Find the Pony

One of my marketing heroes tells this wonderful story about a bad little boy on his Birthday. The dad is so fed up with this rotten child that he gives him a big pile of horse manure. Upon seeing it, the little boy starts jumping up and down with joy. The father is surprised and asks why he could possibly be so excited about a pile of manure. The boy replies, "Because there must be a pony around here somewhere!"

Yes, kind of gross. But also wise in many ways. In marketing, I am seeing so much focus on process and expert panels about the issues. There are whole industries based on six sigma'ing, root cause analyzing, and matrix-complaining about the gridlock in getting amazing products and creative work out the door. There will always be a million challenges and excuses in any situation, in any company, in any industry, heck in life. They can all be excuses to hide behind not doing and even worse not doing it well or the best you can for customers. Often when an amazing idea comes up, the first things that pops into everyone's minds are all the reasons it won't ever happen. Imagine if every time Muhammad Ali had stepped into the ring, he talked about all the ways he could get pummeled. He would be one crushed butterfly. What if you envision the amazing idea happening and assume it will?

Start by trying for a day to have 100% of what you say and do start with the assumption that anything is possible. Focus on what you want and how you are going to start making it happen. Suspend your disbelief. Shhhh. Nope. Stop, don't even say the negative. A game for one day to have every single thing that comes out of your mouth be about the possibility, the solution, the first next step to action. I think you will be quite amazed what will start happening. Recast the challenge: there is a path to getting that customer magic out the door and your job is to find it. (Seriously, there is a way. It is there. If I were standing where you are, I would be able to see it. I'm only a few proverbial floors away finding my paths, too. Psst...a tip is that the path usually starts with the review teams. I left bread crumbs for you. They are sincerely my very good friends. I'm sure I'll see you there.) And by the way, like any super hero you are the only one who is going to know it exists or even believe you will find it. Others will very likely think you are crazy. It is your cosmic secret.

I am so proud that my personal reputation is that I am a doer, and I can make the really big ideas happen. I have trained myself that every challenge presents an opportunity and am motivated by "no". I thrive in the impossible. What is your brand? Do you want it to be about ponies or manure? (Gross, but you will remember it, right?) And with that I give you this...