Welcome, This week’s episode is targeted at young people who want to build a solid brand. Most of what I’ll be sharing would be from a book I’m currently reading titled ‘how they started: How 25 good ideas became great companies’, written by Carol Tice & David Lester. The book profiles 25 companies in different sectors such as Manufacturing, Media, and Entertainment, Services, Internet, Food and Drink, Technology and American Classics.
The 25 companies profiled are SPANX, Electronic Arts, Pixar, Zipcar, eBay, Etsy, Groupon, LinkedIn, Match.com, Twitter, TripAdvisor, Zynga, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Gatorade, Janba Juice, Pinkberry, Whole Foods Market, Blackberry (RIM), Dropbox, Google, The Coca-cola Company, IBM, The Walt Disney Company, KFC, and Microsoft.
There are various unique features that all these businesses have in common. I would be sharing 3 of them with you.
Number One – They Started
Let me use myself to illustrate this. As I write, I have a lot of tabs opened on my Chrome browser which are searches for contents I want to develop. The issue I have had is that when I reaad one, it links me to another or a new idea comes, and I keep searching, but guess what, I never actually write, until now, ofcourse! This is how many of us are, we know in theory all that a business is supposed to do, but we don’t actually start.
Its just the field of play, where a football fan is screaming from the stands, as if he knows where the ball is supposed to be played, the only thing is that he is not a player.
In life, if we are to receive accolades, we need to actually start.
Start small, think big!
Number Two – They had staying power
Having staying power is not easy. Many see the sweets of business but don’t realise the sweats that are put into it with all the down moments that is enough to make people give up. The truth of the matter is that many people have actually given up, but not these guys. Even when the going was tough, they kept at it until they succeeded. Today, everyone wants to work in their companies, but not me.
If you must succeed at your craft, you must understand what it takes and fight for your future result, not minding the present challenges.
Number Three – They Built a Brand
If what you are building is a brand that would outlive you, you would definitely face some challenges, but eventually, you would have rest. The brand itself would now become a product which can generate income for you through franchise deals. A company like Coca-cola today is being sold all over the world. There’s a special recipe to it, but much more than that, there’s a brand people love to associate with.
So guys, as we forge ahead in our businesses, its time to make it work for us in our businesses. Let’s remember to be futuristic in our approach, don’t let a day setback prevent you from a decade glory.
Thanks for reading.
I’m Leke Ademo
