Many of you have heard my story: I was a kid with bifocals. Not the cute kind you can get now with cute light frames and crazy fun colors.
I looked like church lady. With an eye patch. Kid kryptonite, essentially. I switched schools partway through kindergarten when we moved and let’s just say, it wasn’t the easiest move.
I did make a couple of good friends, but when they got in a fight my little elementary world was shaken.
The community I had hoped for in my new school didn’t come until much later when I discovered drama classes. We were requested to act weird and let it out.
What a relief! I even got trophies for it at drama competitions.
Still, the fear that something about me didn’t fit in hovered for years and in many ways, it’s still there.
Many of us never had a drama teacher like mine, and even if we fit in in some places, I know lots of people feel awkward somewhere, always worried they’ll say the wrong thing or get found out as strange and just too crazy for everyone else…
I’ll tell you: the days of hiding your weirdness are over. People are letting the quirk fly all over the place and they are prospering from it.
The worst thing you can be in this economy is forgettable and bland, like vanilla pudding. It’s tasty, it’s reliable, and it’s totally predictable. Why have vanilla when you can have boysenberry or cocoa chili pudding?
It’s time to find your flavor if you don’t know it, or to put out a tray of samples if you do.
This week… share your flavor in the comments… if your brand was a flavor, what would it be? Share it with us in the comments and on the Facebook fan page and then keep thinking all week “How would my brand flavor write this email? Dress? Give this talk? Connect with this client or customer?”
I promise that while the world likes vanilla, they are going to love the real flavor you are out to give…