Author: Garth Beyer

Where The Friendly People Are

Garth Beyer

I love the city, don’t get me wrong as you read. Downtown Madison, New York, Boston, Chicago, they are perfect. But I also love the country. Actually, some might not even consider it the country, it’s more the edges of town. That’s where I really love to be.

You don’t need to go too far from the heart of something to find people happy to see you venturing out on your own.

It’s the same story if you were on a motorcycle traveling from downtown Madison to the edges of it as it is if you were traveling from the safety of your current workspace to the just-a-bit-uncomfortable edges of it.

It’s ironic, really. We’re fed the idea we need to be in the heart of something to get the most out of it. Yet, no one waves to you as you pass by; no one pays you any attention; no one takes a moment to chat about your day or offer you something strictly out of selflessness and gratitude. It’s the people already at the edges that are there for you. The edges of your work, the edges of innovation, attitude, education.

They’re waiting for you.

 

Stay Positive & Don’t Make Them Wait Any Longer (this is what happens)

But, Where Is The Difficult Part?

Garth Beyer

Godin speaks so much truth today.

I sat in Camp Randall stadium today to watch the University of Wisconsin’s 2014 commencement. John Huntsman, the deans, the chancellor and the student speakers talked about the Wisconsin experience, the trials all the graduates faced throughout their time at university. What each speaker spoke around was one important concept: reflection.

Graduates were told to reflect on their experiences and who helped them along the way; to reflect on the adversity and celebrations of the last four years. What they didn’t come right out asking the graduates to do was reflect on the difficult parts of their experience. Were there any?

If there weren’t. Was it that much of an experience? Was there that much value? Was the degree, the debt, the stress worth it?

This doesn’t go for just graduates, it goes for everyone in the workplace, everyone in the freelance realm, everyone everywhere.

You can make accomplishments in life, but where’s the value of them come from? Where is the difficult part?

If you haven’t found it, you have some searching and stretching to do.

 

Stay Positive & Congratulations To Those Who Made It Difficult On Themselves, They’re The Real Graduates

Drawing The Shortest Straw

Garth Beyer

Drawing Straws is an old tradition. When no one volunteers to perform a certain act, the group draws straws and the person who draws the shortest straw is the designated “volunteer.”

If I may make a recommendation, not only do I suggest to try to draw the shortest straw (or volunteer in the first place and skip the straws), but do as the straw suggests. Keep it short.

I peer-reviewed a couple of blog posts from a friend yesterday. He’s doing remarkable work by connecting artists and event goers to create personalized work of art. His blog posts were short. They engaged the reader, kept them interested and got them looking forward to the next CrowdArt event.

I like to think of most audiences like professors who have to read through a hundred class papers. The best way to get a good grade is to keep your paper short, concise and be sure it engages the reader with personality and story.

At the end of any paper (any blog post, ad, pitch, etc,.) your audience is a person, and every person is inundated with numerous papers, blog posts, ads, etc,. a day.

Be the shortest straw. Pick yourself. Keep it short. Make it personal.

 

Stay Positive & Sip, By Sip They’ll Catch On

For Those Looking To Bee The Buzz

Garth Beyer

Capture it on video.

Throwing a special celebration for an employee? Catch it on video.

Think your customer service is top-notch? Film it.

Want to know if you can back up the statement “everyone leaves happy?” Set up a camera that captures the smiling faces of every customer who leaves the store.

Every interaction might not be remarkable, but you’ll bee the buzz if you can catch the remarkable moments on tape.

The greatest part? You’ll learn from the not-so-remarkable episodes too.

 

Stay Positive & Smile, You’re On Camera

What Precedes Mindblowings

Garth Beyer

It’s an easy to understand, difficult to produce strategy. You want to blow someone’s mind, you want to give a customer the greatest experience they’ve ever had, you want your book, your blog, your tweet to impress and influence people in a way they’ve never felt before. Two steps. That’s all it takes.

1. Set expectations high.

2. Overdeliver.

 

Stay Positive & Are You Giving More (Way More) Than What You Promise?

I Sold My Ugly Baby Today

Garth Beyer

My ego and I… we’re not on good terms right now. I sold my ugly baby today, four years later than I should have. Of course, not my actual baby (I don’t have one). I sold my Corvette, the first car I ever bought. Steven Dennis reminded me my baby is was ugly. So I did what any leader, any strategist needs to do with their ugly baby… get rid of it.

It’s an attitude I’m proud of acquiring. Remarkable PR folk can’t be remarkable if they hold on to their own (and usually old) ways. Strategists can’t outgrow themselves if they don’t make room to grow. And you can’t be a better you if you don’t let go of what works for what might work a lot better.

 

Stay Positive & Turn Water Into Wine

The Discontent Transition

Garth Beyer

Hate may produce some awful things in this world, but we can’t deny it gets the work done.

“If you want to feel ten feet tall and as though you could run a hundred miles without stopping, hate beats pure cocaine any day.” – Kurt Vonnegut

Hate is often confused with passion. You can’t be fueled by hate and be passionate at the same time, they are opposites, they are different means for meeting the same goal. So I offer the discontent transition. The trek from hatred to passion.

step 1) What is it you want?

step 2) Make sure it’s something positive. Wanting to crush your competitors in the market is negative. Wanting to have a strong share in the market is positive.

step 3) For everything you hate along the way, refer back to step two.

Discontent is the path from hate to passion, and it’s all a matter of how you look at things.

Stay Positive & Feel The Passion