GarthBox

You can put a team together to try innovating something for your entire customer base, the masses. Review processes typically bog this path down and nothing comes to fruition – or if it does, it’s a lot less innovative than the team set out to create. (You moved that button to the other side – what a great innovation that applies to everyone!)

An alternative is to put a team together to try innovating something for one customer. Hell, the customer doesn’t even matter. Big. Small. Niche. Not niche. Pick one and set the team off to figure out something they could create to make the life of that customer infinitely better. Make it personal. Make it customized. Make it meaningful.

Once achieved, offer it up to others. Not because every one will take advantage of it, but because a few will and those few will likely talk to others about it.

Repeat.

Stay Positive & A Few Is All You Need

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Projects go over budget. Meaningful projects take longer than planned. Culture shifts require a lot of people to act in sync.

The fact is, you’re going to use more resources than you want or arrange for.

What matters is that whatever “more” you need goes to something that matters.

Work that leads to more red tape might not be the work worth doing. Spending more on a part of your business that gets 1% visibility might not be the space to invest more in.

You might have little control over the “more” of what you’re doing will take, but you have a lot of control over where to put it.

Stay Positive & Plan Where To Put The More

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Years ago, Seth Godin wrote about off-roading.

It’s the act of solving a problem by doing something so unique, so fascinating, so on the edge that you become noticed and leap ahead toward the goals you have or challenges you’re trying to overcome. It often leads to some raising of eyebrows by spectators, too, fyi.

The most important takeaway, though, is not to do it often. Off-roading doesn’t get good mileage, according to Seth.

One more reminder about off-roading: keep the foundational elements of your mission moving forward, maintain that steady expected momentum, keep the core efforts in tact.

Off-roading is a leaping mechanism, not the main mission.

Stay Positive & Let’s Goooooo

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A brand is what you do and the impact you make.

The sign outside isn’t your brand – it’s a reminder of your brand and the impact you’re making.

So are the staff shirts that are worn.

So is the logo on your receipt.

Signs are needed.

Without them, how will people be reminded of your brand?

Stay Positive & Signs Are Marketing, BTW

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Would they miss it if it were gone?

If they would, do it.

If they wouldn’t, consider what needs to change for them to miss it if it were gone.

This applies to anything that already exists and you’re putting energy to continuing. It also applies to anything new that’s not yet out in the world.

Stay Positive & Value Check Everything

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One business model is devised around the goal of delivering and being done; to serve and be onto the next, to mitigate the time and cost to deliver so one can keep checking more boxes.

Another business model is devised around the goal of customer loyalty; to engage with and continue the conversation with the customer, to listen and add unique value to the transaction so they come back again – and maybe, maybe, bring a few friends.

Both models can work, but it’s one or the other. Businesses break when they try to blend them.

Stay Positive & Consistent

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You can connect people to build a community. You can establish a network, too. Maybe even a unique communication tool for the group.

But nothing builds community like making contributions.

Nothing brings people together (and closer together) than generosity.

If you’re working to build a community, it’s worth asking yourself: What have you contributed today?

Stay Positive & Connections Come From Value-Adds

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