By the Ocean
A Few Clouds 78 Degrees
4:55 a.m.
The primary benefit of strategy is that, instead of reacting to the world, you can become the cause of something in the world.
This is not only smart for business, it is smart for life.
Right now, you’re reading the writing of a recovering chameleon, who spent many years being whatever he needed to be to find acceptance and validation. Technically speaking, chameleons DO have a strategy, and that is to do what is required to be hired and to be liked.
In business, this is stupid. It also seems to be very common.
What are the hallmarks of a “chameleon” in business?
- Phrases like, “Sure I can do that…”
- Or, “I’m sure we can make something work…”
These simple words seem innocent. But they betray a business or a human who stands for nothing, who has no boundaries, who is willing to change and shift based on the requests of the world.
THIS IS NOT SMART.
Being a chameleon has nothing to do with dollar amounts. You can be a chameleon and be broke or you can be a chameleon and be worth millions.
What matters is the integrity of your identity and how it relates to the world.
Chameleons react to the world.
Powerful people impact the world.
How can you tell which you are?
You probably already know.
Ask yourself how many times you tell a prospect, “That’s not what I do.” That’s one sign that you stand for something. I can’t recall a single time I said that to a prospect in the first 10 years of my business journey.
If you want to stand out, there has to be a boundary by which the world can SEE YOU. That boundary is formed at the line between what you do and what you don’t do, between who you will work with and who you won’t work with, between what you charge and what you won’t accept.
All of the work I do with clients, whether it’s positioning, copywriting, strategy, whatever, is all about THIS. It’s about standing for something powerful and communicating that to the prospects who care.
Don’t run a business, start a mission that matters to someone with the money required to get your help to achieve something great.