GarthBox

We used to be in love with the carbs and the sweetness of cereal.

Then, what feels like overnight, cereal stopped being our breakfast go-to and steal cut oats were, yogurt parfait was, four egg-whites were. The story we wanted to tell ourselves changed and brands are trying to adjust by adding protein flakes, berries and extra this and extra that.

The problem is that while the story we now tell ourselves about breakfast has changed, the story of brands that sell product like breakfast cereal haven’t.

You can change the product to align with stories your target is telling themselves, but that doesn’t change the story you’re brand is telling. McDonald’s going into salads and parfaits doesn’t change the story McDonald’s tells. People see through it.

So you have to decide whether you’ll stick to your story and your product and see the newest story as a fad that’ll die off or you position your brand and tell a new story.

 

Stay Positive & No One Said Marketing Was Easy

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There are two variables that make for fantastic advice. Oscar Wilde once said there’s nothing to do with advice, but pass it on. For most advice, that’s true because it lacks specificity and authority.

Specificity: When you’re specific, you build your credibility. When you speak in a way that is keenly understood by the other party then they’re more likely to follow the steps you’ve set out for them. Most advice is often ambiguous, general and not at all specific.

Authority: There’s a large difference between “Hmm. Yea. It might be a good idea” and “Yes. That’s a great idea.” When giving advice, you must be clear, stern, and authoritative; that is what builds trust. When you give definitive advice, there’s no reason for the one seeking advice to check with another person.

If someone has to ask you to explain your advice or if immediately after you give it to them, they go ask another person, you didn’t give valuable advice.

They’re counting on you. Be specific. Be authoritative.

 

Stay Positive & Be Counted On

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I’m often asked how I do so much. Or, worded differently, how the hell do I find any time to rest?

My answer is a simple and essential one.

I am my most important asset and I treat myself as such.

I perform best with 7.5 hours of sleep. I can mentally handle the series of disruptions throughout the day because I clear my mind in the morning with meditation and clear it at night by journaling. I eat multiple healthy meals a day to sustain my body through the work I put it through. The list goes on of ways I ensure my mind and body are strong.

If you’re trying to optimize your work, start by optimizing yourself.

Can you do it all by cutting back on sleep, skipping breakfast and not taking time to think and relax? Sure.

Can you do it all really really well by cutting back on sleep, skipping breakfast and not taking time to think and relax? Not a chance.

You are your most important asset.

 

Stay Positive & Start Acting Like It

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Expectations and poor communication is usually to blame for your work frustrations.

Not their expectations and lack of clear communication, but everyone’s at the table.

Yes, yours included.

The talented managers I see most employees reach out to merely listen to what is happening and find the weak spot in the communication between the parties. They usually find what wasn’t said while you’re focused on what was said.

Consider that every person you’ll interact with at work is likely having someone push them closer to the flame, and it’s uncomfortable to have more responsibility, bigger expectations, and more anxiety about  potentially screwing up.

Discover what expectations the other has as well as the distant others’ expectations of them. Once you acknowledge that, it’s easier to see where that missing communication piece is; not what she or you said, but what wasn’t said and needs to be.

 

Stay Positive & Proactive Communication Is The Cure To Work Frustrations

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There’s a gripping fascination in society with the idea of starting.

Starting can be easy or it can be difficult based on what your lizard brain is telling you.

“It’s too easy… so why bother?”

“It’s way too difficult, you’re not good enough… let’s wait for something easier to come along.”

Of course, this is you telling yourself these things and it’s tough to break from it.

Better than thinking about where to start, I believe, is to consider where do you want to finish?

When you decide what the end result will be, the level of difficulty of starting doesn’t matter because you know where you need to start to get to where you want to go. Period.

Figuring out what that finish line looks like is much more consistently motivating. It helps you decide whether what you’re doing is the right thing or not. Merely ask, will doing X get me to my end goal? If yes, continue. If no, quit it.

Determine where you want to end up and what that looks like.

It makes starting a hell of a lot more rational and less fear-filled.

 

Stay Positive & Think Finish Line, Not Starting Line

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Most marketers want to do the saying while everyone does the hearing.

Smart marketers do the hearing of what the target is saying.

Before you hit your next post, send your next tweet or email, ask yourself, “Is this what the customer wants to hear? Or is this just something I want to say?”

The impact you’ll make will leave your audience doing all the saying.

 

Stay Positive & Listen, Linda, Listen

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