Tag: Risk-taking

Are We Listening?

Huh?  Exactly.

Hey, here’s a one-take-You Tube video from me again (howdy), jeff noel, the five-a-day blogger.

Are you starting to see how this might work for you? I mean, I’m just a common guy, working really hard at this social media phenomenon.

A few months back, I saw a You Tube video featuring Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger, answering questions as part of some panel.

What Bob Iger said, paraphrased  from memory, was this, “Disney isn’t embracing social media.  Disney is embracing the customer. The customer is embracing social media.”

Would your customers describe you or your business as hard working?  You know, staying current and relevant with their needs and desires?

We would hope our answer is a resounding yes. Why?  Because, our competition may be invisible at this point in history.

You see, there are others out there who can see something that our customers need and want, but our customers haven’t identified it yet. And neither have we.

Those other people who can see it?  They’re changing the world.

Is This A Purple Cow?

Seth Godin’s book, Purple Cow, is about how to be remarkable.  If you’ve ever flown before, you know what a flight attendant does.

Or do you:

OK, I’ve seen a ton of flight attendants. There are the traditional items that must be covered.

But how there are covered has yet to be defined, or may never be defined. This Southwest Airlines Flight attendant is remarkable.

Bottom line:  in a highly competitive world, playing it safe is risky.

What’s the paradox of risk?

Why take a risk? Aren’t risks dangerous?  “Yes, and”.

Risks can lead to breakthroughs.  Risks can catapault a product or service into market domination – into brand recognition so great, it makes the product or service a household name.  Risks can enhance your career.  We can even argue that rewards are directly proportional to the risk involved.  Not always, but mostly it’s so.

Why not take a risk? And the obvious, biggest reason?  What if we fail? This makes it hard to be risky.  What a paradox.

Risks can catapult us or destroy us.

Will this paradox frighten us or challenge us?

Will we act, or retreat?

Will we “walk the talk” or feel the guilt of hypocrisy?

Will we lead or follow?

These questions can only be answered by you and me, individually, in our own realities.

My personal reality is I’m insanely busy.   Additionly, I don’t like to fail.  Do you?  It really makes me look bad in front of my boss, my boss’s boss, my peers, my Customers, my finance manager, etc.

Today, I promise to take risks.  Whether they be small, medium or large, I vow to take them today.  And tomorrow.  And all week.  All year even.  How about, “until I die.”

Walt Disney was the consumate risk taker.  My 35 years as a business professional have inspired me to ask, “What would Walt Disney do?”

As the Mastercard commercial catch phrase states, “What’s in your wallet?’

Make it a GREAT day!  Because if you don’t who will?

Hey everyone, I’ve enjoyed having you read this.  I hope you’ve enjoyed being had.  Now that’s classic Jungle Cruise “humor”.   Or not.  🙂  Respectfully, jungle jeff