Flying can be a hassle and airlines seem uninterested in making it easier. They miss so many opportunities to differentiate themselves and provide a better experience that it would seem they have no interest in doing anything other than providing a commodity. Take this example. I was flying to the east coast from California, and, … Continue reading You can make times of struggle easier if you just care a little.
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The Customer Perspective and the Mayo Jar
I believe that no company that makes mayonnaise has ever used their product. If they have, do they have a magic formula for getting all of the mayo out of the jar? Maybe you don’t have a problem with it but I struggle when I get to the end. I simply cannot find a way … Continue reading The Customer Perspective and the Mayo Jar
A Magic Lesson
David Blaine is a magician who has done amazing, death-defying things. He was buried alive in New York City in a coffin for a week living on nothing but water. He froze himself in a block of ice for three days and three nights. He stood on top of a hundred-foot pillar for 36 hours … Continue reading A Magic Lesson
Does your business really want to help people?
I recently saw an interview with Adam Lowry, who, along with Neil Renninger, founded Ripple Foods, the maker of Ripple plant-based milk. In the interview, Fowler said they created their product because they wanted to help people. This simple reason for existing might not seem like a big deal but it really stuck with me. … Continue reading Does your business really want to help people?
Getting Your Business Aligned to the Real Business of Business.
A key to success in business or almost any organizational endeavor is alignment, and by alignment I mean everyone on the team being tuned to one objective, a common goal. In sports, it is typically winning, and more specifically winning a championship. I can’t imagine any sports team that wouldn’t list that as their ultimate … Continue reading Getting Your Business Aligned to the Real Business of Business.
Embrace the Unnecessary
One could say that art is, from a survival perspective, unnecessary. I mean, if you are stuck on a mountain in a blizzard with little food or shelter, you're probably not thinking about art, yet art is what gives life most of its spice, its wonder, and its inspiration. In the business world, there is … Continue reading Embrace the Unnecessary
Winning In Business
“I want to feel unwelcome and be treated like you don’t want me here. I also want you to be really rigid and inflexible in handling any special requests or needs I might have, and if you could, please don’t listen to me or take the time to let me tell you exactly what I … Continue reading Winning In Business
The Power of Certainty
I have a friend who recently had a major malfunction in his house. His water heater stopped working dramatically in a way that could have resulted in fire but thankfully stopped short of that. Anyway, it was still under warranty and he called the manufacturer to get a replacement. Sounds simple, right? It all started … Continue reading The Power of Certainty
Learning from a Broken Clock
We have several old clocks around our house - a collection of sorts – and most of them don’t work properly, my wife and I just like them. Anyway, while walking through the house the other day, I passed by one of these non-working clocks and said something to my daughter that my dad used … Continue reading Learning from a Broken Clock
The Power of Small Words
I often speak to people about changing the world but I usually don’t mean the big world, I mean the small world of those around us. We all have the power to positively change someone’s world and we can do it simply with words. Whatever the interaction, whether with a friend, colleague, customer, or as … Continue reading The Power of Small Words