“Everyone else does it.”

Garth Beyer

Ugh. Just typing that title makes me cringe.

When we reason with it, we forfeit our freedom, we forfeit our desire to create, we forfeit exercising our brain to think about things differently.

When we go along doing, saying, thinking what “everyone” does, says, and thinks, we don’t just stand still ourselves, we don’t just stop our own momentum, we put the brakes of progress on all of society.

People die standing still. By rationalizing your actions on the basis of “everyone” doing it that way, your quickening that death for you and the community you’re now representing.

The only and best option, then, is to catch yourself, change your path, and do things differently.

 

Stay Positive & “Everyone” is almost always wrong.

*I used “Everyone” in quotations because “Everyone” is a specific group.

Without Asking For Help

Garth Beyer

“Those who don’t move forward aren’t sharing what they want.”

Lifted By Others

You would be amazed at how many people are out there who want to and can help you get what you want without being asked.

Born naturally good versus naturally evil argument aside, generally people want you to succeed, and if they don’t, that may be a sign you’re down a wrong path, surrounding yourself with the wrong people or wanting the wrong things.

Once you open up, once you allow yourself to be vulnerable, once you overcome the fear of accountability by telling people what you want, you’ll find yourself lifted there, easily, passionately, happily.

Try it. Trust me. Trust the people around you.

And if you can’t trust them, find new people to surround yourself with.

 

Stay Positive & Don’t You Think It’s Time To Be Lifted?

Photo credit

“I Won’t Be To Blame.”

Garth Beyer

I Won't Be To BlameEarlier this week I went out to lunch with my PR team. A couple of us began talking about where we would live if we had to pick one place for the rest of our lives. One asked if money mattered, if it had to be “a realistic place.” I hadn’t even considered that…

I responded, “Well, I’m not going to say you won’t end up being a billionaire. So I guess any place is realistic.”

It’s difficult to acknowledge our own moments of blame, when we seek a scapegoat, when we pin the responsibility on someone else. It’s even more difficult to stop others from blaming us.

If she doesn’t become a billionaire or even a millionaire, at least I know I won’t be to blame. I didn’t add to her tank of self-doubt. I didn’t tell her it was impossible. I didn’t let her off easy.

I’m not one for “realistic.” I know something is up when I hear it.

If we could just retain some spirit of possibility with one another, we may have a new world opened to us. Maybe not a millionaire world, but certainly something special.

 

Stay Positive & Lift, Don’t Level With People

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How To Pitch Your Startup

Garth Beyer

STartup

 

Serial entrepreneur Steve Blank has a definition for a startup and for a company.

“A startup is a temporary organization designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model.”

“The corollary for a large company is: A company is a permanent organization designed to execute a repeatable and scalable business model.”

I tend to put my faith (and money) in startups who don’t bound themselves to the definition of a startup, that believe they will be more than just a startup. To always be a startup is to always be searching for that repeatable and scalable business model.

Better to say, “We’re a startup soon to be large company.”

It’s sexier, it’s packed with drive, not just busyness.

 

Stay Positive & That Is What You Want, Right?

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Thinking Harder May Not Be The Best Option

Garth Beyer

but thinking differently certainly could be. (Hint: it is)

The best writing, jokes, puns, speeches, services, projects, ads, advice, adventures, plans, business ideas… come from thinking about things differently. Of course, then you must apply action to the thought.

It’s unlikely your idea is original, but the real life creation and implementation of that idea is.

 

Stay Positive & See, Think, Do Things Differently

Small Talk

Garth Beyer

It’s awkward for everyone…at first.

The folk you think it comes naturally for have simply made more rounds than you.

A good PR friend of mine stops at every person’s desk in the morning before he gets to work at his. It didn’t come easy for him to begin with. It was awkward, there wasn’t much to relate to each person with, and most days he just didn’t want to for a dozen reasons his lizard brain came up with.

Now each person is left with a smile as he leaves their desk to talk to the person.

Was it worth him to work through the awkwardness of small talk? Without a doubt.

People are more open with him, they trust him, they respond quicker to him, they take on tasks he asks because he’s established a relationship. There’s so much more you get out of small talk then knowing what Netflix show they binged on over the weekend.

 

Stay Positive & Are You Making The Rounds?

In The Box Podcast

Episode 2: The Daily Me, Workplace Hierarchy, Streaking And More – Podcast

Garth Beyer

On this episode of In The Box podcast, we talked about the narrowing of journalism, customer acquisition for startups, a bit about ice hockey, restaurants in Madison, the computerization of the workforce, and the importance of feedback in the chain of command in a company.

Episode 2: The Daily Me, Workforce Hierarchy, Streaking

Ice Hockey – “Good isn’t good enough when better is expected.” What do you think of this?

Restaurants – Favorite restaurant in Madison in terms of bang for your buck?

Startups – What’s the first best move a new business can take to get more customers?

Journalism – How do you feel about the narrowing of information? Is only seeing what you like bad for society?

Computerization of the workforce – Are we overlooking the leverage imbalance created by the computerization of the workforce?

Workplace Hierarchy – How important is chain of command in a company?

 

Stay Positive & Think About Things Differently