Author: Garth Beyer

It’s common knowledge that there’s always room for improvement.

The challenge is typically what to improve?

Close your eyes and listen. What can you do to make what is heard better? How can you appeal to what people hear (upbeat jazz music?) or what people don’t hear (eliminate echoes or the AC unit’s buzzing)?

Now close your eyes and plug your ears and take a deep breath through your nose. What do you smell? How can you appeal to what people experience through scent? Do you light candles or purchase a new purifier to clean the air?

And so on. Onward through the senses.

When you make improvements to all the senses, that’s when you level up. That’s when you focus on adding value rather than trying to best a competitor.

Stay Positive & Appeal To The Senses, Not The Masses

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It’s hard to listen to anything that follows the word “everyone” because it’s simply not true.

“But everyone loves that brand.”

“Everyone is saying it’s safe to go out.”

“Everyone knows the earth is round.”

We show our lack of empathy when we think it’s everyone. In fact, it’s even a little disrespectful to the some that really do fit what follows.

Some people is better than everyone, anyway.

Some is more personal. Some is seen. Some can be nimble and create the change they seek to make. Some can tip the scale.

There’s no such thing as an “everyone” concept.

There’s no need for everyone, either.

Stay Positive & Some Will Do

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Ideas aren’t just behind your computer screen or found in your office.

They’re at the coffee shop that’s finally opened.

They’re with friends at the park.

They’re on the road while you’re driving to get groceries.

They’re in the apartment, just outside the apartment and maybe … if you’re cool enough to have a key, on the roof of the apartment.

They’re hanging out by the capitol square and the water and deep in the park nearby.

When we think we can only come up with ideas in one or two places … well, it’s extremely limiting.

There are ideas all over waiting to be found, waiting for you to be curious enough, waiting for you to see them where they are and stop forcing them to be where you want.

Stay Positive & Being Curious Helps, Moving Around Helps, Too

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Now more than ever, as businesses across the world are reopening, we’re seeing more signage.

Signage about opening. Signage of thanks. Signage of support. Signage of new hours.

Handwritten signs. Signs painted on whatever material was available. Professional signage. Vinyl signage and marker and paint.

So much signage.

Now more than ever, as businesses across the world are reopening, it’s important what happens after the signs work.

The work can’t stop after signage is created. Change and progress and improvements need to be made from the front door and throughout.

It’s not as easy as putting up a sign, but it’s much more worth it.

Stay Positive & Everything Is A Sign

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That’s the recipe for not only a surprise and delight moment, but to make an impact that will be remembered long thereafter.

Do what no one would imagine you doing and then do it with more heart than anyone else.

Note, this recipe doesn’t have to produce a big batch or be a lot of work. It can be subtle. It can be a handwritten letter, a free tasting, a gift.

Actually, it should always feel like a gift, because it is.

Stay Positive & What Can You Unexpectedly Do Today?

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Creativity is all about simplicity.

It’s about how easy or more efficient work can be made. It’s about creating more value for someone with less. It’s about putting in the emotional labor and mental gymnastics with an unwavering destination.

If the goal of the work changes or the target of it does; it’s no longer being creative.

It’s a new project.

The bummer is that new projects often feel easier to complete than working to be more creative.

Creativity is more of an attitude than anything else and it’s on us to push through toward simplicity.

Stay Positive & Use That Coffee For Good

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Two realities ring true.

No one ought to be ashamed or angry when something isn’t for them.

No one ought to be ashamed or angry when they realize that what they are offering isn’t for someone.

Gone are the days that we need to connect with everything and gone are the days that a business needs the masses.

It’s okay to let things go and let people go in order to focus on the core, the tribe, the mission.

Stay Positive & Lose The Crust

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