Tony Hawk
This morning I read this New York Times article about Tony Hawk, a man who transformed skateboarding into a legitimate sport. After reading just a few paragraphs, you get the idea that success was merely the by-product of Tony's career path. More important is that he followed the path he believed in.
Sean Payton
This evening I watched the Super Bowl and realized, once again, that if you believe in what you are doing, and you act on those instincts, you indeed can be game changer. I doubt that it works all of the time, but it did this time for Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints.
Here's what Coach Payton did:
In the first half, instead of settling for a field goal on 4th down, he went for the touchdown. And he failed. But he sent a message to his team that he came to win.
He started the second half with a successful on-side kick,which led to a touchdown. This may have been THE game changer.
Then he went for two points after the next touchdown. He succeeded again after the initial ruling was reversed.
And as we all know, the Saints won the game. They are officially the Champions of the 44th Superbowl.
You
What does this have to do with marketing a small business like yours? Virtually every small business owner secretly has a dream about being a game changer, whether they admit it or not. This is why fans like us are loyal. We see ourselves in those that succeed.
You may not succeed in being a game changer, but you still have to go for it. At the very least, you will dramatically increase your odds of building a successful company that serves a loyal customer base - your fans.
I hope these two examples will inspire you as much as they did me. But inspiration isn't enough. That's what others do for you. You still need aspirations. And there's only one place you will find them.
And that is exactly why they can make you a game changer.
Photo Credit: Maitri
