DISQUS

Miranda · 2 years ago

What a great post! Even though "they" tell us we're unique when we're younger, they also pound it into our heads to be like everyone else. It is hard to break out of this. We get caught up in the pattern of "there's no else like me -- just like everybody else!"

I blogged this post on my work from home blog: http://www.workshak.com/2007/09/is-your-home-bu...

danielholter · 2 years ago

Fantastic insight and ideas... we're certainly trying to incorporate all of your last paragraph in our music licensing website, Burst Labs, and the results have been promising.

It definitely takes more work trying to be both different and valuable to clients. Thanks for the challenge!

steve cunningham · 2 years ago

Great stuff! I run a branding and design company, and we always tell our clients that being unique is always greater than being admirable. Most people understand this when you explain it to them, but seem to forget it when it comes time to execute.

Red Jello · 2 years ago

I tried this for a company I am consulting for -- this was very difficult! It was hard seeing what distinguishes one company from another. A very valuable exercise!

Angel Armendariz · 2 years ago

John, what you say makes a lot of sense. I think you're right in your assessment of the fear and the uniformity of companies. One of the issues seems to be the lack of creativity muscles. Most individuals in business, have not valued, and therefore not exercised creativity/uniqueness. So it is kind of frightening when you attempt something that you really are still novice at. Although, like I wrote in a blog last week, it's only natural to be timid at the onset of a new development. We'll find ourselves moving through the for stages of development, i.e., unconscious incompetence, conscious incompetence, conscious competence, and finally unconscious competence. The final stage is worth going through the first three. Thanks for the insights...

Angel Armendariz

David B. Bohl at SlowDownFAST. · 2 years ago

Excellent post and reminder.

Whether we’re looking to stand out from the crown in a marketing sense, or trying to be successful at something, or simply striving to find happiness, there is no better advice than to know yourself and to be genuine and authentic. After all, there’s only one of each of us … why would we want to conform when we are so uniquely ourselves?

Varun · 2 years ago

Great insight. I am going to use this tip to unsettle my next client...

Tamsin · 2 years ago

Great post John and fitting for where I'm currently at! I think it can be the fear of restricting oneself to a small niche initially that can stop people defining one, which will make them stand out. Applying "what's the worse that can happen if" question when the fear kicks in can often help move things on. Far easier to be individual and yourself than to emulate others at the end of the day. Thanks for all your tips and advice.

Jodi Kaplan · 2 years ago

Great tip, John. I have a client meeting coming up, and I'm going to try it out. As someone said in a movie I saw recently, "A life lived in fear is a life half-lived."

Karen Hegmann · 2 years ago

John

I just wrote a post on a similar subject. Believe it or not, in my case, people remembered who I was because I offered to share a few pieces of homemade chocolate cake. Well, they say branding should appeal to the senses and emotions, right?
You can find the post at http://karenhegmann.typepad.com/tellingthestory...

Rich Atkinson · 2 years ago

Thanks John. Great post. Creativity is really about creating as you, not for you. Creating for you is about being more concerned about the payoff than being true to your vision. Having the courage to express who you truly are makes for outstanding blogs. The same for business, if you really follow what excites and expresses you, you'll create a standout product or service. The key is to keep on creating and expressing as you.