Anyone Could Have Done It

Anyone could have written that book. Had this idea. Made that project work. Pulled this off. The thing is they didn’t. That most people don’t. And you’re not just anyone. Image by Alexander Kesselaar.

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Crafting Your Intention

I met a really passionate financial planner recently who was a bit stuck about how to craft a 30 second pitch to deliver to the people he met at networking events. The problem was that while he was agonising over finding the right words he lost the ability to communicate his intention. If you have…

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What’s The Formula?

There was no formula for being commissioned by Starbucks to design the Red Christmas Cup, so Johanna Basford created one. There was no step-by-step guide to building a brand around ‘delivering wow through service’ before Zappos did it. And yet that’s what we want. The how to, the instructions, the rules we can follow. The…

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The Easy Way Out

A $6000 full page advert in a magazine with a readership of 200,000 people might feel like a bargain. All those eyeballs connected to all those credit cards just waiting to discover you. Now all the advert must do is convince people to pick up the phone. Buying ads feels safe, but handing over advertising…

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You Scratch My Back

The suited up guy approached me at the end of the meeting saying he wanted to find ways to promote my business. He was that impressed! “There is a quid pro quo though.” he said. The old you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours routine. A transaction. This for that. The most valuable relationships…

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6 Questions Every Startup Should Ask

1. What problem are we solving? 2. What need are we fulfilling? 3. Who are we solving the problem for? 4. How are we least like the competition? 5. How do we tell that story? 6. Why this, why us and why now? What questions have you asked yourself? Image by dasmart.

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The Shortcut

The secret to overnight success is that there is no such thing as an overnight success. Here’s the formula. DO GOOD WORK x TIME = OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED This is how a self-published Kansas mother of three became the number #1 Amazon Business Bestseller in a week when ‘online influencers’ backed by big publishing houses…

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The Story Is Your Advantage

“Whoever tells the best story wins.” —Annette Simons This is the whole truth, and it scares all kinds of people, from creators to scientists, fledgling entrepreneurs to established brands. The best man doesn’t always win. It’s not enough to be bigger or better, and that frightens us because our understanding of the world comes from…

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Speak Human

The new perspex sign in the toilets of fast food restaurant read… “It is our intent to provide you with the cleanest possible facility. If the room needs attention please notify a Manager.” I stood in the mirrorless bathroom looking at it for some time wondering how this was supposed to make me feel. There…

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What The Cold Caller Forgot

He forgot to think about you and not just him. He forgot you were busy. He forgot to work hard to add value and build an asset over time. He forgot to give before trying to take. He forgot that you don’t care about his emergency. He forgot that he can’t buy your permission. He…

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