It began with a couch. When Cathy Thorpe assumed the role of CEO in 2014, she encountered an unexpected symbol in her new office… a large pink couch. Rather than discarding it, she embraced it as a centerpiece of Nurse Next Door’s BOLD KIND culture and her leadership style. This pink couch represents comfort, the […]
Bold Kindness Isn’t Just a Book, It’s a Manifesto For Compassionate Leadership Read More »
In an era characterized by polarization, Justin Jones-Fosu’s new book, “I Respectfully Disagree” emerges as a crucial guide for navigating the treacherous waters of social, ideological, and work conflicts. The Berrett-Koehler published book (which launched on August 16th) is predicated on a startling reality. Approximately 25% of the global population is affected by serious conflicts, a
BOOK REVIEW: “I REspectfully Disagree” by Justin Jones-Fosu Read More »
It all started back in 2009. It was a summer evening and I was in New York City with a work colleague. Brad Bossow and I were at a trendy rooftop bar in midtown. One of those places where a bottle of beer is $15. We were waiting to meet a few people before heading
Black Goldfish Introduction Read More »
David Rendall and I talk with Adrian Swinscoe on the Punk CX podcast about “Pink Goldfish 2.0: Defy Normal and Exploit Imperfection.” (Here’s the link to Episode 399) Main Takeaway: We discuss how to make our imperfections work for us and help us stand out and differentiate in business. Here are some of the highlights
Standing out, portmanteaus, and wabi-sabi Read More »
If you want a burger and you have a peanut allergy, Five Guys Burger and Fries won’t do anything to protect you. They fry everything in peanut oil, there are bins of peanuts stacked everywhere, and they leave peanut shells all over the floor. If a person with a peanut allergy goes into Five Guys,
Five Guys doesn’t care about your peanut allergy Read More »
A tale of two cousins: Jennifer is pretty. She has blond hair and blue eyes. She is relatively tall and thin, but with curves in all the right places. According to online sources, she is 5’ 7” tall and weighs 121 pounds. Her measurements are 38-24-35. She is attractive according to all of the classic
The Tale of Two Cousins Read More »
“I spent my whole life getting in trouble because I couldn’t sit still, be quiet, and do what I was told. Then at some point, as an adult, I realized I was getting paid to stand up, talk, and run my own business… The very thing that people spent their whole life telling me not
The connection between weakness and strength Read More »
“Don’t try to stand out from the crowd… Avoid crowds altogether.” — Hugh MacLeod One of my favorite quotes from Pink Goldfish 2.0. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. 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
One of my favorite quotes from Pink Goldfish 2.0 Read More »
Sometimes the opposite of a good thing is also a good thing. According to Barbara Nemitz, the author of “Pink: The Exposed Color in Contemporary Culture,” the color pink contains, “An extraordinary number of contradictory qualities. . . The pink spectrum can embody practically anything; surface and interior, happiness and suffering, delight and injury, the
Pink marks T-Mobile as unique from all the other mobile giants Read More »
It was 1893 in London, and Douglas Macrae, the publisher of the Financial Times, was looking for a way to distinguish his newspaper from the competition, the Financial and Mining News. In Pink Goldfish 2.0, David Rendall and I profile the important decision he made. Macrae decided to use pink paper in order to stand
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