Lingo

Tribe Jargon

The language you use often strengths or weakens a tribe.

If you call a widget one thing and another calls it something different, neither are wrong, but you’re not connecting.

How you pronounce gif might be fun, but someone’s going to cringe when you’re in a room presenting work to a client and you say it differently than they would.

A tribe dictionary isn’t a bad idea.

 

Stay Positive & Agree On Your Tribe’s Jargon

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The Way Others Did It

This Way

You could reach similar success to an idol by doing things the same way they did.

You can match Jake Gyllenhaal’s workout regime. You can attend the same school as Christoph Niemann. You can attempt to replicate the rag to riches story of Tony Robbins.

There are millions of maps to choose from.

But… you don’t have to.

There are many more ways in to success, many more stories you can make, many more maps you can make yourself.

 

Stay Positive & The Door’s Open, This Way

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What To Do When…

What To Do When

When there are forty fires that need to be put out…

When all around you people have lost their heads…

When the alarm goes off earlier than normal…

When the load seems too tough and the weight too heavy…

When there seems to be more risk than reward…

When the future is shrouded with uncertainty…

When you can’t see any signs of progress…

… carry on following your heart.

 

Stay Positive & That’s What You Were Already Doing, Right?

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More Risk, Less Risky

Take Risks

It’s often not risk that scares us; it’s the appearance of risk.

Very rarely do the things we imagine in our minds about taking a risk actually happen.

And in those moments of overlap, we make it through; it’s still not as scary as we imagined.

 

Stay Positive & It’s All Part Of Your Story, Anyway

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A Truth About Focus Groups

Focus Group Truth

When Yoplait gave their french yogurt, Oui, to a focus group, the group didn’t take to it right away. And if Yoplait listened to people’s first reactions, they wouldn’t have opened a new door into the yogurt world (we see you Greek yogurt and raise you a French-inspired recipe).

A truth about focus groups is that reactions like shock and confusion and repulsiveness don’t always mean that we’re off-track; it might mean that we’re onto something special.

That’s the paradoxical beauty of innovation: Can’t have devotion without a bit of disdain.

As long as we’re doing right by why the brand we’re working on or developing products for exists, then we ought to push past the naysayers.

 

Stay Positive & Anything Popular Is Always At First Unpopular

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What You Make Matters More Than Who You Show

Make Things That Matter More

There was a gentleman I’d see at a little breakfast shop every weekend. He’d bring in his Chronical of Higher Education and I’d watch him read it.

What I noticed is that he never read it cover to cover. He’d open it with excitement and search for what mattered to him.

He’d see articles like “Poor public policies” and “Playground resentment” until he’d settle on “Rereading books doesn’t help you, move on.” He might have seen other headlines, but he was viewing the newspaper with blinders on, in search for what actually mattered to him.

The same happens when we’re on the road. When we’re on our phones. When we check email.

You have the ability to (pay to) get in front of more people, to show your idea or your business.

More importantly, you have the ability to make something that matters so much that people share with each other; that they ignore the rest.

 

Stay Positive & Better To Get In Front Of The Right People Than All The People

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