Ideas that Matter

The Idea: Many of today’s most compelling companies don’t just sell products, they create emotionally connected relationships with their customers. These exceptional brands do two things very well: they design radically empathetic products or foster truly transparent relationships with their customers. They are also adept at uncovering and solving problems customers may not even be aware of yet. Everyone wants to be respected and admired, yet there is deep value in likeability. Companies that are... read more

The Idea: A couple of weeks ago we watched the Green Bay Packer’s Aaron Rodgers limp out of the locker room at halftime, after leaving the game because of a crushing hit from Chicago’s reinvigorated defense. The Packers were losing by 20 points when Rodgers returned with one good leg, and ninety minutes later, the Packers... read more

The Idea: Many of us understand one idea very personally. People that are highly accountable to “performance” are deeply susceptible to pressure, fear, and bouts of anxiety. Almost one in five U.S. adults have had suffered from anxiety disorder in the past year and nearly one in three have experienced an anxiety disorder at some time in their lives. Stress is corrosive and it’s the one thing... read more

The Idea: “We are in the wake of a massive cultural shift, creating uncertainty, new competitive threats, and huge growth opportunities.  Are you selling to Amazon or selling on Amazon, and what’s your philosophy to protect your Walmart business?”  That... read more

The Idea: Insecure leaders create impenetrable walls. In their world, thrones are challenged by strong personalities and opposing views. Across business, faith, and social communities, we have all been manipulated by top-down authoritative leadership. When team leaders claim to embrace opposing views but remain brittle... read more

The Idea: Brands (and leaders) are increasingly judged by their reputations, character and their purpose. The Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that 60 percent of Millennials are belief-driven buyers, as are 53 percent of Gen Z and 51 percent of Gen X. Consider this, 57 percent of consumers... read more

The Idea: Research published by  Harvard Business Review  has identified something most of us experience each day: the majority in the sales profession are ineffective and are not creating value in the eyes of their customers. The study uncovered that salespeople can be sorted into 8 distinct groups: 3 of the groups, or 37 percent, are effective and only 9.1 percent ever truly master this art form.... read more

The Idea: According to Forrester Research, only 8% of companies have strong alignment between their sales and marketing departments. And many organizations are not even aware that they are lacking in this area. When sales and marketing are not aligned, culture gets crushed, energy gets wasted and all types of internal problems get amplified. To... read more

The Idea: Did you ask a good question today?    Isidor Rabi, Nobel Prize winner in physics, once shared ''My mother made me a scientist. Every other Jewish mother in Brooklyn would ask her child after school: 'So? Did you learn anything today?' Not my mother.... read more

Many purpose-driven brands are growing 10 times faster than larger established (non-purpose) brands and purpose driven companies return six times more to shareholders than explicitly profit-driven organizations. While many brands talk intimacy, they fall short in understanding the deeper “unstated” consumer... read more