Retail holiday

According to the Department of Labor, Labor Day is:

1. Celebrated on the first Monday of September.

2. Dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.

3. Constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

According to retailers it is:

1. A great day to take advantage of the large number of potential customers free to shop.

2. An important sale weekend.

3. One of the largest sale dates of the year, second only to Black Friday.

The irony…..

Setting out to pay tribute to workers produces irresistible conditions to put them to work; creating an ironic retail holiday?

Growth

Teach them who you are

It’s not hard to fall in the “proving” trap. That is when we feel we must overwork or overcompensate to prove that we are worthy of belonging in some capacity. The problem is that overcompensation is never a reflection of who we really are, it’s only a product of what we feel others want or expect us to be.

Proving is not a sustainable or effective strategy. Instead of teaching people that you can be what they want you to be, teach them who you are.

Growth

Taking inventory

What establishes a brands worth in the perspective of potential and current clients? I often witness brands and people who offer an exceptional service or experience, that do not get the same return on their efforts as comparable ones who offer an inferior service.

What factors contribute to the superior service being marginalized, while the inferior service receives a higher return? If I had to choose the single biggest reason this happens, I would conclude that the superior service has not stepped back to take inventory of itself and realize that it is exceptional.

In order to get what we’re worth, we must pause and take inventory of who we really are, and realize what are offer truly is.

Brand Strategy Product design

Create for yourself first

There are always solutions that we need to put in place for our life. Many of those solutions may be things that have been resolved by someone else, giving us viable options to choose from. However, there are times when there is no solution to the problems we face, and that is where the potential for a good product idea exist.

Take inventory of your life and daily routines to recognize opportunities for needed solutions. Chances are that someone else is bumping against the same issue. Creating for ourself first is the best way to develop a good and relevant idea.

Brand Strategy

The right way

Clients often ask me the right way to execute a particular brand strategy, in which case I am happy to share best practices.

When the goal is to produce results in an effective and consistent way, it is wise to establish protocol and best practices for achieving optimal outcomes. However, protocol can become a crutch if it causes us to limit our approach. And can be a trap if it prevents us from widening our vision for what more is possible.

Best practices are a guide and effective when they are flexible. The only “right” way to execute is based on situation, environment and real-time influences, which may differ depending on the “right” situation.

Growth Perspective

Fresh start

What would you do if you were given the opportunity for a fresh start? How would you do things differently this time around? What things would you keep, revise or do away with?

It can be difficult to move when we feel weighed down, that’s the appeal of a fresh start. It gives us an opportunity to look at things with a clear vision and can reinvigorate hope.

A fresh start begins with us. We don’t have to wait for our environment to change or the situation to be just right. We get to lead the ship, so what are we waiting for?

Brands Perspective

The real McCoy

If something was a solid product, they used to say it was “The real McCoy.” One story tied to that expression is of a man by the name of McCoy who had a reputation for well made inventions. The name became associated with quality and was used to build trust and value.

Our names are connected to our personal brand. What associations do people make when your name is mentioned? And do those qualities represent who you want to be in the world? Is it the real McCoy?

Growth

One thing every day

For a while, my most cherished quote was:

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

It served as a constant reminder that a little effort each day adds up. Anytime the road ahead seems impossible, it’s good to remember that things rarely happen all it once. It’s the little things we do every day that have the greatest impact on our lives.

Growth Perspective

Routine

I have a daily routine that I operate within each morning. My routine is a sequence of events that I have crafted together after much trial, error and conscious effort. It’s a pattern of action that best helps me prepare for the day.

I used to have a great deal of resistance to a routine. I felt it would make my days seem too predictable and take the spontaneity and creativity away from life. In practice, my morning routine is the foundation that I build the rest of my day from. It allows me to be intentional about my creative efforts and offers me space so that I can visualize alternative possibilities.

A routine can seem like a dull existence, in reality, it’s the very thing that helps support productive creativity.

Brand Strategy Product design

What feeds a good idea?

Students studying and graduating at the Willem de Kooning Academie in Rotterdam created a process that converts leftover fruit and vegetables into durable, leather-like material.

The students state that “In this project we created a solution for one of Rotterdams biggest social issues, food waste.”

While many people realize that food waste is an issue on a global scale, I am curious what factors supported the growth of this idea, from this particular group? There are a few key components that may contribute to this:

1. Collective: This group describes themselves as a collective of designers. The truth is that a group is much more powerful than the glamorized solo designer.

2. Solution based: The idea was focused on the solution rather than the consumer. They sought out a solution to an issue relevant to their environment and experience.

3. Environment: The students are part of an environment that invites and supports experimentation. Where mistakes are seen as a vehicle toward a workable solution rather than a liability.

All around us, there are several issues that could benefit from similar workable solutions. The question is, are we creating an atmosphere that feeds good ideas?