Your biggest advantage is in your weirdness…your difference…and not in your similarities with others.
We’ve often discussed here that Customer Care > Competition Concern.
I assure you this is true.
When you’re always looking over your shoulder and concerned with the competition, more often than not, you become what you never wanted to be…more like them.
Here’s the best news of today. There’s something about you, that’s…well…you.
And that’s all you need.
My wife has created the coolest play area for our girls at our home. It screams think big, think differently, think in color, and let your music play.
On one of the walls in this room is a vintage alphabet with each letter individually framed on the wall. While spending time with one of my daughters in this room this weekend, I decided to learn the alphabet backwards.
I’ve attempted this before, but have not had any luck. Nevertheless, this time was different. I had the full picture of the alphabet in front of me.
After 10 minutes of stuttered chants and eyes locked on the wall I could do finally it without a pause or flaw.
We need the full picture don’t we?
Only then can we go from start to finish or from finish to start and never feel like a fish out of water.
…start very small.
This goes out to the freshmen, the beginners, and the dreamers.
Courageously dive into the small things.
Obsess over the unnoticed and then expose use to the beauty we’ve overlooked.
Draw a map and then take us on a journey.
Taste test and then shape our taste.
Every big idea, person, place, or thing is big because someone was willing to go/be/act small.
When we arrive at what we saw we can always see further.
I have to think that even atop the mountains we climb, something pulls at us to go climb their neighbor.
Praise be that we don’t have finish lines.
We have journeys that birth journeys and the words etched on the gold found at the end of our rainbows read ‘see. there’s more.’
The Italians are on to something right now with their latest fashion trend. The phenomenon is called “Spezzato”, which translates as “broken in two,” and describes the the style of taking one jacket from a suit and matching it with a pair of pants from another suit.
We can and should learn from this.
Our businesses are in need of being spezzato’d.
I believe he who perfects the art of the mismatch will be who leads the industry, sector, and niche of choice for the future.
This is what I mean….Metaphorically, when you swap your jacket or trousers with that of another business you then start a trend that starts a story that starts a conversation that creates a movement.
We don’t need another bank, we need another bank that feels like Nordstrom.
We don’t need another church, we need another church that feels like Cheers.
We don’t need another restaurant, we need another restaurant that feels like LuLuLemon.
This is your invitation to mix, match, and mismatch.
You’re probably thinking about how this won’t match. And that’s the point.
It’s all in how you wear it.
Ashton.Gustafson 