You need to act 5 again to succeed

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Many times while brainstorming with a client I’ll warn them that some of my ideas are going to be really off the wall.  Why, because I pride myself in thinking of ANYTHING that can help drive revenue.  I’ve found that many times when you are outside of someone else’s industry you have a completely different view.  There have been many times where my clients look at me like I’m on drugs, it’s kind of humorous.

Recently I was at a conference in Florida where I had the honor to hear Derek Daly speak.  Derek is a LEGEND in the auto racing world and he’s an amazing business speaker as well.  Derek covered this topic in a way that was new to me and it really hit home.  The picture attached is a slide from his presentation that referenced a research study about how we lose creativity as we age.

The graphic says it all, most of us have lost ALL creativity by the time we turn 30. At 5 you are 98% creative, because your ideas haven’t been shot down yet.  You’ve not been taught what you’re supposed to think. It drops to 20% by 10 years-old and all the way to 2% by the time you turn 30!!! That’s just crazy to me.   This goes back to the line that “no question is a stupid question.”  Many people say that, but very few practice it. They are scared to throw out an idea that’s too off the wall or ask a question that hasn’t been asked in a long time, if ever.

I’ve found that I’m somewhere between a 5 & 10 year-old.  I’m comfortable enough with where I am in my career and the results that I deliver that I’ll throw out ideas that make people look at me like when a dog slants its head to figure out what you’re doing. I’m been looked at like an idiot before, but it doesn’t bother me.  I can point to enough ideas that I was told wouldn’t work THAT DID!  

My point of this blog is to get you to start thinking differently.  What else could you be doing to drive sales.  What ideas have you had that you never put on paper or said out loud?  What’s the worse that could happen, you don’t gain anymore business?

GET BACK TO BEING A 5 YEAR-OLD