GarthBox

I love driving, but never knew why until this last weekend.

When I’m driving, I like to put myself in the driver-of-another-vehicle’s shoes. I like to guess how they will act on the road. Do they speed? Are they about to pass someone? Are they the type to look before they start changing lanes?

How does their actions relate to the vehicle they’re driving? Do they fit stereotypes? Do they blow expectations away?

There’s a remarkable world out there on the road where you can acquire so much information about human habits, intentions, and behaviors.

And, of course, the marketer in me finds brand-related touch points.

The epiphany was a nice reminder that we as marketers can get smarter off the road as much as on it, even without podcasts.

 

Stay Positive & Shut Up And Drive

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Many brands choose to rot instead of change.

When business slows up, they hunker down, they pull resources, they stop investing in themselves, in their staff, in the “extras” no one expects when they reach the storefront.

In doing so, fewer customers show up. Fewer clients call.

Less income means they’ve got to hunker down even more.

Then they begin to rot.

There is another option, obviously. It’s to change. To pivot. Right now, as you’re reading this, you still have some customers, still have some income, still have some product. Change things up. Try a new platform. People die standing still. Move.

Is losing really more scary than altering your vision for your business?

 

Stay Positive & Rotting Is A Choice

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It puts a huge smile on my face to see the transitional leap so many businesses are taking to hire people with initiative rather than obedience.

Funny how I’m just writing about this today when I asked Michael on last week’s podcast what he would look for in a person if he were hiring. He said initiative. (Episode 33)

Bravo to brands for up-ing the game, the standards, and for realizing the connection economy we’re living in before it was too late for them. Sadly we have another problem.

The workforce who is looking for jobs is still under the impression businesses are hiring the compliant. School has taught them how simple compliance is to measure and to test for. It’s easy to know when they’re doing a good job and when they’re not. They are seeking low standards and easy acceptance into the work world.

Many of those doors have closed though.

We need to change the mindset we have about the workplaces we want to be in and the brands we want to work with. They’re not looking for compliant workers, they’re looking for artists who take initiative.

Of course, initiative isn’t any easier to take, to do, to be. That’s on me and you. The cool thing about initiative is once you take it, we all benefit.

 

Stay Positive & Here’s Godin On Initiative

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Beginner content is more free than ever before. It’s being created by more people than ever.

When looking to move your business forward, don’t expect to win big by marketing to the masses with beginner content.

It doesn’t matter if the majority of people don’t know how to cook or play an instrument or ride a motorcycle. The easy mindset tricks you to think it’s in your favor to create more beginner content. But it’s not.

You’re much better off helping the intermediates improve, the experts finesse, the geniuses consult.

It’s always more profiting (and emotionally rewarding) to help people who care, not help people to care.

 

Stay Positive & Create More Care Content

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We’re never given enough responsibility (mainly because we don’t take it).

We’re never given enough (art, love, credibility).

We’re never given enough praise or opportunity or entitlement.

We are, though, in fact, given enough moments to say thank you. And it makes a world of difference when we take advantage of them, even, maybe, sometimes abuse them.

Thank you for reading my blog. It makes the things I don’t get enough of less meaningful.

 

Stay Positive & Thank Someone Special Today

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No one goes through life wanting to do things that make them unhappy.

That’s not to say you don’t do things you don’t like. In fact, life is often a mix of the two.

What’s important is that you take the time to sit down and list all the things you’ve done that made you happy.

There’s a trend in that list.

It’s your passion.

 

Stay Positive & Take The Time, Now, Not Later