The Journey
