Creativity is everywhere improving the world's most valuable asset. Playing with Legos–whenever kids see them, they feel inspired, creative, and ready to start again. It's like a Birthday or Christmas celebration when the parent brings the yellow Lego bag home.
We encounter inspiration in many forms. It might be as simple as a stunning view. Standing on a balcony of a mountain home or the oceanfront view–an expanse of the sea and sky, unlike that of any other place in the world. There's a reason why nature in all corners of the Earth attracts painters such as Matisse and Bonnard. Experiences in nature may be very tiny compared to time spent on screens, but they can stick for quite some time to change destiny. Accessing nature can be simple, revelatory, and visceral. It replaces the digital with analog–inspirational in slowing down the passage of time, recalibrating our senses, and deeply noticing the details in the world around us.
1) Get specific with the audience
Titles and industry aren't enough. You need to uncover what your audience truly loves, hates, and what exactly prevents them from reaching their goals. Go granular on the demographic. Who they are? What are their preferences? Even how they live. I would pick and define one audience and win them over.
2) Create a unique POV for the problem your business is solving
Many companies say they want to stand out, but aren't ready for their customers' attention. If you want to be considered in your ideal customers' mind you need to offer them something completely different that solves their challenges, not something that's only incrementally better.
3) Set strategic goals
If you stop at MQLs, you're not going to get the conversion you truly seek. Set up meetings with the CEO, head of product, head of revenue, and CMO to truly understand what the leaders care about, then build a plan to support their vision.
4) Pick one channel and dominate
As you strategize, you do not need to be everywhere all at once. Better to build in one arena, then scale. Where the key audience or customer is today is where you should start the build.
5) Produce research driven content
Reconsider a full SEO strategy to begin. Certainly there is some high intent traffic worth capturing right away, but it may be better to earn attention with original thoughts and research using internal product data, surveys, and frameworks from SMEs.
6) Analyze audience signals
You have to keep the pulse on the audience and know what they are craving before they do. There are signals everywhere telling you what they want. Make sure you are analyzing content, campaigns, social, and trends constantly. Then go in the the direction of content that is performing.
7) Scale your strategy
Once you've got momentum going along with steady growth in the first channel, it is time to scale to a new channel using insights of what's valuable to the prospect or customer.
Apply these 7 steps to achieve remarkable results.
Congratulations to Pat Okens for his amazing book Blues Before Sunrise. The book’s first batch in print is completely sold out. Pat’s donating half the fiscal proceeds to U of T varsity rowing program which equates to $355,000 in just one week. Here's high praise from notable rowers:
“Patrick Okens’ delightful, mesmerizing tales of rowing at the U of T bring so many memories of what life was like as student rowers.” – Roger Jackson, 1964 Olympic Gold Medalist “I am so grateful to Patrick Okens for putting together this history of a program we all love so much.” – Kay Worthington, two-time 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist Thank you Pat for all you’ve put into this amazing bookIn any time of questioning, there is undoubtedly a defined need to seek answers especially when human resolve is tested, there needs to be an avenue leading to collective healing and empathetic choices. There is indeed light at the end of tunnel.
My early years of rowing were at Ridley. Five novices in varsity lightweight eight in a very tough category–competing with the finest from elite prep schools in Canada and the USA. It just happened we were Ridley where there were no novice boats and every boat was a championship shell expected to win Gold.
In our Ridley boathouse, we had the Canadian men's Olympic gold medal eight–the yellow Empacher shell consisted of alumni that had gifted the boat to the school for our heavy men's eight to train in. It just so happened that our head coach Neil, was also the Canadian men's Olympic head coach. This brought with it a dedication from all athletes, both women and men to train to our utmost ability and not be held back by any what ifs.
Our land training consisted of: 4.1 mile run with hills every other day as our coach Rhys held a stopwatch and recorded our times even in the coldest days of the Canadian winter. Running was combined with weight training and erg training. Once on the water, we had to learn to row in a gorgeous wooden shell named "Endurement."
Training together, my crew grew closer, we persevered, trained hard, listened to our coach, believed in ourselves and won gold at the CSSRA Canadian Schoolboy.
Before the race final, our coach reminded us of the racing he expected. We were to be strong and persistent, to take the first couple of strokes to build and then focus on the length, power, and rhythm. "Try to hold off chasing crews," he said, "but if passed stay strong and keep going. Your body can keep working hard for longer than you think. You can push yourself for long periods of time and to push harder as time goes on, taking on whatever challenge is posed and that is the strategy today. I want you to go out in front and lead from the front." We then watched the video of Canadian Olympic oarsmen win Gold similar to the video attached here and were wired as we took the boat into battle.
The race plan: Lead from the front. I have recently been invited by the school to return for reunion with my men in June. We have all done well.
Nature broadens our horizons, motivates us, and redirects our thoughts. A view into the broader expanse of nature allows us to relax, as does breathing in fresh air and looking at the distant horizon. Inspiring moments in nature can awaken associations, sounds awaken memories, smells and engagement with all our senses–in combination act to slow down the passage of time. An antidote to the hyper speeding up of life in the digital realm, only nature arouses curiosity. Everything we perceive influences the way we behave. Hope you are feeling inspired in the most diverse ways whether through music, style that you wear, or trip into nature–the divine inspiring context of life.
Nature captures our attention without consciously focusing on it. Nature provides the opportunity to replenish our senses and recalibrate our minds for attention control. The longer we spend in green landscapes the more it soothes and restores.
Something happens when you ascend the sacred winding road that leads into the Sequioa National forest. Yosemite is humbling–the kind of place that gently, but firmly, reminds mortals that we are merely a blip in the timeline of nature. Recent rains have brought a sense of renewal from the impact of fires, drought and beetle infestation. The imposing beauty of Yosemite National Park with its natural wonders both large and small extends 1170 square miles along California's Sierra Nevada range. These wonders of nature await your arrival this fall and winter.
Thankful for the privilege of racing with such magnificent horses. The race began with seven boats in the varsity final, one more than is usually allowed. At 1000 meters boats were nearly even, our coxswain called a hard 30. At 1300 meters we were pulling ahead. At 1500 meters, we began taking it up for the last 500, winning the championship with open water in a highly competitive field. My gracious thanks to some remarkable oarsmen who have God like work ethic, stamina and genetic disposition of the perfect horse. Thank you to the amazing coaches who selflessly got us on the podium. Love, always.
