Life Lesson

A writer who applied for a copywriting position asked me what would be better to showcase in their portfolio, writing for medium A or writing for medium B.

No surprise, my answer was both.

In an effort to do the best by a client; we often decide on the better of two ideas. Two ideas, that, if both shared, there’s a chance both may be funded.

In trying to appeal the most to a customer, we can add this surprise element into the purchase journey or we can add that surprise element.

Though, putting both is will likely get the product talked about even more.

By all means, if one idea is a bad one. Lose it.

But if you’ve got two great ones…

Stay Positive & Double Whammy

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Why is it the speaker’s responsibility to give a talk that’s remembered?

Why is it up to the show writers to ensure every episode gets talked about?

Why is it the impact the author has from her novel and not the impact of the reader who consumed it?

Imagine the value we could add in our world if we tried to be remembered as the attendee, viewer and consumer.

Speaking up to ask questions. Challenging assumptions. Offering suggestions for improvements. Acting on the knowledge we learn.

Stay Positive & Time To Become An Active Spectator

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A dash of salt & pepper in a dish can’t really harm it.

Either it goes unnoticed and you’re only out of a dash of salt and pepper.

Or it elevates the meal that extra bit, making it better than expected.

Same goes for the work we do and the people we interact with.

Of course, we call it surprise & delight then.

Stay Positive & Nothing To Lose, Only To Gain

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Control is dependent on the story we tell ourselves.

We can believe that we can control our culture or not. We can believe we can control what time we wake up or not. We can tell ourselves different stories about promotions at work – whether it’s in or out of our control.

My two cents: Make it out of your control when it benefits.

You can set an alarm on your phone and believe it’s out of your control to turn it off. You can say it’s out of your control to sit back and do nothing to improve our culture. You can tell the story of getting a promotion by helping other people more often.

It’s all in our control, one way or another, unless we believe it’s not.

Stay Positive & Take Control When It Benefits

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Solid business decisions are based on the premise that there’s a monetary return greater than the investment needed to execute.

Some businesses make ROI black and white – it’s all about the money, and the ROI better be a certain percentage for the tactic to be considered at all.

Other businesses make ROI more grey – mainly because there are often other returns on the investment that aren’t as easily translatable into dollar signs.

Public exposure. Doing something that makes you top of mind to your current customer or client base. The feeling of contributing to a philanthropic entity. The good standing you’ve kept with area community leaders. The person who tells a friend about you.

Consider this situation: You’re a restaurant and you have the opportunity to make a spooky-themed take-out meal box. You’ll donate $2 from each one sold to a local nonprofit. You’re only going to make $2 per box and you won’t sell more than 50.

Are you running the type of business that would make the spooky-themed take-out meal box happen or pass on it?

There’s not really a wrong answer. What matters is that we know who we are and we don’t pass on opportunities too be a better version of ourselves.

Stay Positive & What Does ROI Mean To You?

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There’s not a better action you can take that will get you to where you want to go more than helping another person.

Promotions are given when you help enough clients and colleagues.

A novel is written better when one helps another write.

Relationships grow stronger when you’re there to help the other out in their day-to-day.

It can get exhausting working with a brain that’s always evaluating how to help another out, but ultimately rewarding.

So rewarding.

Stay Positive & Helpful

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Imagine joining friends for lunch a year from now and they ask what you’ve been up to during the pandemic.

Will you have enough to talk about after you fill them in on the shows you watched and home purging you did?

If you joined friends for lunch a week from now and they ask what you’ve been up to.

Will you have something worth sharing and being proud of?

Fulfillment is at our fingertips.

Stay Positive & The Choice Is Yours

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