Last week I had the wonderful privilege of hearing a key-note speech by the incredible Seth Godin.  I’ve read no less than half-dozen of his books and have seen him speak three times over the past few years.  He never disappoints, always inspires and constantly challenges status-quo.  Below are some key take-aways from that session.

1. We are in the business of being talked about. Our message must be clear, it must connect, commit and communicate our culture.  It must challenge the average.
2. The definition of “everyone” is “average”. We don’t want to be like everyone.
3. We all connect and react to things differently.  Treat different people differently. Finding the exact thing that makes a connection to a specific individual or audience is critical.
4. Don’t hold back. Give it your all every day.  If you ask someone to raise their hand as high as they can…and then ask them to raise it a little higher they will.  Don’t hold back.  Raise your hand as high as you can every time.  Do you do things “Full Joe, Full Amy, Full Sam”, or are you holding back?  What’s the “full” you look like?  Can you get there?  If you don’t know your limits you haven’t tested them yet.  You’re capable of far more than you may think.
5. To be successful we must be in the business of experiments. Trying new things.  “Destroying the perfect to enable the possible”.  The more experiments the more opportunities.  Think of all the experiments we’ve already done and how each of them have moved us forward.
6. Don’t fear creativity or failure. Remember, “the guy who invented the ship also invented the shipwreck”.  Be fearless.  Own your successes, embrace your failures, and keep inventing.