The Power Of The Unexpected

Last Monday I got a handwritten letter in the mail. Imagine my surprise when I opened it to find a note from a contractor who had unsuccessfully quoted for a small renovation project on our home. In his letter, he said he was sorry things hadn’t worked out this time around but that he hoped…

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What Standout Brands Do

Have you ever noticed how a crowd exits a packed venue? Even when there are three exits most people take the middle one. You see this play out in business too. Take a walk through the running shoe department in any sports store, and you’ll find little to differentiate one shoe from another. When one…

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How To Avoid Getting Lost In The Crowd

It’s natural to want to create something for the most people we think we can reach. The runaway successes we aspire to emulate seem like they succeeded by appealing to everyone. But if you look a little closer you’ll find that even the big hits started at the edges. Soul Cycle, Starbucks and Secret Garden…

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You Don’t Need A Badge

My eldest son Adam graduated last Saturday. The whole family flew five hours across the country to be there. What you’ll know about anything as special as a graduation ceremony is that it takes an army of people to pull it off. There are legions of people involved on the day, from caterers to photographers,…

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