BUILDING OPPORTUNITY

Climbing is a great skill. It's one every business needs. But no matter how fast you go, climbing really only works when you already have a mountain. You can climb your way through school, up the corporate ladder, and even up to the penhouse suite of any building in the world. But climbing can only get you to the top of a structure that's already there.

And you can build that structure incrementally. You can carry a bucket of dirt to the top of a mountain. Bring enough buckets and maybe you can raise the mountain's height by an inch. You can push the peak higher.

But to stare at a swamp or a sinkhole and see the towering might it can become, that takes vision. This is why you take time to dream, to read, to experience great art. For the inspired know how to see opportunities before they exist.

And this is how the few, the people like you, they land in that lucky place where 80% growth is the norm. And you know it's not luck. And it takes more than effort. It's your vision that allows you to ignore all the mountains, while taking time to build your rocket instead.

CHEERING INCONVENIENCE

The law doesn't care about my name or my hobbies. My interests are irrelevant. The law was written to accommodate 300 million people. That's 2,999,999 who aren't me. I try to remember.

Today I had to visit the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and how can you have "Bureau" without "Bureaucracy"? Just need update my permanent address. They won't let us do it online. Have to go in person, with photo ID, and two bills in your name featuring the new address.

Done. Done and Done! Except one of the bills, a document capable of proving my residency, was in my wife's name instead of mine. Argh! Not good enough. Go back home. Curse the wasted time. Return to wait in line again. Sign documents (lots of documents). Get picture taken, smiling without showing teeth.

I even had to sign a document confirming I'd received copies of all the signed documents. *sigh*

Sitting through the ridiculous red tape, it's so easy to fume. Even to seethe. That time could be spent so much more productively on work or fun or inventing cotton candy ice cream.

But in actuality, these moments force me to slow down. To breathe deeply. To sit and let nothing occur for a few minutes feels so rare and refreshing these days.

And more than anything, it reminds me to be thankful. For we live in a country and a point in history where red tape headaches like this are rare. Most people throughout human history would've given their left leg for a life of mind numbing paperwork on a full belly.

What a gift to be alive, in a world where even inconvenience can remind us how lucky we are.

Impossible 2 Forget

It's impossible to remember everything you say. I just don't have the bandwidth.

So the moment we meet, I'm looking for a quick and easy way to remember who you are and what you're all about. And since this is a big luncheon, and I've just met 12 other people whom I also am struggling to remember, I've got to do it fast and efficiently.

So I'm boiling your stories, your body language, your knowledge and confidence down into a first impression. Probably just a word or two.

I'll remember two things:
#1: Do I like you?
#2: What are you all about?

Smile and be nice. You'll have #1 nailed.

What are you all about. That's trickier. The less you say the more likely I am to get it right. Give me 8 different facets to think about, and I might pick the wrong one. Give me the one thing that really sums you up then nothing more. I'm sure to get it right.

We really want to know and understand what's most valuable about you. Help us find it right away. Show us that same core value in everything you do. I promise we'll never forget. 

Your Standing Ovation

When you stand backstage, preparing to take the mic and do your thing, fear comes easily. Will they like me? Will they laugh or scorn or even walk away? You never know.

This fear comes because we're worried how the audience will make us feel. What will be their opinion of us when we're through? Will they like us or avoid us?

When you look out at the crowd, you have choices. If you focus on their opinion of you, problems arise immediately. For you've chosen to concern yourself with Stuff the Audience cares very little about. The crowd didn't come to help you and your feelings. They're there for themselves. They've come to gain info, or to laugh, or just to make a few new helpful connections and maybe even friends.

If your biggest concern onstage is how the Audience will feel about you, it creates an immediate conflict of interest. Conflict between you and the Audience because you've chosen to focus on something they don't care about much at all. And with very different goals in mind, it's difficult to get them on board.

But if you step onstage, look out at that Audience and ask yourself, "How can I help them feel better about themselves?" And also, "How can I give them value?", you will immediately find yourself rooting for their same goals.

And when you're suddenly fighting for the same goals your Audience holds dear, they notice. They've been waiting for an ally, someone willing to step up and help.

And your willingness to fight for the needs and desires that Audience holds dear will grab their attention, holding them close in a way they'll never forget.

RFRA-MNESTY

They used to say "all publicity's good publicity. The old joke among entertainers used to be, "We don't care what you say, so long as you spell our name right!"

Now Indiana is on the headlines of every front page in America. But very few Hoosiers are enjoying the publicity. Pence least of all we can suspect.

The world is filled with flux and change. Uncertainty hits the moment we get out of bed. Where's the stock market going? Where's the price of gas heading? Will the flu vaccine keep my kids safe or make them sick?

With so many questions bouncing around, so often out of reach, it feels really good to enjoy a bit of certainty every now and then. It's easy to catch the bug of "I Know Betterism". To hold an issue dear where we get to know we're right, and any disagreement is wrong. Many seek that bit of black and white as a platform to laugh derisively at the other side.

And as we watch strong judgement symbolized into law by one side and used to create sanctions by the other, many of us sit in the crossfire, wondering when it will end.

But we don't have to play that game. We don't need laws to know our own mind. We don't need rules of etiquette to avoid offence. For the leader inside you knows patience and sympathy. And it's the leader in you most likely to help us find comfort even in uncertainty. It's the leader in you already at work, seeking that small path to bring us all back together.

CONSENSUS WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Think of your Vision, for you and your business. And remember...

Compromise is for Congress. Never for business. Too often we get this backwards.

Congress must compromise in order to function. This is intentional. A legislator who can successfully proceed without compromise will become a dictator fast.

But in business, it can ruin you. Compromise forces out everything daring and new. It will water down your vision, leaving us all drinking a watered down, Budweiser-like life.

And yet we know the need for Consensus. Great effort requires great teams, where everyone pulls a bit more than their own weight.

And concensus is different. Where compromise acquiesces, consensus inspires! This is why we need your vision. When you inspire us all, we don't request any compromise. We don't really want to hack through the unknown. But show us the tiniest footpath and help us to see the superhighway it could become. We'll rally behind you so fast...

Consensus requires great vision. And vision requires communication skills. Whenever I work on a new idea, to make sure I'm expressing my vision with clarity, and in a way that interests others, I like to check my words with this simple test:

#1 - Can I explain my Vision in one sentence or less?

#2 - After explaining my Vision, does my listener ask for more details or express interest in how we might team up to get it done?

#3 - After the conversation, does my listener go and tell others (via conversation, phone, social media, whatever...)?

Think of the Vision you have for your business. How many of the above 3 questions can you answer with a Yes?

Would love to hear what you find. Whether in the comments below, or in a personal email, we can't wait to hear all about you.

The Secret to Goals

Goals need to be S.M.A.R.T. (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic and Timely)! In essence, we need clear benchmarks to track our success.

But benchmarks only tell a second half of the story.

Benchmarks work from the bottom up. Our goals make a foundation. Then we build plans and actions upon them. We slowly build the pyramid with these benchmarks as a guide.

You can't skip steps. It's impossible to put the pinnacle in place before the steps below. And without clear goals, reaching the top just might never happen.

And yet there's a crucial step even before we set goals. We first need your vision. What is it we're working to build? What's the purpose of it all?

Vision works from the top down. As Stephen Covey says, We have to "Start with the end in mind". We must understand the purpose before laying any goals.

Computers enable incredible progress. Benchmarks are passed faster than ever before. Social media provides almost instant feedback, from our workers, customers and more. And we, in turn, adjust the benchmarks to keep them engaged.

But without your vision, the efficiency of computers is meaningless. We still need you most of all.

RELENTLESS OPPORTUNITY

Opportunity is relentless, and the most difficult part, it's not always ours. Sometimes it seems the best opportunities always go to somebody else.

An old band mate's show gets picked up by CBS. A college acquaintance has already built the company you'd like to start. Your friend's startup gets that million dollar first round of financing. Your neighbor wins the dream job you wish were yours.

Many find it difficult to see opportunity so close, yet so far out of reach. But life is not a nascar race. Just because they've won doesn't mean you can't win. Life has no finish line, no checkered flag. We all get to keep driving.

When those nearby are finding success, it means you're spending time in the right circles. You're on the right track. You've found the land of opportunity.

Whatever you do, keep that foot on the gas. Because opportunity is everywhere, likely even just around that next bend in the road.

Self Remote Control

We learn to switch personalities at will. We giggle with a preschooler, behave sternly with the shareholders, speak so crossly to our spouse, but then so tenderly make up. I've even seen people stop mid-argument to answer the phone with an easy smile.

These are skills we learn as a child. These are skills that serve us well. And when you master the effect, we don't call you schizophrenic, we call you self-controlled. The key is not avoiding multiple personalities, but learning to utilize them all. You click the switch and go.

It doesn't matter if we throw out our back, get sick, or learn our dog just died, when we present to the board or meet someone new, we learn to smile with enthusiasm and confidence. We overcome the pain. We even turn it off.

The odd thing is, I'll find myself forgetting the pain, and feeling truly happy in that moment. We break with the reality of the pain and don't even think about it.

This is an incredible power. This is something no machine can do.

THE POWER OF EASY

I've been fascinated by it for years. When a story's good, people love to listen. We prefer doing business with people we know, those we understand.

But how do we come to know and understand you? A meticulous description is boring. Bullet points are too brief. Leave us to figure it all out for ourselves, and we just might miss the point. But give us a story, with struggles, triumphs, and you in between. I promise. We'll remember. A good story grants the power of easy, helping us understand all you  have to offer.

Here's the counter-intuitive part. Contented characters are boring. Great stories need pain, some sort of intrigue to draw listeners in, to drive the action forward. Notice how every Hollywood blockbuster spends the first 10 minutes of each film putting the main characters' problems on display. In order to feel your triumphs, we must first know your struggles.

The key is putting more of you in your elevator pitch. We can only understand your incredible skills by knowing what you've overcome.

But this is where it gets very tricky. First impressions are much different than a movie. Does a strength stated too strongly suddenly feel like a brag? Could a problem painted too boldly give off the hint of weakness?

It sounds complicated, and I guess it can feel that way sometimes. For networking, elevator pitches, presentations and more, we must engage the listener quick. We seem to find ourselves getting a lot of questions recently on this issue of how and when to reveal problems.

Luckily, there's no need to worry. Would you like to beef up the impact of the stories you're sharing? The world is filled with resources.

One of our favorites is Vogler's 'The Writer's Journey'. We still refer to it almost daily, working to get a client's balance of intrigue, vision, and strength just right. Snyder's 'Save the Cat' is another gem. If you'd like help finding the best parts, give a shout anytime. @ThaddeusRex or linkedin.com/in/thaddeusrex

-Thaddeus Rex

Positively Never Don't

Is there a positive side to negativity?

We all know motorists can't help themselves when passing the scene of an accident. They slow to stare. This doesn't mean Coca-Cola is likely to benefit by wrecking all their logo covered trucks.

I recently was forwarded a post about the power of negativity. Apparently, by creating negative titles for your blog post, you increase the chances people will want to read it. Your negatively titled post can be forwarded far and wide, read by many. Your Klout score could skyrocket.

Of course, a casual perusal of the nightly news should suffice to convince us all. They've been in the business of grabbing people's attention for decades. They rarely talk warm and fuzzy.

There are many studies of social media behavior. I've read negative posts are more likely to be read. I've also read negative posts can reduce audience interaction over the long haul. The only constant on social media, of course, is that it keeps changing. The biggest question is you. Who are you and what's your purpose?

There's always an easy way out. A negative advertisement might grab people's attention. But it leaves you and your brand mired in a pile of associations you may find less than beneficial. Coca-Cola can grab our attention by wrecking a truck. But they probably don't want that kind of publicity.

One way to grab attention without going too negative is to create an oxymoron. Like 'Less is More' or 'The Strength of Weakness'. Or use a double negative, one that never doesn't sound positive. A title is best when it surprises. Even more importantly, the best titles also imply an offer of real value.

And you know this already. This is why you work so hard to put your best foot forward, to smile when meeting someone new, to give the best you have to give. Because those first impressions, like every blog you post, come to represent the best parts of all you have to share.

THE NATIONAL FLATBALL LEAGUE

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When life gives you sour milk... Well, a milkshake is much more difficult.

Sometimes, no matter how well we prepare, life gets rough. If we're lucky enough to get lemons, we all know what to do. But when life hands out sour milk, our options don't appear so sweet. So we step back. Regroup. Get ready for the next dish.

Because the good thing about life is it just keeps going. No matter how rough it gets, you know life isn't capable of handing out sour milk forever. Hang in.

Some events pump us up, others leave us deflated. Circumstances come and go, but you don't have to. You get to be as constant as you choose. The NFL themselves are choosing this route it appears, mostly ignoring the controversy as they prepare for the big game. They know who they are, and we know they're going to just keep running with it.

Enjoy the game. Root for whomever you want. Or ignore it if you prefer. But you are constant. You are here. You are now.

May the best team win. And even if they don't, I'll be enjoying family and friends, enjoying our game, maybe even making lemonade as the clock ticks down.

Smarter than Exercise

We recently joined a new gym, but we did it for the kids. They have a huge indoor pool with waterslides. So now when we hit cabin fever, we go!

The odd thing about this gym, to get to the pool we have to walk past the jogging track, filled with exercise. We pass stationary bikes and fitness class rooms. Even as we lounge in the water with the kids, we look up to see windows lined with treadmills and elliptical machines. And, of course, they're all filled with happy people looking incredibly fit.

And here's the weird thing. The power of suggestion sets in. After seeing so many working so hard, I begin to crave it myself. Just a few minutes pass by, and I find myself switching pools to swim laps. I go until I'm out of breath, then go for 20 more. When I get back to the kids, my wife decides to do the same.

It's so easy to ignore what we cannot see. But set it right out in front, and I need it more now!

You probably already know these tricks. You've been using them all along, designing the life you want by planning the paths you walk each day. For me, I'm just thankful for a gym that's smarter than me, luring us in to splash, then gently pushing us into better health.

And now I'm craving that special smile you only find when slightly out of breath. But I'm learning good lessons from the gym, and I think my kids'll likely request a return. For when they get home tonight they'll find I've taped pictures of waterslides on every TV.

Charlie Hedboeing 747

We mourn the fallen, who bravely stood ground to protect a good joke. Our love cries for your families, their sadness and loss. We hope we can stop it from rising again. We know it will take more than hope too.

We know your belief in freedom and speaking and joking and laughter. We thank for expressing your mind. We promise to carry your ideals forward, as best we're able. We're forced to believe in bullets too, and yet you have shown us how weekly and feebly they tend to persuade.

Charlie Hebdo is soaring, now higher than an eagle. And just last month I'd never heard the name. This is the power of ideas. They eat bullets for breakfast, and fuel juggernaut growth, never seen possible before.

And this is a power we own and can offer. We give it to our kids, our friends and even enemies. We hold the shield out, to think what we will and to will what we think. No bullet can ever poke out the eye of our blogs. They can't stomp on our songs, can't shoot down our ideals. And this is why we read and write, we talk and walk onward. 

I've never read Charlie Hebdo before, and can barely put two words together in French, but tonight after dinner, I'm going to give it a try.