I’ve eaten a lot of organic apples but it wasn’t until I pulled the label off and stuck it to a notepad at work (for no reason) where I kept looking at it that I realized something. This apple came from New Zealand! That is on an island over 8,000 miles away from where I purchased it. It got me thinking…
We are all really ignorant of how far items and ideas travel before they reach us. Sure we’re curious where the hundred-dollar bill we have has been, but it stays a funny thought and is never looked into. While that specifically may be irrelevant, the concept is not.
Every goal has an origin. This apple states that it began in New Zealand and its goal was clearly to be bought in Madison, WI. The question I was asking myself was how did it get from New Zealand to here, but the growers of the apple were thinking ‘how do we get these apples to Madison, WI from here?’ not ‘where do these apples go from here?’
Notice the difference is that a destination was chosen for the apples to arrive and the method of transportation to get them there was worked out beginning in Madison, WI, not New Zealand. They marked their origin (New Zealand), set their goal (Madison, WI) and worked out everything backwards.
If they had worked it all out going forwards they may think that putting them on the first shipment to America will get them to Madison the quickest when really, first looking at where which flights are going into Madison the soonest and having them sent there.
One thought is that the quicker they get shipped, the quicker they reach their destination when in reality when the transportation strategies begin getting worked out from the destination, the product reaches it much quicker.
Spreading ideas or products isn’t about sending them into a thousand different directions hoping they eventually land at your goal. It is about knowing your goal, what people are in closest and most constant contact with your goal and which mode of transportation best reaches them directly.
The real question arises then, is it more efficient to figure out where a product needs to go to reach its destination or how quickly will it land at its destination if it is just sent off on any number of planes.
I noted yesterday that the more you know, the more original you can be and in being original, with a bit of intuition, you can create the next big thing.
(As I was writing this, a commercial came on for the new galaxy SIII and the final words on the screen were “The Next Big Thing Is Here”.)
What’s after that then? What are your plans now that you made the next big thing? So you made an awesome book-page-open-holder or you found a way to connect the photos taken from one person’s phone with all the other friends immediately after taking it. Now what?
You have two options.
1. You can cash out and do your best to make the money last.
2. You can use the cash from your creation to start working on the next big thing.
One decade ago choosing number one was viable. Not only would you make a lot of money from creating the next big thing, but it would be a long time before the next big thing trumped yours and cut your cash flow.
But in a world that people are making something bigger and better than the person next to them every day, option one just isn’t an option anymore.
That leaves option two. And option two takes dedication, creativity and more hard work as you invent more of the next big things. Which is perfect not just for your tribe, but for your passion, for your income, for your life and the world we live in.
This idea, this concept, this law that guides what is successful couldn’t be a better one for us. It ignores those who only create something that is cheap, that is an imitation, that is only meant to fulfill option one and that has no art in it.
I have never seen or heard of these until I went to Seth Godin’s Pick Yourselfevent and had one.
Then I had another, this time the milk chocolate kind, as opposed to the dark chocolate.
Then I had another, the same day within a span of four hours.
Then I grabbed two more and put them in my journey bag, I gave a third one to someone else and grabbed a fourth to eat while I grabbed a fifth one to eat on my way out of the event after I finished the one I was holding.
I then presumed to eat the two that I stored in my journey bag throughout the evening. Note: By “one” I mean the two chocolate peanut butter cups in the “one” package.
Total: 16
Depressing? I could fight and say they were organic although it doesn’t help my case too well. (More on organic in a moment)
To say they are delicious is an understatment which is something people often say about Reece’s peanut butter cups.
However, to say that Reece’s peanut butter cups are the most delicious ones in the world would be half-true. (As is the case for Justins) They are the best if you ask the niche audience that they are marketed to and consumed by.
Whereas, if you ask the niche group Justins markets to, they would say Justins chocolate peanut butter cups are the best.
What I’ve learned about products, not just chocolate peanut butter cups is that:
1. You can always improve but what you can improve on may not be exactly the product itself, the chocolate. It may be the shipment, how the ingredients are grown, the graphics of the wrapper, the mission statement on the box or in this case, the audience you are targeting.
2. All in all, precision meets profit. You can always find a niche market to make a profit, especially in organics. In other words, there is always a way to make it different for that special tribe who likes it that way.
Justin’s chocolate does just that. They reach out to the audience who doesn’t buy just cheap chocolate.
Afterall, for some people, going big means buying not just buying any kind of chocolate. If they are going to go big buying chocolate, they are going to spend an extra 40 cents or a dollar for the good chocolate, the rich chocolate, the organic chocolate, the chocolate that makes them feel they are benefiting the world by eating.
This is a small niche audience and Justins makes their chocolate different so it’s target is precise.
The unemployment rate is despicable. It’s not because more jobs aren’t being created, they are. It’s the fact that the new jobs are replicating the ones that have always been used.
If we want the unemployment rate to go down, if we want to do real, honest and passionate work, if we want to look forward to work (something that is necessary to want the unemployment rate down), then we need to make old jobs new, not make new old jobs.
Currently, a worker’s pay is based on compensation, of the hours put into work. What it needs to be based off of is creativity deliberation, not compensation. Simple terms: paid to go in and make a ruckus.
Through that ruckus, we see improvement, new development, a fresh way of thinking, creativity and above all, results that mean something, not just numbers on a financial statement.
That doesn’t mean you need a new job, a better job or a second job, it has nothing to do with making more jobs, it’s about transforming new ones out of the old ones. It’s about doing the ones we do now differently, creatively and passionately.
We’re all self-employed even if we have a job, that’s a given, but to leave it at just “self-employed” doesn’t do any good, it doesn’t call for an action, a direction to take. We’re all “self-employed artists“, capable to be original in our thought processes straight to the core of what we create in our jobs.
Through our artistry, we can change, improve and develop our jobs into something magnificent. Something worth waking up for each day. It is through this that we can discover new ways to do the job better, more efficiently, uniquely and to serve and benefit people even more.
Most importantly, this is the way we can end the idea of an unemployment rate.
Stay Positive & These Are The Jobs We Want In The USA
Before I even share the letter in which Howard Schultz has written to all of America, and before it is posted even more main stream this weekend, you need to understand the simplicity of judging a person like Howard. I have studied many of Starbucks marketing strategies as well as background info on the company and Howard. I have seen a few negative comments about Howard and I’d like to point out two simple details that will eleviate any negativie feelings.
First, Howard spoke at the Aspen Ideas Festival.
Taken from the Aspen Ideas Festival website, “For over 60 years, the Aspen Institute has been the nation’s premier gathering place for leaders from around the globe and across many disciplines to engage in deep and inquisitive discussion of the ideas and issues that both shape our lives and challenge our times. […] Imagine some of the most inspired and provocative thinkers, writers, artists, business people, teachers, and other leaders drawn from myriad fields and from across the country and around the world – all gathered in a single place, ready to teach, speak, lead, question and answer – all interacting with an audience of thoughtful people who have stepped back from their day-to-day routines to delve deeply into a world of ideas, thought and discussion. The week promises to be thought-provoking, meaningful and fun – true to Aspen tradition.”
Would a multimillionaire who is full of greed, who is evil or a terrible person attend this event, give a presentation and seek improvement in the world using this large of a platform? A platform that is centered on growth, on productivity and on trust.
The second minor detail which I hope no longer stays minor is the effort Howard has put towards employing Americans. Along with establishing the Create Jobs for USA organization, Howard has made America-focused choices such as creating a “new roasting plant in Augusta, Georgia that we could have located in Central America or Asia for 15% to 20% less, but we felt that creating 200 or so jobs domestically was more important.” [source]
Howard You Make A Difference
Before I share with you the letter Howard has written, it’s serendipitous that he has written this letter during a time period that I am doing an Unlocking Potential interview series with people who I know will make a different in their passion. It may also be coincidence that he shared the letter while I am in the final editing stage of my book Start Schooling Dreams (to be released at the beginning of August).
In Howard’s closing, he advocates for innovation and making a difference in the community to promote citizenship over partisanship. This is a major center of why I write. Everything I write is innovation, it’s to make a difference, it’s about unlocking potential in others, promoting people who care, really do care about learning, about coffee, about fashion about anything. These are the people who make the difference, these are the people who are like Howard Schultz, who are willing to stand up, speak out and try to create positive change, no matter how much resistance there is.
*More power to you Howard and even more power to those who have similar worldviews for change, whether it’s employment, civility, and politics or education, art and music.
Without further ado, you can read the full letter Howard Schultz has written to all of America below or click here to open it in a new window.
An Open Letter: How Can America Win This Election?
Friday, June 29, 2012
Posted by Howard S., Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer
On Independence Day, our country celebrates the promise of America.
It’s a day to remember that the principles that bind us together vastly outweigh what keeps us apart. The freedom to dream and the opportunity to create a better life – not just for ourselves, but for each other – has always defined our great nation.
I am a product of that American Dream. As a kid who grew up in public housing, went on to get an education at a state university and build a business, I am grateful for what this country has made possible for me. In turn, at Starbucks, we have always tried our best to honor our responsibility to the communities we serve.
And on this Fourth of July, our communities need all of us.
Across the country, millions of Americans are out of work. Many more are working tirelessly yet still unable to adequately care for their families. Our veterans are not being welcomed home with the level of support they deserve. Meanwhile, in our nation’s capital, our elected leaders are continuing to put ideology over real solutions. I love America, but we all know there is something wrong. The deficits this country must reconcile are much more than financial, and our inability to solve our own problems is sapping our national spirit. We are better than this. America’s history has showed that we have accomplished extraordinary things when we act collectively, with courage, creativity, and generosity of spirit—especially during trying times.
As we celebrate all that is great about our country, let’s come together and amplify our voices.
Let’s tell our government leaders to put partisanship aside and to speak truthfully about the challenges we face. Let’s ask our business leaders to create more job opportunities for the American economy. And as citizens, let’s all get more involved. Please, don’t be a bystander. Understand that we have a shared responsibility in solving our nation’s problems. We can’t wait for Washington.
At Starbucks, we are trying to live up to our responsibility by increasing our local community service and helping to finance small-business job creation with Create Jobs for USA. Our company is far from perfect, and we know we can do more for America. But we need your help. We need your voice.
Join the national conversation with #INDIVISIBLE. Starting today, I invite you to share your view of America, and how we can all put citizenship over partisanship. On Instagram, post a photo of the America we all need to see. On Twitter, provide a link to an innovative idea. Blog about who’s making a difference in your community; or on YouTube, share how you made your American Dream come true. No matter where you post, if you use the tag #indivisible, Starbucks will do its part to collect and amplify your voices.
Together, we can set a new tone in America. We hope you agree that doing so is a powerful way to celebrate our nation’s birthday.
In 2012, America needs to win the election more than either party does. It is time now to join together as Americans. It is time, whatever our differences, for us to strive and succeed as one nation – indivisible.
I’m spending my 4th of July observing and writing in Starbucks. This post is about all the observations I am making about Starbucks, customer service, behaviors and types of people.
The people who feel they are really cared for and given friendly service, not just customer service. These people will, after they have already walked out the door, come back in just to put a dollar in the tip jar.
The people who understand that the little adds up and are the predecessors of change. These people will not just toss change into the tip jar, but thank the coffee connoisseur for their effort.
The people who I call jingle haters. They can’t stand the spare change in their pocket so they toss it in the jar, doing their hardest to ignore the last clink of change they will hear until they make another purchase and get change back from that. I doubt any Starbucks employees complain about these jingle haters, they account for 3/8 of the tips.
The financially conservative people who treat themselves from time to time don’t tip. They also don’t just keep the change, they keep the receipt too. More power to them I suppose. Everyone’s gotta make a living.
Want to get tips? Make a game out of it? There are two registers and two tip jars, which person at which tip jar can serve remarkably enough to get larger tips? One wins but both have fun.
What I love about Starbucks Barista’s really is that they have fun. They really do live the Starbucks motto of “Rewarding Everyday Moments”. They don’t care about tips, it’s just a bonus, it’s not something they actually work for, serve for or slave for. It just so happens anyway that the more fun you have making and serving Coffee, the more tips you get. Starbucks understands the essence of relationships, not just between customer and coffee but between customer and barista.
Stay Positive & You Get Tipped For Having Fun Outside Of Starbucks Too
If you make your business possible to replicate, others will replicate it.
To create a business that can be replicated is to base it off the collection of “ordinary” people, with ordinary means that contain the lowest level of skill required for the job because they cost less than someone remarkable.
You will profit, but only until the business is replicated by another, faster cheaper one. It will be. Someone is always willing to go cheaper.
Creating even five businesses that can be replicated is exhausting and still won’t make you enough profit to take an extended vacation. You couldn’t anyway because you are the only one with real managerial skills.
Creating one business, one that can’t be replicated, one filled with extraordinary people, with the highest skill level, self-motivation and passion, even though they may cost more to employ, will be able to pay for 5+ vacations a year for yourself.
In addition, this allows you to pay for the indispensible people to work for you. Basically these people pay themselves and then pay you because their work is so full of art and is irreplacable.
In a world where someone is always willing to work for less, the only way to make more is to run a business like no other.
