Life Lesson

There are the obvious things we check to ensure we have with us as we go from meeting to meeting or space to space.

Phone. Wallet. Keys.

Paperwork. Reference documents. A business card.

A website URL. A customer service number. A vendor recommendation.

Then there are the nonobvious things we bring with us from meeting to meeting or space to space.

Emotions. Attitudes. Energy. (Good… or bad depending on the meeting or space we just came from.)

A willingness to leap. A drive for excellence. A helping hand.

Like checking for your phone, it’s worth checking to make sure you’ve brought the good energy and attitude with you to your current meeting or space.

And like taking a moment to silence your phone, everyone will appreciate if you need to step out for a second to leave any ego or attitude at the door.

Stay Positive & Check, Check, Check

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The lobby of your doctor’s office sends quite a signal about the experience you’re about to have.

The lobby of the hotel automatically triggers and influences your emotions about your stay.

The lobby of your website (home page) sets a visitor up for success (or failure).

The lobby of your house matters. The lobby of your work matters. The lobby of a project KO matters.

A lobby can mean a lot of different things. All of which are equally important to focus on because all of them influence the emotion and experience for what follows after entering the lobby.

Stay Positive & Enjoy Your Stay

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Doing the emotional labor earns trust.

Sticking to all the promises – large and small – earns trust.

Skipping short term profits for long term investments earns trust.

Doing the hard stuff first earns trust.

Showing you’ll do the grunt work, too, earns trust.

Making sacrifices for others earns trust.

There are dozens of ways to earn trust – and as many ways to lose it.

Stay Positive & Which Are You Doing Today?

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There’s no shortage of available formulas for some form of success.

But it begs questioning on what the formula we’re choosing to use is for.

Is it a formula for vanity metrics or for moving people?

Is it a formula for clicks or loyalty?

Is it a formula that works on the masses or for your small but connected tribe?

Just because the formula is available, doesn’t mean it’s the one we should use.

Click bait articles have a formula to them, but is that the audience you want?

Stay Positive & Choose Your Formula Wisely

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Idleness is the problem. Paralysis is the problem. Standing still is the problem.

Fear isn’t the problem.

Fear is something you can dance with; it’s a sign that you’re on your way to something meaningful.

The fear you feel before taking a leap isn’t the problem because the only solution to it is to not leap.

And we have enough people not leaping, don’t we?

Stay Positive & Unstill

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Are you making that design choice because it’s what you like or because it’s what your target wants?

Are you adding new product options because you think you’ll make better margins or because your target has asked for them?

Are you hosting a pop up to draw attention to yourself or to offer a new experience for your target that they’re craving?

Is the deal you’re thinking of offering so you can make some fast cash or because your target will appreciate it beyond it being a deal?

If you’re in business, it’s worth gut checking every decision – big and small.

Who is the decision for?

Stay Positive & Make The Answer Consistent

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If you’re giving something away for free, consider not giving it alone and not making it about the free-ness.

Why?

Because free doesn’t hold much value, but surprising and delighting, adding to an order, giving without an expectation of your generosity does.

Add that free t-shirt to people’s orders, unprompted.

Offer free samples to those you talk to and hear that it’s their first time visiting your establishment.

Give the free item away to only a handful of subscribers to your newsletter as thanks for subscribing.

Free might work to get a certain kind of person in your door, but free works much better on elevating the loyalty of someone who is already inside.

Stay Positive & Free, Free, Free, Free

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