#19 – #humpday

I rang in 2014 with close friends and fun times. However, Geico had a different plan. A genius plan.

We all remember the “Mike, mike, mike, what day is it… Hump Day!” commercial that went viral in minutes and is now a common salutation for any Wednesday.

New Year’s Day 2014 landed conviently, for Geico, on a Wednesday aka Hump Day. SO how to they capitalize? Sponsor the New Year’s Eve countdown on multiple major networks such as ABC, NBC, and Fox and add a simple hashtag to keep the conversations all about them… and voila #humpday is born.

These are the types of details that we sometimes quickly oversee when we focus solely on checking the box and not the long term effects of our projects. Just SHIP IT is definitely my motto, BUT before shipping even becomes an option the project better have more than a one and done purpose and more longevity than that brown banana you through in your lunchbox this morning.

Thank you Geico for reminding us to slow down and take the blinders off. The next time you are running full force and head down on a project ask yourself, “Is this the next #humpday?” If the answer is not, why?

Priceless – #16

Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, Avinash Kaushik, Mitch Joel, Malcolm Gladwell, and the list goes on… all experts in the field of modern business philosophy or as I like to refer to it, “Think Why”.

These individuals have made an impact in my professional and personal life. I am a fan, but also a student of their modern school of business and relationships.  Yes, these individuals have many differences but what is more important to highlight is what they have in common.

Creating change doesn’t take millions of dollars and multiple Harvard degrees; it takes just one thing… the ability to never recognize the status quo as reality.

Let me explain. Like a scientist uses research to formulate a hypothesis we (creators of change) use the past as a foundation, use the present as our spring board or challenge and the future is where we set our target. Creators of change see the future as a blank canvas rather than a pre determined color by numbers.

By all means learn from the now and embrace today but don’t let it determine the art you create tomorrow. May your creation be bold, bright, and most of all priceless.