Stan Phelp's Blog

The Goldfish Chronicles

Sharing insights on customer experience, employee engagement, and brand strategy.

Phil Mickelson became the oldest major winner in golf history at age 50

Eleven years ago Phil Mickelson was prepping to play in a major. Unexpectedly, his joints started to ache. It felt like he’d sprained a wrist on one hand and somehow jammed a finger on the other. His right ankle hurt too. Uh-oh.

According to reporting by Healthline Media, “One morning just two days before the tournament, Mickelson woke up in such agonizing pain he almost couldn’t get out of bed.”

Mickelson would consult with a rheumatologist and learn he had psoriatic arthritis (PsA). PsA causes inflammation and pain in joints throughout the body. The autoimmune disease can make fingers and toes look like sausages.

Phil would begin taking a biologic and soon his arthritis was under control. The TNF blocking drug reduced his pain and swelling.

Did Mickelson hide his weakness? NO

He flaunted it by becoming a public advocate. In his words, Phil wanted to increase awareness because he “didn’t think the information [about the disease] was properly out there.”

Three years after his diagnosis, Phil would win his 5th major. Two weeks ago, he captured his 6th becoming the oldest major winner in history at age 50. He didn’t just turn back time, Lefty tamed the longest golf course in major history.

How would you describe his extreme effort? My word: Philthy

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Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Be Kind

The picture above was taken in Amsterdam almost a year ago. The kid with the sign was taking part in a massive protest over the killing of George Floyd.

The Netherlands was just one of 60 countries to gather in the wake of Floyd’s death. All seven continents were represented. People gathered in crowds during a global pandemic… when it was strongly advised against or in some cases illegal to do so.

As we mark the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s tragic death, let’s remember to BE KIND. Perhaps being kind is the best way to honor his life.

Merriam-Webster Inc. defines the adjective of kind:

a: of a sympathetic or helpful nature

b: of a forbearing nature

Kindness is like a smile. It is worth nothing until it is given away. It benefits both the giver and receiver.

In the spirit of lagniappe (a little something extra thrown in for good measure), can we do an act of kindness and/or share a kind smile today?

If you don’t want to honor George, do it for your health. The Mayo Clinic has shown that kindness increases self-esteem, empathy and improves your mood. It can decrease blood pressure and cortisol, a stress hormone, which directly impacts stress levels. People who give of themselves in a balanced way also tend to be healthier and live longer.

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

EVERY WEAKNESS HAS STRENGTH

In the words of acclaimed author Daniel Pink, “David Rendall has a radical prescription for chronic dissatisfaction: Stop working on your weaknesses and start amplifying them instead. ‘The Freak Factor’ [book] flips the cult of self-improvement on its head with stories of real people who have soared to success by embracing their uniqueness.”

Do you know this tall freak? I hit the jackpot when I met David at a networking event hosted by Kevin Snyder eight years ago. He was hard to miss in the room. Beyond his 6’6” height, David was wearing pink pants, pink sneakers, and pink glasses.

That night I learned about “The Freak Factor.”

This seminal book outlines a simple premise—what makes us weird can make us wonderful and what makes us weak can also make us strong.

The principles in The Freak Factor have universal application. They can be applied to personal development, leadership, parenting, and relationships. I immediately saw the power of the principles as they relate to differentiation and how they can be applied to business strategy.

We would partner up in 2016 and work together to launch Pink Goldfish in 2018. On July 5th, we’ll unleash the 2.0 version of the book.

Don’t buy our book. Let me save you some time. Here is the lesson in a nutshell:

Double or triple down on the things that your customers value that make you different and do less of some things that everyone else does as “NORMAL” without questioning why. Be flawsome and stand out in a sea of sameness.

Are you ready to defy normal and exploit imperfection?

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

McDonald’s launches BTS meal

It’s purple, it’s weird, and it’s golden. It almost reminds me of one of my favorite riddles: What’s brown and sticky?

Answer: a stick

In this case, we’re talking about the BTS meal launched by McDonald’s last week. Not familiar with that acronym. BTS is short for Bangtan Boys. OK, so what’s bangtan mean? It’s short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates to bulletproof boy scouts. Enough trivia already.

The seven-member K-Pop band that’s become a global sensation. You can’t really call them a boy band anymore. They formed back in 2010 in South Korea. The youngest member is 24 and the oldest is 28. Fans of BTS are known as the ARMY and they are ravenous. Of course, the ARMY is also an acronym. It stands for Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth. Hmmm, seems a little forced.

To be clear, this isn’t a Happy Meal kids. It’s a combo meal with 10 nuggets, fries, and soda. A couple of things that make this meal a little micro-weird.

One is the special sauce. Not the glorified Thousand Island variety. Does anyone else think the low-cal version of Thousand Island should be called 500 Island? BTS has picked out some special dipping sauces to bring a little spice. You can cover those golden nuggets with either Cajun or Sweet Chili.

The second extra is the free prize inside. BTS has provided content that will drop weekly on the McDonald’s app. [I just downloaded the app. Couldn’t resist the offer of free large fries] Smart move. Not only good for the environment, QSR’s are tapping into apps because they drive sales, loyalty, and retention.

This special meal follows similar McDonald’s meals with musical artists J Balvin and Travis Scott. The US-only Travis Scott quarter pounder meal with BBQ sauce was so popular that it caused ingredient shortages within a week.

This time the Golden Arches are prepared for a Global Launch. Let’s see what the BTS Army has to say about that. Let the assault and the aggressive use of the color purple begin.

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

“The world has taken Pink and turned it into this thing, a brand – a snarl.” -Alecia Beth Moore

“Pink is what I do. Alecia is who I am. The world has taken Pink and turned it into this thing, a brand – a snarl.”

There is no better representative for the color pink… than P!NK, the Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter. But she wasn’t always pink. Her given name is Alecia Beth Moore.

P!NK didn’t change her name in a sophisticated attempt to brand herself. “It’s just a nickname that’s been following me my whole life. It started off as a mean thing.” After being publicly humiliated at camp, she blushed so intensely that everyone started teasing her and calling her Pink.

Years later, in the very popular film, “Reservoir Dogs,” Mr. Pink was a character played by Steve Buscemi with a “smart mouth.” This fit with her personality and confirmed her status as P!NK. She took an imperfection and flaunted it as a strength.

In a small world moment, Alecia would bump into Steve on the streets of Manhattan before her first album launched. She introduced herself and thanked him. He brushed her off, but for an interesting reason. Kudos to Steve Buscemi. Turns out he had a royal excuse.

Within a year her first album was certified double-platinum after it sold more than two million copies. She has continued her music career for more than 25 years. “Hurts 2B Human,” her most recent album, was released in 2019 and she has now sold more than 90 million albums. Her many awards include Billboard’s “Woman of the Year” in 2013 and #10 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Women in Music.

She’s not just Pink, she’s P!NK. David Rendall and I also use the ! as a replacement for the letter i on the cover of P!NK GOLDF!SH 2.0. Don’t call it an exclamation point, call it a snarl. Thank you Alecia Beth Moore.

To steal a quote from Miley Cyrus, “Pink isn’t just a color. It’s an attitude too.”

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Frequently Asked Stupid Questions

Should you have a Frequently Asked Stupid Question page on your website?

After all, there is no such thing as a stupid question. So, why not capture some of this quizzical gold with a FASQ page?

In Pink Goldfish 2.0, we share an example from Davide Cerretini at Botto Italian Bistro. Each month he’d posted stupid questions on a webpage called the “Village Idiot.”

Davide starts with a disclaimer, “Any reference to any person or episode is not accidental. We just don’t know their names or we would definitely tell you.”

Here is a sampling of the questions + responses from the restaurant:

Q. Do you guys have a kitchen here?
A. Yes (and you just made it to the top 10)

Q. This place is supposed to be a Wing Stop.
A. Not since 2009.
Q. No way. I come here all the time.
A. If you are one of their best customers, now you know why they went out of business.

Q. I know you have a sign at the door saying ‘No food or beverage allowed from outside’ but can we bring our own wine?
A. No
Q. Why?
A. Because your wine falls in the category of beverages and it comes from the outside of this restaurant and anything included in the category of the beverages that come from outside of this restaurant is not allowed in this restaurant.
Q. Your sign should be more clear.

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Do we need a VIP system for events and conferences moving forward?

With the removal of the mask mandate, capacity limits, and physical distancing for those vaccinated, how can we keep things safe for everyone?

I propose a three-tiered process using ribbons. The VIP system is simple. Events will ask for proof of vaccination or medical exemption going forward. Based on the response, a ribbon will be attached to your badge:

– For those who show their vaccination card, they’ll receive a light green ribbon that says VACCINATED

– For those with a written medical exemption (for example, organ recipients typically can not get vaccinated), they’ll receive a bright yellow ribbon that says IMMUNOCOMPROMISED

– For those who don’t provide either, they’ll receive a scarlet red ribbon that says PERSONAL CHOICE

I think the three ribbons of this VIP system should suffice. But if we want to entertain additional ribbons, I’m all for it. A couple of events I love are ribbon crazy. Shoutout to the National Speakers Association Influence and the American Marketing Association Leadership Summit.

What additional ribbons would be helpful?

– a black ribbon that says ANTI-VACCER

– a blue ribbon that says DEMOCRATIC HOAX

– a flag ribbon that says QANON SUPPORTER

Any other suggestions?

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

“The patience of virtual attendees is wearing thin. They want better experiences.” -Ken Holsinger

“The patience of virtual attendees is wearing thin. They want better experiences.”

This quote is from Ken Holsinger, the SVP of strategy-data solutions at the Freeman Company. Ken was commenting on a recent study by the trade show, exhibit, and #event company.

This is the eighth iteration of research that has tracked the impact of the global pandemic on events.

Here are some of the key findings:

– 85% of attendees and 86% of exhibitors are expecting to return to in-person events by winter 2021.

-Overall positive sentiment towards attending in-person events increased from 30% to 45%.

Over one million people participated in the study. This finding is particularly encouraging: “The total number of people who plan to be vaccinated or already have been is 79% .” This week we’ll cross the halfway mark nationally.

Questions – should #vaccination be required to attend events?

Two major events dedicated to health and science professionals have indicated they will require attendees to provide proof of vaccination to enter.

Should we go by the honor system with no requirements?

Should it be compulsory for everyone to wear #masks?

Or should we voluntarily communicate our stance on social distancing? Maybe green, yellow, or red ribbons or bracelets?

Your thoughts?

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

How Despair.com amplified negativity into a business

Are you too cynical? What if you decided to AMPLIFI and got even more pessimistic?

Some of your customers will love it. They’ll see it as realistic or satirical.

This is proven by the defeatists at Despair.com. They’ve amplified negativity into a business by creating demotivational posters that parody the inspirational messages decorating corporate conference rooms across the country.

Here are some of the favorites David Rendall and I feature in Pink Goldfish 2.0:

QUALITY – The race for quality has no finish line—so technically, it’s more like a death march.

TEAMS – Together, we can do the work of one.

CUSTOMER CARE – If we really cared for the customer, we’d send them somewhere better.

CUSTOMER DISSERVICE – Because we’re not satisfied until you’re not satisfied.

MOTIVATION – If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon.

Amplifying is about spending MORE time, energy, and resources on what makes us imperfect.

What will you AMPLIFI and turn up to 11? Remember the advice of the late Mae West if you want to stand out, “If a little is great, and a lot is better, then way too much is just about right!”

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

“We make cool shit.” – Borzou Azabdaftari

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“We make cool shit.” That’s the concise elevator pitch from Borzou Azabdaftari. Borzou is the owner of The Falcon Lab in Tysons Corner in Virginia. The Lab works with companies to communicate their stories and corporate cultures through effective design and print collateral.

David Rendall and I feature Falcon Lab in the upcoming Pink Goldfish 2.0 in a chapter about alignment.

Alignment requires a fit between the organization and its customers, but that process doesn’t always start with understanding customers. Sometimes it starts with understanding and clarifying your organization’s values and identity. Sometimes the right customers find you because you’re living out your values.

We asked Borzou to share the journey to “Make Cool Shit” in his own words:

“I wish I could tell you the evolution of our marketing was more strategic. It was born from an attempt to be authentic, but also from an inability to describe what we do in a concise elevator pitch…

I guess it started when I realized our core values were bullshit. I learned about core values in the Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s (EO) Accelerator program, and I think I picked some things that sounded nice like “Truth, Justice, and the American way.” Not that, but something like that.

After a few years of holding onto them and trying to make my employees care about things I didn’t care about, we redid them.

The first one, which eventually became our tagline and really secondary logo – was “Make Cool Shit.” Why? Not just that we make things that are cool – but we endeavor to make everything cool. If it was cool last time, how could it be better next time?

Core values are typically for staff, not all companies have them outward-facing. We really liked “Make Cool Shit” though. We couldn’t help ourselves. First, we made them as koozies for a tailgate event we sponsored. This was mostly a younger crowd, and we figured it would be fine there, so we weren’t really surprised people liked it. Then, we made T-shirts, but again just for the staff. It was still our thing, for the inner circle. Even customers we let in on it were told to keep it quiet. We really just didn’t know how people would react.

Little by little it leaked out though. More and more people wanted a shirt, or a koozie. People started saying they were coming here to make cool shit. It meant something to our customers. Without explanation or effort, it meant the same thing it did to them that it did to us. It was really special.”

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Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

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Hi, I’m Stan Phelps. I work with organizations that want to increase loyalty, drive sales, and promote positive word-of-mouth by creating differentiated experiences.

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I leverage my unique collection of more than 5,500 case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with practical ideas that inspire action.

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Stan Phelp's Blog

The Goldfish Chronicles

Phil Mickelson became the oldest major winner in golf history at age 50

EVERY WEAKNESS HAS STRENGTH

McDonald’s launches BTS meal

“The world has taken Pink and turned it into this thing, a brand – a snarl.” -Alecia Beth Moore

Frequently Asked Stupid Questions

Do we need a VIP system for events and conferences moving forward?

“The patience of virtual attendees is wearing thin. They want better experiences.” -Ken Holsinger

How Despair.com amplified negativity into a business

“We make cool shit.” – Borzou Azabdaftari

Find Your Best-Match Program

Meet Your Presenter

Every time we do business together, Something amazing happens in the world!

When someone downloads a GOLDFISH eBook, we give one brick toward building school facilities in Cambodia