There’s no
hero’s journey about a guy who never leaves home. 

Campbell’s
groundbreaking work reminds us that for any hero to begin their journey, they
must be called away from the ordinary world. Removed from their typical
environment. Plucked from their mundane situation of normality and obscurity. 

It’s a terrifying moment. The adventure beckons us, and we literally feel its
gravitational pull. Because as humans, we’re emotionally attached to the flock.
And so, we deny and resist the pull. We refuse to accept the call because of
our sense of duty and obligation and our feelings of inadequacy and guilt. 

After all, we don’t want people to think we’ve gotten too big for our britches.
Who are we to step out and live a bigger life? Who are we to leave home? My
wife and I decided to relocate across the country and take our talents to the
big city, after only dating for six months. 

Naturally, I was terrified of
crossing that threshold. Advancing to the next phase of the journey was the
scariest notion I’d ever entertained. But as much as I wanted to resist, I
slowly realized something. There’s no hero’s journey about a guy who never
leaves home. If you’re going to get to the next level, you have to break the
rules. Even if you’re the one who created them. 

And this applies to organizations
as well as people. Schultz writes about this in his autobiography. Starbucks sought out to reinvent
themselves during one of the most tumultuous economic periods in history. But
in order to reassert their coffee authority and preserve their stature as one
of the great brands of the century, they knew they needed to disrupt
themselves. It’s powerful lesson for any person or company. 

Disrupt yourself,
lest others disrupt you first. Because everyone great goes somewhere over the
rainbow eventually.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What’s keeping you from leaving home? 

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “37 Words that Should Not be in Your Company Name,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

“Scott Ginsberg’s employee training on approachability was the absolute perfect fit, and completely exceeded everyone’s expectations, including mine. The feedback we received from our team was that this was hands down the best training they have ever been to. Scott found out what was important to us and gave us several options for training solutions. I would highly recommend him for a variety of industries, and I would happily work with him again!”  –Anne Conway, PHR | Corporate Director of Training and Development, | Lodging Hospitality Management

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Humans are biologically and psychologically primed to
engage with novelty. It is a natural habit of the mind to explore things that
are different and unexpected. Humans want to move closer to the ideas that are
unusual enough to encourage exploration. 

Except, of course, when those humans
are trying not to get fired. That changes everything. 

I have a friend who runs
a event production company. Every day, she gets emails and phone calls from
organizations who want to hire her to make their next corporate meeting a big
hit. But from what she tells me, the initial conversation always goes the same
way. 

The marketing director wants to do something interesting and memorable and
meaningful to build buzz about the company’s latest product. The budget is x, the date is y, the customer is z, so
what can you do for us, she asks. 

Instantly, my friend’s brain snaps into
brainstorm mode as she brilliantly populates a list of innovative concepts to
help the client achieve their objective. It’s marketing gold. To the point where
my friend get just as excited as the person who called. 

But eighty percent of
the time, the prospect ultimately says, look, those all sound like great ideas,
but the board will never go for them. Can we just do a flash mob? 

Woops. So
much for engaging with novelty. 

Turns out, people do want innovative ideas, but only within a rigidly accepted
orthodoxy. People do want to try new
and fresh and creative approaches to business, but only if those ideas are risk
free and guarantee corporate buy in and don’t require making major changes in
their general way of doing business and won’t get anyone fired. 

The reality is,
most companies really just want another derivative strategy that carries the
illusion of being innovative, but never actually breaks new ground. Because
that’s what keeps them safe. It’s profoundly frustrating for the hyper creative
entrepreneur. You feel like your talents are being wasted. Like your finest
creative impulses are being smothered. 

And the sad part is, there’s not a whole
lot you can do about it. Unless you keep a running list of all the innovative
ideas your scaredy cat prospects are afraid of, and then sell that list to
clients who actually have courage. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What keeps your clients from implementing your strategies?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “37 Words that Should Not be in Your Company Name,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

“Scott Ginsberg’s employee training on approachability was the absolute perfect fit, and completely exceeded everyone’s expectations, including mine. The feedback we received from our team was that this was hands down the best training they have ever been to. Scott found out what was important to us and gave us several options for training solutions. I would highly recommend him for a variety of industries, and I would happily work with him again!”  –Anne Conway, PHR | Corporate Director of Training and Development, | Lodging Hospitality Management

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Wait time is the single most important
factor in customer satisfaction. 

And the good news is, you can always put
a price on people’s impatience. There will always be a subset of customers who
are happy to pay their way out of line. Consider these examples from a variety
of industries. 

Retail companies offer free expedited delivery for impatient
customers who pay an annual flat fee. 

Theme parks offer front of the line
passes for impatient visitors who pay a one time service charge. 

Airports sell
memberships to impatient travelers who want to breeze right past the long
security lines and go straight to screening. 

Airlines offer early bird check in
for impatient passengers who pay extra to board the plane earlier. 

Coffee shops
sell drink ordering apps for impatient customers who don’t want to wait in line
at the store. 

Gaming consoles offer time saver packs for impatient players who
want instant access to advanced levels. 

Software companies offer personal
callbacks to impatient users who don’t want to wait on hold for a customer
support representative. 

Music streaming services offer monthly memberships for
impatient listeners who don’t want to sit through commercials. 

Freelancing
websites sell expedited vetting services for impatient vendors who don’t have
time to run background checks on every potential candidate.

Proving, that
impatience truly does have a price. People truly do understand the time value
of money. 

But it’s up to the companies to present them with useful, effort
reducing, inconvenience lowering, transaction streamlining, friction
eliminating options to do so. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

How are you challenging your customers to question how much their time is worth? 

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “37 Words that Should Not be in Your Company Name,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

“Scott Ginsberg’s employee training on approachability was the absolute perfect fit, and completely exceeded everyone’s expectations, including mine. The feedback we received from our team was that this was hands down the best training they have ever been to. Scott found out what was important to us and gave us several options for training solutions. I would highly recommend him for a variety of industries, and I would happily work with him again!”  –Anne Conway, PHR | Corporate Director of Training and Development, | Lodging Hospitality Management

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Eyes Full Of Dreams is a musical and motivational masterclass about making use of everything you are. 

This film will be presented as a serialized, episodic documentary. I’m premiering each song as a stand alone chapter.

Watch the movie, buy the album and download the dream journal at www.eyesfullofdreams.com.

Right Again

Fresh pair of opinions

A life time ain’t long enough

I don’t need your millions

Why you gotta be so ugly?

Why you gotta be so ugly?

Sold my sweat as elixir

Nurse the throttle with a lover’s touch

On my mixer, slow

Why you gotta be so ugly?

Why you gotta be so ugly?

Right again

Your memories ain’t invited

It’s one small step to unfuck the world

Kiss the joy as it flies, yes, go

Why you gotta be so ugly?

Why you gotta be so ugly?

When your old rules they are crumbling

By someone without a ceiling

All these dreams I have been stealing

Right again

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What’s blocking your dreams?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “26 Ways to Out Brand Your Competition,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

“Scott Ginsberg’s employee training on approachability was the absolute perfect fit, and completely exceeded everyone’s expectations, including mine. The feedback we received from our team was that this was hands down the best training they have ever been to. Scott found out what was important to us and gave us several options for training solutions. I would highly recommend him for a variety of industries, and I would happily work with him again!”  –Anne Conway, PHR | Corporate Director of Training and Development, | Lodging Hospitality Management

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

You don’t need that many people to believe in you. 

Initially, all you really need is one customer to take your product seriously. That’s enough of a victory to build the confidence, momentum and leverage you need to move the story forward. 

When I first launched a training program called Brandtag, a strategic planning crusade that helps organizations make their mission more than a statement, none of my clients even knew about the service offering, much less showed any interest in buying it. 

And so, I found myself in a chicken egg conundrum. I couldn’t sell program because I’d never done it before, but I couldn’t do the program because I’ve never sold it before. Crap. 

That’s the problem with the ground floor. Nobody wants to be the first one to trust you. 

And so, I decided to donate one. Ran the entire workshop at cost. Even commissioned the art work on my own dime. Because I knew that if I could just get one happy client under my belt, that victory would propel the service forward into more profitable territory. 

Sure enough, the success of that first project equipped me with the confidence, competence, content and connections I needed to make the second, third and fourth sales. 

Lesson learned, take your confidence wherever you can get it. Find that first person to take your work seriously. And do whatever you have to do to get on the runway. Because once you’ve finally taken off, it’s a hell of a lot easier to arrive at your destination. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

When did your business first find its momentum?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “37 Words that Should Not be in Your Company Name,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

“Scott Ginsberg’s employee training on approachability was the absolute perfect fit, and completely exceeded everyone’s expectations, including mine. The feedback we received from our team was that this was hands down the best training they have ever been to. Scott found out what was important to us and gave us several options for training solutions. I would highly recommend him for a variety of industries, and I would happily work with him again!”  –Anne Conway, PHR | Corporate Director of Training and Development, | Lodging Hospitality Management

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Running a business is a frustrating infinite regression. 

It’s as if the neverending pile of things do constantly regenerates itself. We could work thirty straight hours without a break, and it would still feel like we barely made a dent. Sigh. 

And so, the first challenge is making peace with the pile. Accepting that we’re not going to check everything off by day’s end. Because the reality is, the pile never gets to zero. That’s the nature of work. Just when you get there, there disappears. Work expands to fill the time available for its completion. The unconscious mind is giving orders at the speed of light. 

The second challenge is making pace with the pile. Actually taking breaks throughout the day to breathe and rest and stretch and walk around the office and have lunch. I’m as guilty of this as anyone. When I get on a roll writing a book or composing music or fleshing out the details of an exciting new project, sometimes I get so busy I forget to pee. And that’s not healthy for the business or the bladder. 

The point is, every business owner has ambition. That’s why we got into the game in the first place. But we should never let our ambition carry us away to an abyss of chaos. Because if we don’t learn to control our drive, it will cloud our judgment of what we’re capable of. And we’ll end up biting off more than we can chew and burning out way too quickly. 

Always look for ways to moderate the level of human speed. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What is your body saying about your pace?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “46 Marketing Mistakes Your Company Is Probably Making,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

“Scott Ginsberg’s employee training on approachability was the absolute perfect fit, and completely exceeded everyone’s expectations, including mine. The feedback we received from our team was that this was hands down the best training they have ever been to. Scott found out what was important to us and gave us several options for training solutions. I would highly recommend him for a variety of industries, and I would happily work with him again!”  –Anne Conway, PHR | Corporate Director of Training and Development, | Lodging Hospitality Management

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Here’s the fundamental leverage
question for maximizing the movement value of any experience. 

Now that I have
this, what else does this make possible?

It’s simple question, but it becomes
strategic the moment you begin to explore its permutations. Let’s unpack the
different elements and see how it works. 

First, now that. A phrase that implies urgency. The ability to take action
without further delay. Not later or eventually or someday. Today. This moment. 

Second, I have. A phrase that
indicates ownership. Power. Possession. You’ve done the work and rightfully
earned yourself an asset. 

Third, this.
A word that forces you to focus. On just one thing. And invites you to squint
and twitch and stare at that one thing you uncover the hidden opportunities
behind it. 

Fourth, what else. A word
that encourages volume. Vision. Possibility. And challenges you to populate a
list of all the potential opportunities, now that you have this one thing. 

Fifth,
does this. A word that modifies an
earlier phrase. It’s a bit redundant, but intentionally so. Because it’s
essential that we focus on this one thing that we now have. 

Lastly, make possible. A phrase that reveals what’s
capable of existing in the world that was previously unavailable to us. Now
that I have this, what else does this make possible? 

And so, with every new
experience, the goal is to consider it in the context of this one question.
Almost like an equation that you plug yourself into. 

I even created a software app to do it for you.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What’s your best tool for maximizing leverage?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “34 Questions to Keep Your Company Growth Minded,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

“Scott Ginsberg’s employee training on approachability was the absolute perfect fit, and completely exceeded everyone’s expectations, including mine. The feedback we received from our team was that this was hands down the best training they have ever been to. Scott found out what was important to us and gave us several options for training solutions. I would highly recommend him for a variety of industries, and I would happily work with him again!”  –Anne Conway, PHR | Corporate Director of Training and Development, | Lodging Hospitality Management

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Leverage is the bridge between occurrence an opportunity. 

It’s a power source. A strategic advantage. A way of using a small, initial asset to gain a very high return on your investment. 

And so, it’s not just killing two birds with one stone, it’s killing as many birds as you possibly can, with one stone. Maximizing the movement value of every experience. 

My initial understanding of leverage dates back to my freshman year of college. I had just recorded and released my debut album on my own record label. The songs weren’t hits, the audio quality wasn’t professional, and the artwork wasn’t interesting. 

But it was done, it was real, and best of all, it was mine. And nobody could take that away from me. 

And so, as I held that beautiful jewel case in my nineteen year old hands, something inside of me clicked. I had the thought that every young musician has when he first beholds his debut album. 

I can use this to get girls. 

That’s leverage. 

The album was my strategic advantage. 

Now, here’s the important part. Once I realized that I could use my album as a chick magnet, I started thinking about other things I might be able to get out of it. Like money. Or gigs at coffee shops. Or my own radio show. Or a job at some kind of creative organization who would appreciate the fact that I had my own album on my own label. That was leverage too. Increasing the rate of return on my musical investment. Bridging occurrence and opportunity. Killing as many birds as I possibly could with that one stone. 

That moment defined my future. It became the first brick in my foundation of opportunism. And it equipped me to develop a leverage mindset that helped make me successful. It all goes back to one question. 

Now that I have this, what else does this make possible? 

Once you learn to ask this question, in as many moments as you possibly can, opportunities naturally come to you. Because you’ve trained yourself to spot them. You’ve engaged in possibility for possibility’s sake. I owe my life to that question. 

I even built a software program to help people practice it.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What’s your best tool for maximizing leverage?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “12 Ways to Get Customers to Open Your Email First” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

“Scott Ginsberg’s employee training on approachability was the absolute perfect fit, and completely exceeded everyone’s expectations, including mine. The feedback we received from our team was that this was hands down the best training they have ever been to. Scott found out what was important to us and gave us several options for training solutions. I would highly recommend him for a variety of industries, and I would happily work with him again!”  –Anne Conway, PHR | Corporate Director of Training and Development, | Lodging Hospitality Management

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Every artist is on a quest for originality. Searching to find their authentic voice so they can do bring the truest representations of themselves to their work. 

The frustrating part is, it takes time. Identity is a function of volume. And unless we crank out piles of work, we’ll never fully flush out those pseudo cover tunes out of our system. 

I’m reminded of something my mentor told me when my first book came out. He said I hadn’t written enough to know what kind of writer I was. 

It really pissed me off. The impatient child in me wanted to storm out of the room and never come back. But he was right. Not to diminish my literary accomplishments, but as a first time author, I hadn’t yet put in the hours chipping away at the sculpture inside the stone. Only time and volume would unearth that. Anything earlier would be premature.

And so, I used that moment as motivation to keep writing. And writing. And writing. Every single day. Even if the material wasn’t particularly good. Even if only to figure out who the hell I was. 

Sure enough, with each book I finished, I came one step closer to finding my original voice. Now it was just a matter of time. A numbers game. A willingness to stick around until the authentic self tussled its way to the surface. 

Every creative person goes on this journey. For some, it takes longer. But in the end, everyone ends up at their own place of truth. 

Campbell once wrote that we’re all meandering through the maze of our own life, looking for the place where the soul shines forth. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

How much art are you willing to ship out the door in order to arrive at that place?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “31 Questions to Turn Your Expertise into Money,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

“Scott Ginsberg’s employee training on approachability was the absolute perfect fit, and completely exceeded everyone’s expectations, including mine. The feedback we received from our team was that this was hands down the best training they have ever been to. Scott found out what was important to us and gave us several options for training solutions. I would highly recommend him for a variety of industries, and I would happily work with him again!”  –Anne Conway, PHR | Corporate Director of Training and Development, | Lodging Hospitality Management

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Years ago a developer friend of mine launched a free software program to help people better manage their tasks and assignments. It started as a completely bootstrapped side project, but with a lot of hard work, he successfully attracted over one hundred thousand users. 

Recently, though, he decided it was time to build out the upgrade from beta to final version. Because even though his software was a free service, he still wanted to improve it. 

But as humanity would have it, not two weeks into the process, several of his users began whining about the new features and designs. They were outraged. Making demands left and right, complaining that his upgrade was destroying the user experience of this free service they loved so much. 

Of course, being the consummate professional that he is, my friend personally wrote each one of his upset users back and said, and I quote, tough shit. 

This is what this is, he said. More than a hundred thousand people around the world love it. And so, if you’re not happy with the software, you’re welcome to unsubscribe anytime you like. 

Lesson learned, when you give something away for free, you can do whatever you want. That’s the way the gift economy works. When you’re generous and vulnerable enough to give yourself away, to make something and share it with the world without a price attached to it, you’re not obligated to listen to people’s feedback. 

If they don’t pay, they can’t make demands. 

I’m reminded of a time when I encountered a homeless guy outside of a donut shop. He asked if I could spare some change for food. And so, I held out my hands offered him three boxes of fresh donuts instead. He paused for a moment, took one look at the pastries and said something I’ll never forget. 

Sorry man, I don’t eat sweets. 

Excuse me, but that’s not the way life works. If somebody does the work for free, you’re not allowed to complain. 

If you want a voice, write a check. 

Otherwise keep quiet and be grateful that the product even exists. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

How will you avoid giving people’s opinion more weight than they deserve?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “134 Questions Every Salesperson Should Ask,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

“Scott Ginsberg’s employee training on approachability was the absolute perfect fit, and completely exceeded everyone’s expectations, including mine. The feedback we received from our team was that this was hands down the best training they have ever been to. Scott found out what was important to us and gave us several options for training solutions. I would highly recommend him for a variety of industries, and I would happily work with him again!”  –Anne Conway, PHR | Corporate Director of Training and Development, | Lodging Hospitality Management

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!