GarthBox

There’s a festival and all the organizers of it say “welcome home” when they greet one of the vendors.

It sets the stage for any following conversation. It primes expectations. It holds both parties accountable for their end of the agreement.

The organizers have a clear sight into the understanding that delight is cyclical.

They treat the vendors as if they are in their own home and then the vendors treat the guests with enthusiasm and the guests treat the organizers of the event with respect …and it continues.

It works in this context to say it aloud, but perhaps it would work in any context to think it: when a person enters your shop, visits your website, gives you a call….

Stay Positive & Another Two Words: Game Changer

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Doing more than is expected.

Doing more than is on your job description.

Caring more than you need to.

Listening more than you talk.

Giving more than is asked.

Most of the time “better” is better than “more.”

Other times, “more” is “better.”

Stay Positive & More More

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Upward Spiral isn’t just a good beer.

It’s also a life concept worth investing in.

When the world is pushing and shoving us toward a downward spiral, we can learn to respond, sure. That’s one route worth taking.

Another is to actively create upward spirals: actions we take that lead to more positive actions and opportunities.

Investing in your MVP sales associate creates an upward spiral. So does holding a door open for a person. So does swallowing the frog and doing the hardest task on your to-do list today first. These 6 keystone habits also create upward spirals.

The real beauty of an upward spiral is just how in control of it we are.

What if we created three upward spirals for every downward spiral we experience?

What if we created 10 upward spirals per day?

What if we started with one, right now?

Stay Positive & You’ve Got The Power

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Reactions don’t get us far. They definitely don’t help strengthen relationships, either. Reactions are so quick, unthoughtful, and knee-jerkingly selfish that I’d argue that any reaction is an overreaction.

Far better: a response.

Sometimes they’re methodical and thoughtful, other times they might be as quick as a reaction, but all of the time they’re rooted in empathy.

It’s incredible the difference in action between a response and a reaction based off the same trigger.

And most incredible of all is how much a response impacts both the one responding and those involved in the response versus a reaction.

Stay Positive & Choose Wisely

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Here’s the truth about a promise:

It’s as important that the promise benefits us as it is that we trust the person making the promise.

Both attributes are needed for a fulfilled promise to create loyalty and remarkability.

You can see the paradox there, which means that the only way to have effective promises is to do them early and often.

Stay Positive & This Goes For People, For Brands, For Associations, For All

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Gifts on your birthday are good, but not as good as gifts not on your birthday.

Same for any holiday, really.

There’s something about getting an unexpected gift that really sits with a person. Universally, the feeling of being seen and appreciated and connected to someone – and then to have something tangible to remember that feeling by – is in the simplest form, magical.

This isn’t to downplay the intangible gifts of listening and empathy, but it is a reminder that there’s an opportunity in every interaction to make it more valuable with an unexpected gift.

If you’re graced with a marketing budget, it might be worth investing some of it there.

It doesn’t even need cute packaging. “Here. This is for you.” goes a long way.

Stay Positive & There’s Enough Bad Unexpected. Let’s Do What We Can To Make More Of The Good Unexpected

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Which is better?

$1,000 on a magazine ad or $1,000 on swag to include as a surprise & delight?

100 email opens or 100 handshakes?

An hour spent evaluating SEO or an hour spent sharing your thoughts on a podcast?

We decide what’s productive, how to be efficient and what ROI means to us.

Stay Positive & More Questions Like These, Please

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