Author: Garth Beyer

I’m not the first to state that it’s people who have ethics, not businesses.

Having worked on a pitch for a global brand a couple of weeks ago, the team chatted about social responsibility and environmental responsibility and what the business can and is doing about it. Godin’s post was a nice reminder that to have a brand viewed as socially/environmentally responsible, the people need to be first.

If I could go back to the pitch, I would apply a recruiting tactic to it or survey the employees to see who has the passion that could drive a committee of already-employed who care about the environment more than others.

A more simple example is the agency I work at isn’t a festive business that celebrates the holidays, but the people within it do. There was a handful of people who put the budget together and pitched the idea to add some holiday décor to the agency.

Best to stop talking about the business and start talking about the people.

 

Stay Positive & It’s The People Who Make The Brand

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Some of the best memories are tagged beside some of the worst.

Some of the greatest ideas are within a strand of bad ones.

Some of the loudest laughs are a spit-distance away from the moments of anger.

Being in business is about being in a state of mixed emotions.

If you ever wonder if you’re ready to start a business, to pursue your passion, to try something your gut is telling you to, you’ll know you’re ready when you can take the wins with the losses, the love with the hate, the dessert with the veggies.

 

Stay Positive & Mixed Emotions Make For The Strongest Of Memories

p.s. that’s a good thing

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Too often we jump straight to the next one.

The next call. The next sale. The next letter. The next pitch. The next presentation.

In doing so, we forget to evaluate what worked to begin with and we forget to ensure the first lasts.

 

Stay Positive & The Next One Comes From Treating This One Right

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It’s no surprise the time people get the most work done in the office is before everyone gets there or late at night when everyone is gone.

It’s critical for you to make time with zero interruptions.

During the holidays, it’s difficult. During work, it’s difficult. During the weekend, it’s difficult.

Interruptions cause your day to be broken into a series of work moments and before you know it, the day is over with.

You can tackle this by making alone time. Scheduling it. Going away for it. Letting others know about it. From 11-2 is your alone time. Stick to it and see what happens. Hint: everything will, finally.

 

Stay Positive & Get In The Alone Zone

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Have you been told to turn your mind off? To relax? To just enjoy the moment?

Ignore the naysayers.

Some of the most creative minds in the world got there because work was always on their mind.

That’s not to say they didn’t enjoy watching movies, that they weren’t thankful for their moment to moment experiences. It’s that they’re always open to inspiration and they’re always building up their tank of knowledge.

Have you ever thought “Oh that might be helpful down the line?” or “This might be handy?”

Inspiration is a combination of something found randomly and something that’s worked for. The more knowledge you have, the more your mind is on and open to how something in every juncture may benefit you now or down the line – that’s when the greatest of inspiration will hit.

Encourage yourself and others  to keep their minds on. They’re often on the brink of discovering a great idea that they’ll run with. And that space between almost there-and there is a damn good feeling.

 

Stay Positive & Don’t Turn The Mind Off

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successes.

Thought I was going to say failures, right? Wrong.

Failure’s don’t teach you the most valuable of lessons. Certainly they teach you what not to do – but there’s always a ton of that. It’s easy to learn and not that valuable until you do it a billion times. Is that really where you want to spend all your time?

Better to learn from your successes.

When you succeed, you know what worked and when you do it again, you’ll do it better than the last time. That produces real value. Survival of the fittest (evolution) doesn’t function off of failures, it’s always about building upon what worked. Don’t you think you ought to?

 

Stay Positive & Failure Is Not A Prerequisite For Success

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