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When I was twelve years old, my dad taught me how to play music. One of the first lessons he taught me was, it doesn’t matter how good the song sounds, as long as you start together and end together, you’re still a rockstar. And whether you’re playing music, pitching a customer, telling a story, professing your love, giving a speech, firing an employee or giving any kind of…

I started my business the day I graduated college. And unlike many of my counterparts, I had no debt to cover, no spouse to support, no kids to feed, no employees to motivate, no coworkers to support, no community responsibilities to fulfill and no social obligations to juggle. Sound liberating? It was. And I’m eternally grateful that I was in that position for so long. Certainly sustained my productivity….

Saying yes to uncompensated work can be a smart move. I’ve done a handful of pro bono gigs over the years that changed my career forever. But when we donate our services, our job as independent professionals is to set a precedent of value. To always remind buyers what the market pays us, even if they don’t. And to always alert buyers that our time isn’t just valuable –…

ROKKAN is an independently owned digital agency reinventing the way brands interact and engage with their consumers.  I sat down with co-founder Chung Ng, and posed three crucial questions about belonging: a) Good brands are bought, but great brands are joined. Why do you think your employees join yours? Time and time again, when a new hire joins our team, they talk about how it was the work and…

“Thank you for allowing me to learn something today.” That was the exit line from the customer service agent of Bank of America. Not, thank you for calling. Not, is there anything else I can do for you? Not, are you satisfied with your level of service today? Not, would you be willing to take a minute to answer our online survey about your customer experience for the chance…

As much as we seek consistency, there are parts of us that are always changing. What we thought was a cherished value was just a preference that was too convenient to be killed. What we thought was a limitation was just an illusion about what we can and can’t do. What we thought was a perfect future was just an outdated plan that had no relationship with reality. And…

I met a guy who runs a nursery. He told me that when customers walk in to buy mulch, his favorite service moment is when he gets to ask them, “You want it now?” Jaws. Drop. Now? Really? You mean I don’t have to wait all afternoon? Nope. Thirty minutes. You can get your mulch before you get your pizza. Chip will even follow you home from the store…

The goal is to create a holy shit moment. An interaction so soaked in wow, that people can’t help but tell the world. Try making an intentional point of over delivery. When customers ask you for an arm and a leg, hand them a hacksaw. Try responding promptly, not just when you can. When customers send you a message, get back to them instantly and watch what happens. Try…

Apple users don’t need instructions. In a pinch, they can always hop online to find product information sheets,troubleshooting pages, installation handbooks, online tutorials, user guides and owners manuals. But why search for instructions when you already have permission? Steve Jobs democratized technology. He created products that don’t require anything but curiosity. You just open the box, press the button and let your imagination carry you away. Meanwhile, his competitors…

Innovation is impossible without imagination. Only when our curiosity overwhelms our certainty, only when we’re more open to the complete possibility of what could be, does everything change. Kodak failed to innovate. Instead of reading the writing on the wall and adapting to the digital world, they clung to their analog past and went bankrupt. And the irony is, they were actually the first film company to develop digital…