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People don’t just buy what you sell. They buy the mythology you create around what you sell. They buy the story you tell that taps into their existing worldview. They buy the meaning they create for themselves in response to that story. BUT: It’s not enough for people to simply understand your story. They need to believe it. They need to feel proud to be part of it. They…

I’m obsessed with rituals. Always have been. And I attribute much of my ability to stay focused, grounded, sane, fueled, connected and on-purpose – both personally and professionally – to the rituals I practice on a regular basis. That’s just me. I’m the kind of person who can commit myself to something that matters, as long as there’s a ritual involved. HOWEVER: There’s a key difference between ritual and…

The best part about playing Monopoly was drawing a chance card. It was risky. It was exciting. It was the only way to beat my older brother. MORE IMPORTANTLY: Chance Cards taught kids that life without risk, isn’t. What chances are you avoiding? Consider this list of ten chances worth taking: 1. Every interaction is another chance to give. Charisma is irrelevant when people walk away from you feeling…

You can borrow time. You can make time. You can steal time. You can save time. You can take time. You can find time. You can buy time. You can eat time. But that takes time. And you’re a pretty busy guy. ASK YOURSELF THIS: What if you compressed time? That’s what I’ve been doing since say one. When I started my company right out of college, I was…

Think about the last time one of your customers made the following complaint: “I like their product, but I just wish the company would take themselves more seriously.” Exactly. They’ve never said that. Ever. WHICH MAKES SENSE: We live in a litigious, hypersensitive and politically correct society. And instead of branding their humanity, organizations – in the name of “professionalism” – are prohibiting their employees from expressing any shred…

“Acts of friendliness in moments of anonymity.” That’s why I wear a nametag: To invite people to join me, to remind the world that face to face is making a comeback and to create spontaneous moments of authentic human interaction infused with a spirit of humor, playfulness and connection. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, a nametag is worth a thousand stories. Here are my most…

I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. Affectionately known as, “The Show Me State.” According to the state government homepage, the most widely known legend attributes the phrase to Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver, who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1897 to 1903. “I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I…

Last time I was in Florida, I passed a woman on the beach wearing a shirt that read: “Pregnant is the new skinny.” I was beside myself. Not just because of the shirt itself, but because of the overall ridiculousness of the fashion industry. HERE’S THE REALITY: Fashion isn’t about your appearance – it’s about your approach to life. Straight from my monthly column at American Express Open Forum,…

Companies that inject soul, win. Companies who are touchy feely, win. Companies willing to brand their humanity, win. That’s not customer service – that’s a love letter. But, contrary to popular conditioning: Love is not a weakness. Love is not a combination lock. Love is not an instrument of control. No. Love is the bell that’s always ringing. THE QUESTION IS: Is your brand brave enough to hear it?…

[ View the infographic! ] “Everyone should wear nametags, all the time, everywhere, forever.” That’s my thesis, philosophy, dangerous idea and theory of the universe. My name is Scott, and I’ve been wearing a nametag for past four thousand days. And after traveling to hundreds of cities, a dozen countries, four continents, meeting tens of thousands of people, constant experimentation and observation, building a enterprise and writing a dozen…