“The only way to win in business is to make adjustments, not excuses” (pg 21).
“I can accept failure; everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying” (pg 31).
“I’d rather be laughed at than not be noticed at all” (pg 36).
“The best opportunity to do the unexpected and create a fan is when something goes wrong” (pg 43).
“When adversity hits, most people dwell on the negative . . .” but “when things go wrong, when there’s a challenge with the experience, that is the best time to wow your fans. They’re not expecting you to make a random wrong a right. It’s a little heroic . . . a little joyful” (pg 47).
“Go all-in on what you stand for and what makes you different” (pg 49).
“79% of people who leave an organization say that lack of appreciation is the main reason they left. Only 12% leave because of pay” (pg 57).
“Instead of delighting their fans, they were chasing customers” (pg 58).
“Be fanatical about caring for people . . . be fanatical about the details: the way emails are worded, the color of the packaging, the style of your bathroom décor” (pg 60).
“Challenge the way things have been done in the past. Have the courage to do things others won’t do. Break the rules in your industry, and stand for something better” (pg 63).
“You can’t create fans until you are a fan of what you do” (pg 64).
“I’m not saying quit your job or give up your obligations. But If you are not a fan of what you do, you will never do it to your full potential. And the world is missing out on what you can bring” (pg. 65).
“When you follow the crowd, you’ll never draw a crowd” (pg 67).
“What do you want to be known for?” (pg 74).
“Eliminating friction is about putting yourself in your fans’ shoes and looking at every possible pain point, every possible frustration, every possible policy that slows things down, heats up temperatures, and punishes fans” (pg 85).
“Starbucks leaves an empty chair at their meetings to represent their customers. For every decision they discuss, they ask how they can serve the person sitting in that chair” (pg 86).
What does it look like when customers interact with your business’s rules, policies, and spaces? Does a fan want this? Does this add value to a fan? Does this make life easier for a fan?” (pg 87).
*** Teachers will buy into a “student’s first” mentality when they feel cared for and understood.
“Too many rules get in the way of leadership. They just put you in a box. People set rules to keep from making decision” – Coach K pg. 88
“Microfractions are the little details that chafe and scratch at fans, even if the fans don’t realize it . . . everywhere you look, you’ll see a thousand small, avoidable annoyances” (pg 91).
“True failure, the permanent kind, comes when businesses keep doing things the way they’ve always done it. Or worse, it comes from doing nothing” (pg 105).
“Friction fighting isn’t about winning in the short term. It’s about investing in the long term” (pg 105).
*** Education has a mandatory audience, which stifles creativity and change.
“I would rather entertain people and hope they learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained” (pg 109).
“Everything tells a story, and everywhere is a place to entertain” (pg 116).
“When considering the fan experience you want to create, let fun lead the way. Ask yourself how you want to make your fans feel, and then look at every detail f your experience to make sure it aligns with that feeling” (pg 121).
“If you’re having fun, push it a little further, right to the edge of ‘too far.’ You’ll find that it’s not as dangerous or scary as you think” (pg 130).
“Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that” (pg 132).
“I think I’ve learned that the best way to lift oneself up is to help someone else” (pg 137).
“Look at your assets and spaces. Don’t work from a mindset of what you lack; go with a mindset of what you have. What makes you unique? What can make you unique? Amplify that” (pg. 138).
“Did this bit get off to a rocky start? Sure, but that’s usually how our experiments go the first time we run through them. We look at what worked and what didn’t, do what we can to fix the bugs, and then try again the next time” (pg 146).
“What rules would make you slightly uncomfortable to change but need to change to refresh your business and industry? (pg 164).
“Do for one what you wish you could do for many” (pg 175).
“To be a moment maker is simple: people just want to be seen and heard” (pg 190).
“If you want to empower action in your team, start by changing the mindset of your organization. Instead of focusing on failure, focus on what you’re trying to do. What new chances are you going to take? What new things are you going to do. Will these new things make you feel uncomfortable? Scared?
I hope so. If you’re not scared a little, you’re not thinking big enough . . . the greatest leaders make the least amount of decisions” (pg 205).
“What do you think? . . . If you want your team to function without you, you have to embody that question whenever your team seeks approval for their ideas. What do you think?” (pg 210).
“The price of inaction is far greater than the cost of a mistake” – Meg Wittman CEO of Ebay (pg. 227)
“Creating change is messy” (pg 228)
“I dare you to imagine what you can accomplish in your business over the next five years. I dare you to look at your business and ask how you can take it from unremarkable to unforgettable” (pg 235).
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do” (pg 242).
“When you’re feeling drained, it’s hard to muster up the energy even to do the things you love” (pg 243).
“The cheer you give is the cheer you get” (pg 254).
“Be remembered for who you are, not what you accomplished” (pg 256).
“Policies police, and that installs a culture of fear, not love . . . people don’t want to be managed, they want to be led” (pg 266).
“Stop looking to be recognized, and start looking to recognize” (pg 277).
“A hundred years from now, it won’t matter what’s in your bank account or the kind of car you drive. It will only matter that you made a difference in the life of a child” (pg 305).
“Legacy is not what you leave for people, it is what you leave in people” (pg 307).
“Stand out. Have fun. Create fans” Be full throttle you! (pg 315)